Dental Implants – Newark, CA

What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are small, thin posts that resemble screws. More often than not, they are made out of titanium, which is a biocompatible material that can fuse with the jawbone. Since dental implants can act as new tooth roots, they offer better stability than traditional bridges and dentures, and they also provide enhanced chewing power that allows you to handle all kinds of foods. Dental implants can support a crown, bridge, or denture depending on how many teeth are missing. An abutment helps keep the chosen restoration firmly anchored to the post(s).

The 4-Step Dental Implant Process

When you decide to get dental implants, it’s important to confirm that you fully understand what to expect. The entire process involves multiple stages that typically require months to complete. Here’s a brief step-by-step breakdown of what will happen:

• An initial consultation will be held. We’ll examine your mouth to see how extensive your tooth loss is, and we’ll make sure that you’re a viable candidate for dental implants. Some patients can only have dental implants placed once specific preliminary procedures have been completed. For example, bone grafting is often required to ensure that there is a sufficient level of bone density in the parts of the jaw where the implant posts need to be inserted.
• Surgery will be performed to place the dental implant posts into the jaw. Thanks to our cone beam scanner, we can figure out exactly where each post needs to go.
• Over the course of 3 to 6 months (with the exact amount of time depending on the patient), your dental implants will gradually form a bond with your jaw. Once this process – known as osseointegration – is complete, we will proceed with attaching abutments.
• After impressions are taken of your mouth, the final crown, bridge, or denture will be designed and created. At your final appointment, the prosthesis will be anchored to the implant posts, thus completing your new smile.

Benefits of Dental Implants

Getting dental implants is a significant commitment, but the benefits are well worth it. Below are just some of the advantages that you can enjoy thanks to this modern solution for missing teeth:

• Boosted Confidence: You won’t have to feel self-conscious about empty space in your smile anymore. Also, your replacement teeth won’t slip when you’re trying to eat or speak.
• Varied Diet: Dental implants have enough chewing power to handle most foods, which is good news for patients concerned about nutrition.
• Stronger Jaw: Unlike traditional bridges and dentures, dental implant posts will actively help prevent bone loss in the jaw.

Who Dental Implants Can Help

You may not be sure whether dental implants are truly the best choice for you, but fortunately, our team is here to help you figure that out. We can check to see whether you meet the criteria for getting dental implants, such as having good oral health. Note that dental implants are very versatile, and they can be an excellent choice regardless of how many teeth need to be replaced; below are some situations that dental implants can help with.

Missing One Tooth

Regardless of whether the empty space left by a missing tooth is visible when you smile, you should still have it filled promptly if you want to avoid long-term oral health complications. A dental implant post can be placed in the gap. Once it has formed a bond with the jaw, it can be restored with a crown that has been carefully personalized to blend in with your natural teeth as closely as possible.

Missing Multiple Teeth

You don’t necessarily need to get a separate dental implant post for every individual tooth that you have lost. When three or more teeth in a row are missing, the space that they left behind can be completely filled with a beautiful, long-lasting dental bridge anchored to a pair of sturdy dental implant posts. Unlike traditional bridges, an implant bridge can be placed without the need to make permanent alterations to any of the teeth that are still in your mouth.

Missing All of Your Teeth

The idea of not having any natural teeth can be a frightening one, but even patients who have suffered from extensive tooth loss can still enjoy complete smiles again. You can get full dentures supported by dental implants in order to replace an entire arch of teeth. Implant dentures can be removable, but they can also be permanently fixed in place; we’ll help you figure out which kind you should get based on your needs and preferences.

Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants

We can only give you a reliable estimate of how much you will need to pay for dental implants once we have examined your mouth and learned more about the specifics of your unique situation. When comparing the prices of your available tooth replacement options, it is worth remembering that dental implants can potentially last for decades as long as they receive the right maintenance, meaning you won’t need to pay to have them replaced as often compared to traditional bridges and dentures.