Dental Implant Procedures
Dental Associates Offers a Full Line of Dental Implant Procedures to Improve Your Smile
Dental implants are a life-changing decision that will renew your self-confidence and enhance your quality of life. With dental implants, you’ll correct your oral health problems including failing teeth, missing teeth, gum disease, and bad breath. Whether you replace a single tooth, multiple teeth, or all your teeth, or if you want to live your life denture-free or bridge-free, Dental Associates will help you every step of the way.
Here are the steps involved in a dental implant procedure:
- Dental implant consultation
- Dental examination
- Dental implant placement
- Implant restoration process
- Fabrication of permanent replacement teeth
- Maintenance & follow-up
Surgical and restorative procedures vary slightly depending on the treatment options and the number of teeth affected. If you’re missing all your teeth or want to replace your dentures, you may be a perfect candidate for TeethXpress dental implants.
Complimentary Dental Implant Consultation*
After your initial inquiry, the next step is a consultation with our dental implant team. Together we’ll assess your oral health, review your individual situation, discuss your medical history, and introduce dental implant treatment options based on your needs and your lifestyle. We’ll also review financing and timing. This consultation may also include digital imaging or other forms of examination using the latest technology to help get a complete synopsis of your case. We have this technology right in our own facilities, so you won’t have to travel across town.
* Complimentary consultations available for full arch cases. Please call your clinic to confirm details.
Dental Examination
Once your procedure is scheduled, your doctor will evaluate the area(s) of your mouth where teeth are missing, including the amount of bone available to support the placement of dental implants. Your doctor will also evaluate the quality and density of the bone in your jaw. We do this by taking a 3D CT scan, and we may also take models of your teeth via digital impressions so your doctor can create the ideal treatment plan for your specific condition. If you’re missing all your teeth, you may be scheduled for a consultation with a team of various specialists who will review your case together and create the most comprehensive plan possible.
Your doctor will also determine whether additional procedures may be needed to obtain the desired function and aesthetic result. If you’ve already lost a significant amount of bone, your doctor will evaluate the possibility of grafting procedures to add or create new bone. We’ll walk you through every step of the exam so you know what we’re doing and why we’re doing it.
Dental Implant Placement Procedure
Rest assured you’ll receive the highest quality care when you come to Dental Associates for a dental implant procedure. In most cases, a 3D CT scan is used alongside virtual planning software to design the implant placement and the replacement teeth before the procedure itself starts. This happens after the initial examination and, if needed, allows for temporary replacement teeth to be ready for you on the day of surgery.
First, we’ll help you feel more comfortable by using a recommended sedation option. If necessary, we’ll extract any teeth prior to the implant placement. After those teeth are removed, we’ll place dental implants in the jawbone using a gentle surgical technique, then attach the restorations to the implants using a connector called an abutment.
In some instances, you and your doctor may decide that a more traditional approach to implant placement is best. With a traditional procedure, the newly placed implants will be left undisturbed for a few months while the surrounding bone and soft tissue heal. During this healing phase, the bone will grow and the tissue will shape around the implants to form a strong biological bond. In the meantime, we’ll place temporary teeth on the implants so you won’t have to leave the office toothless.
If your situation calls for TeethXPress dental implants, you’ll leave the office that day with a provisional dental implant-supported bridge. This is a temporary dental implant bridge designed to last up to six months. This six-month period will give time for your jaw to heal and will allow your dentist to create the permanent implant-supported bridge. Once healed, you’ll receive your permanent fixed teeth that will fit you perfectly. In the meantime, your temporary teeth will look and feel like real teeth and you’ll immediately see a dramatic change in your appearance and self-confidence.
Restorative Process
Following the appropriate bone remodeling/healing period, we’ll attach a small connector post called an abutment to each implant. Your temporary teeth, and eventually the permanent replacement teeth, will attach to these abutments.
Fabrication of Permanent Replacement Teeth
Our implant specialists work directly with a fully equipped dental lab to make your temporary and your final teeth. We’ll take impressions of your new implants as well as the implant abutments, and then fabricate your replacement teeth as well as the underlying structures that will be attached to the implants. In addition, our experts will help you choose the appropriate shade for your replacement teeth so you can feel confident every time you smile. This process can sometimes be done the same day as the implant procedure, or one to two weeks after, depending on the treatment option, number of missing teeth, and the type of replacement teeth.
Maintenance and Follow-Up
Dental implants give you a permanent, long-term smile and it’s important to protect that new smile. Appropriate care for your dental implants includes daily brushing and flossing, as well as regular checkups and cleanings. Your dental implants look and act just like real teeth so as long as you treat them as you would your natural teeth, you’ll have a beautiful smile for years to come.
TeethXpress Dental Implants Procedure
TeethXpress dental implants offer another option for replacing all your missing teeth. This procedure is more cost-effective than traditional dental implants because the replacement teeth are placed on as few as four dental implants per arch. This allows the bone to heal faster after the implants are placed, and the entire procedure typically costs less than traditional implants since there are fewer implants to place. Learn more about the TeethXpress procedure.
Learn more about the TeethXpress procedure.
