Are you missing permanent teeth due to decay or a dental injury? Replace one or more missing teeth with dental implants. Implants are titanium screws that an oral surgeon places in the jaw bone beneath the gum tissue. As dental restorations, implants create a foundation for restorations once they become a part of the smile. At Smiles by Mia, we can replace missing teeth with dental implants in our Burke, VA office.
What Are the Benefits of Dental Implants?
Dental implants are the gold standard of tooth replacement. They offer benefits that no other tooth replacement option has. Not only do they replace the crown portion of your tooth, but they replace the root as well. This provides a stability that no other replacement option can. You get back almost 100% of your biting and chewing function with dental implants.
One of the hardest things with other replacement options is having dietary restrictions. It’s essential to have a healthy, varied diet for your body to stay fit. It’s hard to do that when your tooth replacement can’t break down things like crunchy fresh fruits and vegetables. With dental implants, you don’t have to give anything up in your diet. Implants are able to break down just about any food.
Implants are also the only option that stimulates jawbone regeneration. When you’re missing teeth, the jawbone deteriorates in that area. But the implant posts fuse with your jawbone, prompting it to grow. You don’t have to worry about any more deterioration occurring, and you don’t have the consequences that come with jawbone loss. Your face looks full and isn’t sunken in like when your jawbone is deteriorating.
Implants look and feel the most like your natural teeth. Every restoration is custom-made, matching the size, shape, and shade of the rest of your teeth. They don’t require any extra maintenance, either. You just have to brush and floss them like you would your natural teeth. Dentures require messy adhesives and special cleaning utensils. You have to remove them each evening as well. This isn’t an issue with dental implants.
Are Dental Implants Right For Me?
We recommend dental implants whenever patients are eligible for them. They’re the top choice for tooth replacement options. Before any procedure, we have a consultation with you to determine the best choice for you. We’ll do a full oral examination and talk to you about your budget, goals, and medical history.
Certain patients aren’t a good fit for dental implants. You have to have a certain amount of healthy bone structure to be able to support the implant. If you don’t have enough, a bone grafting procedure may be necessary before we move forward. This adds significant time to the implant process. We’ll have to wait until the graft heals before moving forward with dental implants.
You also have to be in good overall health for implants. The implant placement procedure is surgical, so your body has to be healthy enough to undergo the surgery safely. You have to have optimal oral health as well. If you have remaining tooth fragments, we have to remove them. If you have gum disease, we’ll need to treat that before moving forward as well.
The biggest constraint with dental implants is the cost. Obviously many factors contribute to the cost, like the number of implants you need and the location in the mouth. Dental implants are pricier and most dental insurances don’t cover the cost. We have an in-house dental membership plan and work with third-party financing options like CareCredit so that you can afford the care you need.
Dental Implants
Before implant treatment, we ensure that patients have enough bone tissue to support their dental implants. We can recommend bone grafting, which takes healthy tissue from one part of the mouth to another. Additionally, we can perform gum disease treatment or extractions as needed to ensure patients are in good oral health. We take dental x-rays to find the best areas to place the implants for maximum support. Then, we take dental impressions to create a tooth crown, dental bridge, or denture.
An oral surgeon first cuts the gum tissue to access the jaw bone. They place the titanium screw into the jawbone and a temporary cap on each implant. During a three to six-month period called osseointegration, the implant post fuses with the jaw bone tissue. This process ensures that the implants last patients for years to come. Once the implants heal, we attach the permanent restoration.
Post-Op Dental Implant Care
We cover the newly added implants with a healing cap that looks like a screw. Avoid the healing cap for two weeks. Pushing on this healing cap can loosen the implant. We will also provide you with gauze, which you can take out on the first day. Take pain medication and antibiotics as prescribed.
It is normal for you to experience bleeding on the first day. Use ice on your cheek for two to three days to combat swelling and bruising. On the night of the procedure, you can brush around the area but do not use an electric toothbrush. Rinse with mouthwash the day after your surgery to keep the area clean. You will have a seamless recovery if you follow these instructions. Please call us if you have any questions during the healing process. You can read our full post-op instructions for dental implants here.
Replace Missing Teeth
Do you want to learn more about dental implants? Are you interested in dental implants are right for you? Schedule a dental consultation with the team at Smiles by Mia online. You can also call us at (571) 789-1265. If you have any questions about implant treatment, please let us know, and we can help.