Tooth loss can have devastating impacts on the look, feel, and function of your smile. Fortunately, we help patients who suffer from missing teeth. Clinton Family & Cosmetic Dentistry offers dental implants in Clinton, NC. Dental implants are considered the premier option for tooth replacement, offering patients a wide range of benefits that they won’t find with other options like dental bridges.
Dental Implants in Clinton, NC
Dental implants are the premier tooth replacement option in Clinton, NC. We use titanium implant that is surgically implanted into your mouth and allowed to fuse together with your jawbone. Once fully healed, the implant will support a custom dental restoration that will replace your natural teeth. This is the only tooth replacement solution that looks, feels, and functions like natural teeth.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Patients love dental implants because they come with a variety of long-term benefits that can be enjoyed for the rest of your lifetime. When you choose to replace a missing tooth with a dental implant, you can look forward to the following benefits:
- Improved Appearance – Missing teeth take a toll on the overall appearance of your smile. By replacing your tooth with a dental implant, you will not have any visible hardware surrounding your restored tooth, meaning it will blend in seamlessly with your smile.
- Improved Chewing & Speaking – Often, missing teeth create issues with your bite pattern, negatively impacting your ability to chew certain foods or pronounce certain words. Dental implants effectively replace a missing tooth within your smile, leading to better chewing and speaking patterns.
- No Dietary Restrictions – Because of the surgically implanted titanium post, your dental implant will have complete tooth-root functionality. This means that you will be able to enjoy all of your favorite foods without worrying about damaging any external hardware.
- No Oral Hygiene Hazards – Because the dental implant’s hardware is protected by your own soft tissues, you will not have to adapt your oral hygiene around it. Instead, you can continue to brush and floss just as you usually would.
- Long-Lasting Restoration – Dental implants will last most patients for the rest of their lifetimes.
Dental Implants Placement
Unlike other the other tooth replacement treatments, dental implant treatment will take significantly longer. It may take up to an entire year to complete the entire process. You will need to endure several procedures, go to many check ups, and simply wait several months for the implants to heal properly. An overview of the dental implant process includes:
Evaluation and Planning
The dentist will first need to evaluate your oral health and review your medical history to determine if you qualify for dental implants. She will take x-rays and other diagnostics. Then your dentist will create a treatment plane that includes the types of implants you need, placement location, the number of implants, and the type of restoration you need.
Placement of the Dental Implants
Placing the dental implants in the jaw bone along the arch requires surgery. General anesthesia is used for your comfort. The dentist will make an incision in the gums to access the underlying bone. Then they will drill the hole in the bone and insert the implant. This procedure will take about an hour for a single implants.
Healing and Osseointegration
After the surgery, the implants will be left to heal and integrate with the jaw bone. Over the next several months, the implants will fuse with the jaw bone in a process called osseointegration. It is important to follow all your dentists instructions during this time. Taking good care of your oral health is vital to avoid infection and implant failure.
Securing the Dental Restoration
Once the implant has fully fused with the jawbone, then your dentist can secure the final dental restoration. This will be a denture, dental bridge, or dental crown depending on how many teeth you are missing. Your dental restoration will be custom fabricated to fit perfectly in your mouth and blend in naturally with the rest of your teeth.
Dental Implant Maintenance
With proper care and maintenance, your dental implants can last forever. We have compiled a few tips to help you with this:
- Good Oral Hygiene is Key: You must continue with a strict, daily oral hygiene routine. Even though your teeth are false, you are still susceptible to dental diseases that will make your implants fail. You should brush your teeth, floss your teeth and clean your dental restoration every single day, multiple times a day.
- Don’t Forget to Visit your Dentist: Every six months (or more if your dentist suggests it) you need to visit your dentist for a professional cleaning and dental exam. This allows them to remove any built up plaque and tartar and spot any potential issues early on.
- Avoid Smoking at all Costs: Smoking is bad for health. However, it is also bad for your oral health and dental implants. Smoking increases your risk of implant failure and complications. Quitting will improve your health and life span of your dental implants.
- Don’t Wait if you Have Problems: If you any pain, swelling, severe bleeding, or other issues, call your dentist right away. Waiting too long may put you at risk for more dental problems.
- Try to Avoid Hard or Sticky Foods: Chewing on overly hard or sticky foods can cause damage to the implant or the dental restoration. It is best to stick to foods that are easier to chew. Also, if you have the habit of chewing on hard object, this can also cause damage. This includes things like pen caps and ice.
Dental Implants FAQs
Dental implant are a safe and effective option that will improve your oral health and quality of life. Review our most commonly asked questions about them. If you have further questions about dental implants, please reach out to our helpful office staff.
Am I a candidate for dental implants?
Some patients may be ineligible for dental implants. This largely depends on the current state of your dental health. If your tooth has been missing for a while, you may require a bone graft to ensure your jawbone is strong enough to handle oral surgery. The best way to find out if you are a candidate for this tooth replacement option is to schedule an implant dentistry consultation.
Are dental implants a permanent solution for tooth loss?
Yes, dental implants are a permanent solution for missing or damaged teeth. The implant post is secured in the jawbone where it will fuse to it essentially becoming one with the bone. Due to normal wear and tear, you will need to replace your dental restoration every so often.
Will dental implants stop bone loss?
Dental implants are the only teeth replacement solution that will prevent bone loss. Dentures and dental bridges do not replace the teeth at the root. The implant post will actually act as a tooth root providing enough stimulation for the bone to regenerate. By preventing bone loss, dental implants will hold the natural shape of your face preventing an aged appearance.
Are dental implants worth the cost?
A dental implant secured restoration is worth the time and money it takes to complete the treatment. It is the only solution that will allow you to eat a normal diet with little to no restrictions, prevent surrounding teeth from extra stress or damage, last a lifetime, and allow you to not worry about your teeth constantly.
What are the 3 stages of dental implants?
The three stages of dental implants include placement, attachment, and fitting of the crown. In many cases we need to remove a tooth before placing an implant. You will need to recover and heal from the extraction before we can begin the implant process.
How long does it take for dental implants to settle?
After implants are placed, it takes a couple of weeks for patients to adjust, however they will not fully heal until months later. It may take anywhere from six to eight months for you to fully recover from the implant procedure.
How long does implant surgery take?
In general, implant surgery takes about 1-2 hours per implant. If you are having three implants placed it can be expected that it will take anywhere from 3-6 hours.
Clinton Family & Cosmetic Dentistry is excited to help you restore your smile with dental implants in Clinton, NC, one of modern dentistry’s greatest achievements. To request an appointment, you can fill out our online form. Get started today on restoring your smile following tooth loss.