Dental Implants at Gearin Aesthetic and General Dentistry
What is a dental implant?
Basically, it's a man-made root to replace your natural tooth. It is the best way that we can replace a missing tooth in your mouth. Common conditions that would lead us to recommend a dental implant include if you're missing a tooth for any reason. Sometimes you're born without a tooth, or a tooth has to be removed. We recommend dental implants to restore your arches to full integrity, ensuring you have all your teeth to chew with.
What are the advantages of a dental implant?
The best answer is that it is the closest thing you will get to the tooth with which you were born. It's the best thing to chew with, the easiest to clean, and feels the most natural. That's why we prefer dental implants to other methods of replacing missing teeth.
- Preserve the natural bone in the mouth, and help to stimulate new bone growth.
- Implants are durable, and provide long term value financially compared to other restorative solutions.
- Dental implants are permanent, and do not slip or click like other solutions.
- Implants are comfortable, and look and feel natural in the mouth.
- Implants can last upwards of 25 years, or a lifetime if they are cared for properly.
- Dental Implants restore full chewing power, and are as strong as natural teeth.
What is the process for getting a dental implant?
The dental implants process requires multiple appointments in our office. We require a consultation with each patient to discuss any goals, and to determine the best treatment plan.
The process also depends on whether the tooth you are going to replace is already missing. If it's not, we need to remove the tooth. We have to evaluate if we need to add bone or help bone regrow in that situation. If that's the case, we start there. If not, we evaluate the bone, ensuring it's healthy enough to receive a dental implant and that the prognosis for the implant is good.
We bring you in, take some records, X-rays, and measurements to determine the size and location of the implant. We prepare the jaw by numbing you, then open up the gums to place the dental implant into the bone. We stitch it back up, ensure everything is clean, take an X-ray to confirm the implant is in the right place, and then we wait for it to heal before restoring it.
The healing period allows the implant time to fuse to the jawbone through a process called osseointegration. This allows the implant to function like a natural tooth root in the mouth. In order for the implant to remain sturdy, and provide the required support, the patient must have enough bone present in the jaw. If necessary, bone grafts can be done to provide the additional support that is needed.
Once the healing process is complete, the patient returns to our office to complete the implant process. An abutment or connector is placed on top of the implant, and this holds the crown securely in place. Custom crowns are made to match the shape, size, and color of your natural teeth. Temporary crowns may be necessary until patients return to have the permanent crown installed.
What are the options for replacing missing teeth?
First, as we've already discussed, is the dental implant, which is a man-made tooth root. It can involve a single individual tooth or multiple teeth depending on how many teeth are missing.
Another option is a bridge, which involves crowns on the adjacent teeth with a floating crown in the middle bonded in place. It doesn't come in and out. The disadvantage is that you have to clean underneath it and cannot floss between it as you would with a normal crown.
Another disadvantage is that we sometimes have to treat the teeth on either side. If you have perfectly good teeth on either side of the gap, we have to grind down those teeth to fit a bridge. So, if we're trying to be conservative, a bridge isn't necessarily the best option. It is a good option because it can restore a missing tooth in a short period, but an implant is the best way to replace that missing tooth.
Another way to replace missing teeth is with a removable partial denture, which comes in and out. We recommend that you take these out when you sleep at night. This can be a good option for some people, but if you want your teeth to stay in, it's less desirable.
What is the recovery process for a dental implant?
Recovery from the actual surgery day will involve a couple of days of soreness. From the time we place the implant to the time you get a tooth in your mouth, it can take anywhere from four to eight months, depending on how strong the bone is and what condition your mouth was in prior to surgery.
How long do dental implants last?
Dental implants have a very high success rate, upwards of 99% if your mouth is healthy and if you're healthy as a person. You should get a lifetime out of a dental implant as long as you take good care of your mouth.
Can dental implants get cavities?
No, they cannot. However, you must brush and floss and take good care of them because you can get issues with the gums around the dental implant and the bone if you don't take good care of your mouth.
What is the cost of dental implants?
The best way to find out is to come in, have us evaluate, take a look at your mouth, see if you're a candidate, and then we can tell you how much your dental implant process will cost.
If you live in or near Las Vegas, NV, and are looking for dental care, contact us at (702) 710-8847 to set an appointment. Our staff would love to talk with you!