Get your smile back with dental implants from Dr. Steven Erlandson, your dentist in Grand Forks, ND. The dental implant is today's finest tooth replacement, providing a totally new tooth from the roots on up. Learn more about the process here.

What is a dental implant?

The American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) calls a dental implant an artificial tooth root. Made of biocompatible and durable titanium, the implant screw resides right in the jaw bone. After the oral surgery, the dental implant adheres, or osseointegrates, with the bone, forming a solid foundation for later placement of a metal post and porcelain crown.

Osseointegration continues as the patient uses the finished implant. No other tooth replacement does what a dental implant does, nor does it offer the longevity or realistic function and appearance of an implant.

Can you qualify for a dental implant?

Generally, if you are in good health and have adequate bone in your jaw, you can receive a dental implant. Dr. Erlandson will clear you for the procedure with a review of your medical history, a special three-dimensional scan of your jaw and a routine oral exam. The procedure itself just takes one office visit and needs only local anesthetic. In a few months, you'll return to the office for placement of the metal alloy connector and realistic porcelain crown.

The many benefits of dental implants

1. If you have lost many or all of your teeth, dental implants are the superior smile solution. They support bridges or full dentures, providing the same biting and chewing power and improved jaw bone quality single-tooth implants do.

2. Your jaw bone strengthens with the placement of dental implants.

3. Dental implants can last for many years. They rarely fail, having a success and retention rate well above 90 percent, says the Institute for Dental Implant Awareness (IDIA).

4. Your new tooth or teeth are virtually indistinguishable from healthy, natural teeth. In fact, most patients cannot tell the difference between their own teeth and their implants.

5. Care is as simple as daily flossing, twice-daily brushing and six-month check-ups and cleanings with Dr. Erlandson.

Dental implants and you

It could be a winning combination. For more information on how to restore your smile, oral function and self-confidence with dental implants, please contact Dr. Steven Erlandson and his team in Grand Forks at (701) 772-6581.