What Are Dental Implant Restorations?

An implant crown functions by transferring the force of biting and chewing down through the abutment and into the implant post, which is anchored securely in the jawbone. Because that post is fused directly to bone, the crown sits far more securely than a filling or a bridge that relies on neighboring teeth for support.

Most implant crowns are made from porcelain or a porcelain blend, chosen because it holds up well under daily chewing and reflects light the way natural enamel does. The crown attaches to the abutment either with dental cement or a small internal screw, and your dentist will choose the method based on the location of the tooth and how easy that spot needs to be to access later for adjustments. A few practical points worth knowing about how these restorations hold up over time:

• Screw-retained crowns can be removed for maintenance without damaging the crown itself
• Cemented crowns often look slightly more natural since there is no visible screw access hole
• Either style can last well over a decade with routine dental visits and good home care

Whichever of our crown options ends up being the right fit, the goal stays the same: a restoration that lets you bite, chew, and speak without thinking twice about it.

An implant restoration differs from a natural tooth mainly in what it is made of and how it responds to pressure, even though it is built to look and act like the real thing. A crown cannot develop a cavity, since there is no enamel or dentin to decay. That does not mean it is maintenance free, though. The gum tissue and bone around the implant still need daily brushing and flossing, because plaque buildup at the gumline can lead to inflammation even when the crown itself stays perfectly intact.

A few other differences worth knowing:

• Natural teeth have a thin ligament that lets them flex slightly under pressure, while an implant restoration is rigidly fused to bone
• Because of that, some patients notice implants feel a bit different when biting down hard, though most adjust quickly
• Implant crowns will not shift position or develop gaps the way natural teeth sometimes do over the years
• Natural teeth can be sensitive to hot or cold, while implant restorations generally do not carry that same temperature sensitivity

For most patients, once healing is complete, an implant restoration feels and performs close enough to a natural tooth that daily life goes back to normal within a short adjustment period. Many patients tell our team they forget which tooth is the implant within a few weeks of getting used to it.

Proper restoration matters because a poorly fitted crown or misaligned bite can cause problems well beyond the implant itself, from uneven chewing pressure to irritation of the surrounding gum tissue. A restoration that fits precisely distributes force evenly, protects the bone that supports the implant, and keeps the neighboring teeth from shifting or wearing unevenly over time.

This is one of the reasons experience matters so much in implant dentistry. With more than 35 years of combined experience serving families throughout the area, Dr. Harris and Dr. Bomske take the time to check bite alignment, contact points, and gum health at every restoration appointment, not just at the end of treatment. A restoration that is rushed or slightly off can lead to discomfort, added wear, or complications down the road that are far more difficult to fix than getting the fit right the first time. Regular checkups after your restoration is placed also give your dentist the chance to catch small issues, like a loose screw or minor bite shift, before they turn into bigger problems that affect the surrounding teeth and gum tissue.