Initial Dental Implant Consultation

Your first step towards permanently replacing your missing teeth is to meet with your Dallas dentist for a consultation. During this initial visit, we’ll review your smile goals, go over your medical history, and examine your mouth. Oral health issues like tooth decay, gum disease, nightly teeth grinding, and low jawbone density can negatively influence the success of your dental implant, so we’ll create a plan to address these problems first. Once your oral health is on track, we can move on to the next step of the dental implant process.

Dental Implant Surgery

xt comes the surgical placement of your dental implant. First, an incision is made in the gum tissue. Then, a small titanium post is implanted directly into your jawbone. The number of posts you’ll need will depend on how many and what type of dental implant you’re getting. For instance, you’ll only need a single post to replace a single tooth with a dental crown, while you may need two, four, or more to secure a dental bridge or denture. However, the restoration isn’t placed during this surgery. Instead, a protective gap is placed over the post and the healing process will begin.

Dental Implant Osseointegration/ Abutment

Over the next several months after your surgery, the implant post will fuse with the surrounding bone and gum tissue. This process is called osseointegration. While it can take anywhere from three to six months to complete, the results offer unmatched stability, longevity, and function for your dental implant. Once your mouth has fully healed, a small connector piece called an abutment will be attached to the top of the post. As your gum tissue recovers from this step, we’ll design your custom-made dental crown, bridge, or denture.  

Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations

When we receive your final restoration, you’ll return to our office for the final step in your dental implant treatment. We’ll connect your dental crown, bridge, or denture to the implant post using the abutment. After making any small adjustments and checking to ensure your bite feels comfortable, you’ll be ready to start enjoying your newly rebuilt smile!

While getting dental implants may require a very different process than traditional tooth replacement options, the results are well worth the time and effort. With the proper care, you can easily expect your dental implant to stay beautiful and functional for a lifetime.

Day-to-Day Benefits

Dental implants deliver benefits that make a big difference in a patient’s everyday life such as:

• As the strongest and most lifelike of all tooth replacement options, dental implants give you the confidence to eat, speak, and laugh in public.
• Dental implants only require the same oral hygiene routine as natural teeth, meaning that you won’t have to worry about the elaborate soaking rituals that dentures require.
• Dental implants can easily handle any foods that real teeth can chew, meaning that you can look forward to enjoying all of your favorite treats after receiving them.
• Since they are placed directly in the jaw, dental implants won’t slip or slide out of place, saving you from embarrassing speech difficulties.

Health Benefits

Dental implants can also make a major difference in a patient’s oral and overall health. A few important health benefits dental implants can provide include:

• Because implants are made from biocompatible titanium, they work like prosthetic roots, providing your new crown or denture with excellent stability while also promoting bone growth in the jaw to ensure that it stays strong and healthy as the years go by. 
• By allowing patients to enjoy a wider range of foods, dental implants can make it easier to enjoy a nutritious diet that helps the body stay healthy for years to come.
• By preventing bone loss in the jaw, dental implants can help the natural teeth maintain a proper alignment, thereby preventing dental injuries and infections.
• Dentures can cause sores to form in your soft oral tissues as they slide around the mouth. Since dental implants are securely anchored in the jawbone, you won’t have to worry about your gum tissue becoming irritated due to uncomfortable friction.

Long-Term Benefits

One of the key advantages dental implants have over other dental replacement appliances is their longevity. A few long-term benefits implants carry include:

• Dental implants can last for up to thirty-five years or more with excellent care. Many patients find that their implants last a lifetime.
• Dental implants boast a success rate of over 95% after ten years, making them a sound investment in your oral and overall health.
• Since dental implants are permanent, you won’t need to worry about replacing them every ten to fifteen years. The cost of replacing dentures or dental bridges can add up to a hefty sum over the decades.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

The primary requirement for dental implant insertion is to have missing teeth. Whether you’re without a single or full set of ivories, there is a solution for you. Next, there must be sufficient jawbone density to support implantation. Otherwise, the implant won’t seat properly. Finally, oral health plays a role. Thus, before we move forward with the procedure, we’ll check to make sure you don’t have any signs of gum disease or other problems that could shorten the life of your implant.

Dental implants in Hiram can be used for a range of circumstances. Whether you need to replace just a single tooth, a few teeth, or a full row of teeth, dental implants can help. The number of teeth that you’re missing will determine the best type of restoration for you.

Missing 1 Tooth

If you’re missing a single tooth, we can replace it with an implant-retained crown. Our crowns are custom-made to blend in with your smile, and they won’t affect your surrounding natural dental structure.

Missing Multiple Teeth

Are you missing multiple teeth consecutively? We can use an implant-retained bridge to literally “bridge” the gap in your smile. Using a dental implant on either side of your personalized bridge, we can restore your smile’s beautiful appearance and strong function.

Missing All Teeth

If you’re missing most or all of your teeth, you could benefit most from an implant-retained denture. This option combines the best of both worlds, allowing us to replace all of your teeth with the strength and stability of implants. If you’re tired of slipping and sliding dentures, this is the best option for you!

Types of Dental Implants

Not all dental implant treatments are the same. In fact, the treatment is always custom designed for the person receiving it. That is why costs vary so much from patient to patient. Logically, an individual who needs to replace a single tooth with a single dental implant will pay quite a bit less than someone who is undergoing full mouth reconstruction. The materials used to make the implants, as well as the nature of the surgery and the final restoration, also have an impact on overall cost. When you visit our team for your consultation, we will provide you with a personalized estimate for the price of your treatment.

Stages of Dental Implant Treatment

Dental implant treatment takes place across several stages. You may have to go through:

• Preparatory treatment, such as extractions or bone grafts
• The implant placement surgery
• Placement of the implant abutment
• Design and placement of the final restoration

The above-listed stages may take place several months apart, and each one has its own unique cost. You will only have to pay for each portion of the treatment as you go through it. Therefore, you will have time throughout your treatment journey to adjust your budget as necessary.

Are Dental Implants Worth the Investment?

Yes, dental implants near Hiram are absolutely worth the cost! They provide stable, aesthetically pleasing tooth replacement — really, their function and appearance rival those of natural teeth. Plus, they have the potential to last for decades. In fact, their outstanding longevity may make them an even better monetary value than other treatments that cost less upfront. For example, while traditional dentures have a relatively low cost, they may need to be replaced every five years, and they require periodic adjustments, making them a recurring cost. In most cases, dental implants are a low-maintenance, one-time investment.

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

Many dental insurance policies do cover dental implants. However, there are still quite a few that do not. You will need to check the specific details of your benefits to learn more about the scope of coverage. Even if your plan does not cover the implants themselves, it might cover other portions of your treatment, such as the initial bone graft or your final restoration. Also, our team will be happy to work with you to make your treatment as affordable as possible. Thanks to low-interest financing and our in-house savings plan, you may discover that your new smile much more affordable than you initially thought!

Make Oral Hygiene a Priority

Brushing and flossing at home are essential for maintaining a healthy smile, especially after receiving dental implants. Although it’s rare, dental implants can fail. Most often it’s the result of a preventable infection caused by poor oral hygiene habits. Peri-implantitis is an infection that’s like gum disease. It will destroy the supporting structures for your dental implants, causing them to fail.

Thankfully, you can combat infection-causing bacteria by brushing at least twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush and nonabrasive toothpaste. It’s best to clean all surfaces of your dental implants and around your abutments well to remove any trapped food particles and plaque.

Besides brushing, don’t forget to floss daily. Clean in between any remaining natural teeth and around the abutments to remove any buildup. Many patients with dental implants find a water flosser to be easier for hard-to-reach places in your mouth, like around your abutments.

Protect Your Dental Implants

Dental implants are made of high-quality materials to make them durable to last for many years; however, they aren’t indestructible. They can be damaged if you aren’t careful. You can protect your smile from unnecessary damage by wearing an athletic mouthguard if you play sports. This provides a protective barrier if there’s any impact to your face or mouth.

If you have a habit of grinding or clenching your teeth, you’ll want to protect your smile from the pressure of bruxism. A mouthguard is an effective solution to provide a cushion between the upper and lower arches to protect any remaining natural teeth and your dental implants.

Schedule Regular Dental Checkups

The American Dental Association recommends everyone sees their dentist at least twice a year for a cleaning and checkup. You might need to see your dentist more often after receiving your dental implants.

Routine cleanings allow us to remove any buildup left behind by your toothbrush and floss. This is vital to minimize any irritation or infection of the gingival tissue. Besides a good cleaning, we’ll also perform a thorough checkup. We’ll evaluate and monitor your oral health, which allows us to detect any concerning issues sooner, like inflamed gum tissue. This allows us to quickly intervene to prevent complete dental implant failure.

How Long Does the Dental Implant Process Take?

There is no set time for completion of the dental implant procedure, but there are some aspects that you should be aware of. It all starts with your initial examination, where we’ll assess the condition of your oral health and your jawbone mass. If there are issues with either that need to be addressed, we’ll make them a priority before taking any further steps. Once you’ve healed, we can move forward with placing the necessary number of implants.

After implantation, it can take up to nine months for the fusion process to complete. In all, some patients may need a year or more for the procedure to finalize, but afterwards, they’ll have a lifetime of positive oral health ahead of them.

Why Are Most Implants Made from Titanium?

Titanium is the go-to material for dental implants because of its durability and the fact that it is biocompatible. That means that it usually isn’t attacked by the body’s immune system, and it’s better suited for fusing with the existing jawbone through a process called osseointegration. This results in a sound and lasting foundation to support the replacement prosthetics. The entire titanium post will be beneath your gumline or covered by your restoration, so you won’t feel, taste, or see any metal in your mouth at all.

How Can I Make My Dental Implant Last?

When it comes to extending the life of your dental implant, you should treat it like you would any other tooth. That means brushing and flossing at least two times a day is still just as important as ever. You should also make it a habit to visit our office every three to six months for preventive care, so that any budding issues can be addressed before they become major problems. Abstaining from eating hard foods and seeking treatment if you suffer from teeth grinding will also be helpful in maintaining your implant.

Will My Remaining Teeth Need to Be Extracted?

The primary determinant of whether we’ll need to extract your remaining teeth is their condition. If you have oral bacteria growth that has damaged too much of your ivories for them to be salvaged, then we may need to pull the other teeth and perform a full mouth reconstruction. Ultimately, the way we proceed will depend on what’s in your best interest.