Saddleback Valley Magazine Spring 2016 | Page 7

ADVANCES IN DENTISTRY If it has been awhile since you’ve sat in a dental chair, there are many advances and new product introductions for helping you achieve good dental health. Dental Implants: Twenty years ago, when we lost a tooth, the usual options for replacing the tooth were a dental bridge or a removable partial denture. A dental implant is a surgical fixture that is placed into and allowed to fuse with the jawbone. The dental implant essentially replaces the root of a missing tooth and holds a replacement crown. Although modern dental implants have been in use si