Implants are a fairly new dental advancement. For years, patients with missing teeth or tooth problems had limited treatment options. Dental implants go beyond traditional dental bridges and dentures because they’re more durable, have natural functioning, and look better.
Schedule an appointment at Durham Dental Center whether you need to replace your teeth with dental implants. Regardless of your issue or concern, we’ll provide friendly, comfortable, expert service. We’ll give some excellent recommendations toward exceptional dental care.
What is a Dental Implant?
A dental implant is a replacement tooth root. It includes a rod usually made of titanium and an artificial tooth. The rod provides a strong foundation for the artificial tooth that replaces a missing tooth. The artificial tooth can be a removable replacement such as removable dentures or a permanent tooth such as a crown.
Implants restore and enhance your smile by replacing teeth that you may not like for aesthetic or functional reasons. Implants can be easier to care for than natural teeth. Dr. Loay Shadid will ensure the replacements are the same color, shape, and size as your natural teeth.
Because we embed the rod into your gums and jawbone just like your natural tooth root, you experience a natural feel when chewing, and you’ll have a strong, functional bite.
Implants Can Correct Various Issues:
- Overall oral health. If you’re missing teeth, the teeth around the gap can become loose over time because they lack support from the missing adjacent tooth. Also, bacteria can collect in the missing tooth gap, and expand into your other teeth, your gums, and eventually your jawbone. Implants fill and eliminate that space where bacteria collects.
- Failing teeth. Teeth may require extraction for a variety of reasons. Perhaps a tooth has gotten loose or has been damaged due to trauma. Tooth decay may have progressed to an advanced level. Maybe you have a painful cavity that prevents eating your favorite foods. An adult tooth may not have grown in the correct position for various reasons. An implant could be an excellent replacement option for any of these issues.
- Missing teeth. Despite advancements in dental care, millions of Americans suffer tooth loss from tooth decay, disease, or injury. If you have missing teeth, the longer you wait to replace them, the worse it can be for your health. Missing teeth can lead to bone loss and impact the rest of your teeth.
- Appearance. Bone loss from missing teeth can cause your face to have a more “saggy” appearance. Missing teeth can also cause your jaw muscles may also weaken. Implants can reverse bone loss, strengthen facial muscles, and restore your appearance. They look great with your natural teeth and can restore your smile.
In some situations, you may want to improve the shape or size of your teeth. You may have a crooked or discolored tooth or teeth. Extraction and implants may be an excellent way to deal with these problems.
How Long Does the Dental Implant Procedure Take?
The procedure for implants may take less time than you might expect. The surgery usually takes a few hours, although several appointments may be necessary. The overall process from start to finish is gradual, allowing your teeth, mouth, and jaw to adjust along with the work done for the new implants.
What Are The Steps of Getting an Implant?
Dental implants often require oral surgery. Dr. Shadid is a specialist with the training and experience to provide the best possible result. The implant process may require several visits over several months and some recovery periods.
Patients typically report minimal discomfort involved with the dental implant placement procedure.
- We’ll take X-rays and impressions (molds) of the jaw and teeth to determine bone, gum tissue, and spacing available for an implant.
- We’ll administer anesthesia.
- We’ll perform tooth extraction or gum and jawbone preparation if necessary.
- We’ll place the implant and allow it to integrate with the bone for up to six months.
- We may place a post and abutment into the implant, tying the implant’s “root system” into your final crown. This may require a second procedure.
- A crown is made to match your natural teeth and smile and fit onto the anchor’s abutment or post portion. The prosthetic may snap directly onto the implant (removable dentures and bridges).
- We’ll provide helpful care instructions and go over any of your questions.
- We’ll schedule any necessary follow-up appointments to see how things are going.
Trying Out Your New Dental Implants
You should be able to eat, talk, and brush your teeth normally after treatment. Keep us updated on how the implant feels in your mouth and if anything isn’t quite right.
What to Expect After Treatment
Some patients experience mild soreness, which they can treat using over-the-counter medications. If you experience any prolonged discomfort or bleeding, let us know right away. Implant placement is a safe, effective process, but we don’t want to wait to correct it if something is wrong.
Patients frequently report that the crowns over dental implants feel like having natural teeth in the same place. Patients who have been through dental implant treatment often recommend it.
How Long Do Dental Implants Last?
Dental implants can last a lifetime with the proper care. Maintain good oral hygiene, including regular brushing and flossing. Maintain your regular dental appointments.
How Much Do Dental Implants Cost?
Each patient is different, with unique needs and different treatment options. For this reason, costs may vary for you.
Implants tend to be more expensive than some alternatives, such as traditional dentures or bridges. But implants are an investment in your smile. They cost more because they provide more value. They’re long-lasting, they feel great in your mouth, and perhaps most importantly, they look great. You probably won’t see the difference in your smile between your natural teeth and the artificial teeth on your implants.
Talk to us at Durham Dental Center in Plainfield, and we’ll make sure we listen to any of your concerns. We’ll work with your insurance company when possible. We’ll ensure that your experience is good not only for your comfort, health, and beauty but also for your wallet.
The Best Dental Implant Care in Plainfield
You may have questions or concerns, and this is natural. We’ll make sure you understand the process and know what to expect. You may be excited about the very realistic, exciting dental implant possibilities.
Call us today. We’ll get to work on restoring that smile to the way you want it to be.