What is a Dental Implant?
A dental implant is a device that is placed in a jaw to allow restoration of one or more teeth. The most popular design for dental implants is the "tapered screw vent", which works like the root of a tooth. The implant "root" can work with a variety of components to support a single post and crown, support a bridge, or support a denture. Special implants can be used as anchors for orthodontic care. Other implant designs form a lacy framework over the surface of the bone or use blade or bar designs to engage the jaws.
We provide comprehensive implant care in our office.
Dr. Collins has completed exhaustive continuing education in implant care. He co-directed the AAID Implant Maxi-Course at OHSU, a 27-day program that covered every implant topic in depth, and has been placing dental implants since 1986. He belongs to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry and the International Congress of Oral Implantologists.
We perform a very thorough work-up for every case, and every patient is given choices for implant care and alternatives. We design every case from the ground up. We place our own implants in our office, so we can be sure we can restore the implants with an optimum result. Implant dentistry is a prosthetic discipline with a surgical component.
Please note that some dental offices only provide a limited part of care needed to plan, place, and restore implants. The American Dental Association turned down the effort to create a dental implant specialty in the USA in the 1990's. Although general dentists are allowed to plan, place and restore dental implants, dental specialists in the USA are limited to either placement or restoration of dental implants, forcing a "team" approach. Dr. Collins went on record in dental journal articles in favor of an implant specialty advising that patients can benefit from comprehensive implant care by a single practitioner. China became the first nation to create a dental implant specialty a few years ago, and Dr. Collins enjoyed meeting one of the first Chinese dental implant specialists at a meeting of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists in Vancouver, BC. You can count on us to help you make a clear choice for dental implant care.
by Keith Collins, DMD
