When it comes to replacing missing teeth, dental implants are widely considered to be the best, most permanent, and healthiest option for patients who are missing one or just a few teeth. What many people don’t know is that dental implants are extremely versatile tools that can be used for more than just single-tooth replacements. At Billings Oral Surgery & Dental Implant Center, our expert oral surgery team places implants for single tooth replacements, to support full-arch replacements, and more. Dental implants can be used to treat a wide variety of conditions, and below we’ve provided a list of some different procedures that utilize dental implant technology.

How can I be sure a dental implant is right for me? Many patients ask that question. This revolutionary procedure delivers preservation of bone and a resolution to other oral health problems. Many patients experience several factors that contribute to tooth loss like poor dental hygiene, lifestyle choices (like smoking), diet, and genetics, but it’s also incredibly important to quickly restore the missing tooth or teeth to prevent severe complications. Patients don’t realize that problems such as speech impediments, premature skin wrinkling, bone loss, and infections can have a serious impact on your overall health and appearance of your mouth.

Dental implant procedures are simple and effective. They work to replace a missing tooth or teeth with a custom prosthesis. The first part is to place a titanium implant into the jaw bone, which then fuses with your natural bone while it heals to create a secure foundation. Next, the abutment is placed into the implant, which acts as an anchor between the crown and the implant. Finally, the custom-designed crown, which closely resembles a natural tooth, is placed on top of the abutment. The result is a complete tooth restoration.

If you just had dental implants placed or are starting the dental implant placement process, you may be aware that you will be facing a soft food diet. But you may also be thinking, what is a soft food diet exactly? And why is it important to restrict your diet to soft foods as part of the healing process?

A soft food diet is just that – soft food only. A restricted soft food diet is not scary, though. A soft diet involves consuming foods that hardly require any chewing. You will have to avoid chewy foods or hard food, such as corn on the cob or sticky candy, or even tough meats that require repetitive chewing. The type of dental implant procedure you undergo will dictate your specific soft food diet, but it is safe to say that soft food options like scrambled eggs, pasta, soup, smoothies, and applesauce are all perfect examples of appropriate foods to eat after receiving your dental implants.