Missing teeth? Damaged teeth? Dental implants are an excellent solution for returning function to your bite and making you feel confident about your smile again. Despite improvements in overall dental care and diet, 178 million Americans are missing a tooth, or multiple teeth, usually due to tooth decay, injury, or gum disease.
What are dental implants?
Dental implants are artificial tooth roots that provide structure for permanent replacement teeth. Unlike ‘traditional’ dentures, dental implants become a permanent part of your mouth and are not removable.
What are the benefits of dental implants?
- You can replace 1, 2, 3 — or even all your teeth.
- Dental implants improve your oral health and prevent bone loss in your jaw.
- They look and feel natural.
- Implants are low maintenance. Once healed, you will not have to alter your oral health routine. Just brush and floss daily as usual.
- Dental implants are versatile and durable.
- Since the implant becomes a permanent part of your jaw, you won’t notice anything different when speaking or eating. And you also won’t need to change your active lifestyle. You can still participate in any exercise you choose.
- You can eat all of your favorite sticky, crunchy, chewy foods!
- Dental implants can make you feel confident about smiling again.
What do dental implants look like?
Dental implants look like your teeth, but better! They look totally natural. No one will be able to tell that you have dental implants.
Are dental implants safe?
Yes. Dental implants have been in use for over 30 years and are very safe.
Are dental implants removable?
No. Dental implants are so stable because they are placed right into your bone and eventually become a part of your jaw – which is why they help prevent jawbone loss and look so natural.
Is getting a dental implant painful?
Discomfort varies with each patient, but most say that the procedure was far less uncomfortable than anticipated.
How much do implants cost?
Implant cost depends on many factors and patient needs, including:
- the number of dental implants to be placed
- dental preparation work that must be completed before implant placement
- if bone expansion or bone grafts are needed
- the overall oral health of the patient
How are dental implants installed?
The implant is placed in the jawbone, and then it is given time to integrate into your jaw completely. Next, an abutment is connected to the dental implant so that the artificial tooth can be attached.
Bone Grafting and Bone Expansion
Depending on your oral health, performing bone grafting and bone expansion may be necessary before placing your implant.
What is bone grafting?Bone grafting increases the amount of bone in the jaw so that a dental implant may be placed.
What is bone expansion?Bone expansion is the widening of the residual ridge (the portion of the residual bone and its soft tissue covering remaining after tooth removal) to make enough room for a bone graft and/or a dental implant.
What can I eat after dental implant surgery?
We will give you strict instructions for the week following surgery. But once you are healed, you can resume your regular diet.
How long do dental implants last?
Take care of your dental implant by brushing, flossing, and visiting Dr. Frank regularly, and your implant can last a lifetime. Your oral hygiene, nutritional habits, and genetics do affect your implants. Regular appointments to have your teeth cleaned will ensure that we will catch it quickly if something goes awry with your implants.
Implant cost also depends on whether or not you have dental insurance and if your insurance covers the procedure.
We look forward to discussing all of this and more with you at your appointment. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at any time!
How successful are dental implants?
If you have good oral hygiene and good health, you can expect a 90-95% success rate.
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