Dental implants can take months to complete and heal, but they are well worth the wait. Dental implants are the best tooth-replacement option available. Our jawbones rely on the daily chewing pressure our teeth provide every day to stay strong. Usually, when a tooth is removed, this lack of stimulation causes the bone to shrink, or resorb. Even as bridges and dentures keep your nearby remaining teeth from shifting into the growing tooth gap, they can’t stop resorption. This isn’t the case with dental implants. They are inserted directly into the jaw where the original teeth had been, so they provide nearly the same amount of force your mouth needs. They are the only dental prosthetic that can prevent bone loss from ever getting a foothold on your smile. Not only does this keep your smile overall healthier, but it allows implants to last decades longer, if not a lifetime. However, as incredible as implants are, they can't be completed as quickly as bridges or dentures. Three key components make up a dental implant: Implant: the titanium post or screw acting as the false tooth’s root Abutment: the metal piece connecting the implant and the crown Crown: the cap that restores the look, feel, and function of your natural tooth As you will most likely need at least two separate surgeries with healing time in-between, this treatment won't be completed in a few weeks. Overall, your dental implant procedure can take between six and eight months to complete.

Consultation Before beginning the first implant surgery, your periodontist must first be sure that you are the right candidate for dental implants. One of the top reasons an implant may fail is because the patient wasn’t a great fit for the procedure. Once you are determined to be eligible for implants, we will begin planning the whole process, from taking scans and X-rays to designing the implant itself. If you have any questions about the procedure, our professional staff can gladly answer them. Who Is A Good Candidate For Dental Implants? One of the essential qualifications for dental implants is to have enough healthy and strong underlying jawbone. If there isn't an adequate supportive base, the artificial teeth can't be held steady and may loosen or damage nearby teeth and bone. There should be at least 1mm of bone around the implant, with another 2mm required for an adjacent implant. You must be in both good oral and overall health. We are especially cautious with patients suffering from periodontal disease. This gum infection directly attacks the gums, ligaments, and bone crucial for maintaining both natural and false teeth. If these structures are diseased and destroyed, your dental implant won't take and instead fail. You will need to take care of it well before placing the implant. If you smoke, you are not out of the running for teeth implants, but your implant’s recovery will be watched closely. According to several studies, smoking can also increase the chance of the implant failing. Patients who use tobacco products put their smiles and overall health at risk. In addition to increasing your risk for oral cancer, smoking can lower your immune system and cause gum disease. Your habit can also affect your recovery time. Tobacco use slows down healing after dental procedures, and dental implants are no exception. What Happens If You Don't Have Enough Bone For Dental Implants? While implants prevent bone resorption, they can’t reverse any that’s already there. However, if you don’t have enough alveolar bone, there’s no need to fear that you won’t be able to get dental implants. In some cases, your periodontist may instead recommend mini dental implants. This prosthetic uses titanium implants that are much smaller than normal, meaning it requires less jawbone to support it. Mini dental implants are less invasive and need less healing time. In some cases, you can even leave with your new teeth on the same day as your implantation treatment. However, mini implants aren't always an option. Instead, a bone graft can be done to replace the missing tissue required. As resorption is so quick in the first few months after extraction, nearly half of all dental implant patients need a bone graft. Three main sources can be used for bone grafting: Elsewhere in your body, often the back of the jaw by the wisdom teeth Donors, either other people or animals Lab-created synthetic material As you may guess, needing a bone graft will extend your recovery time for a bit. The transplant will need to integrate with your natural jaw and create enough new bone tissue to support your dental implant. This healing process often takes three to four months. We don't want to rush this as it is crucial for your implant's success that the supporting jaw is adequately reinforced.

Implant We will make a small cut in your gum to allow us access to the jaw. Then, we will place the metal implant where your original tooth had been before. While this may seem intense, we promise the entire procedure is painless and comfortable. The area will be numbed with a local anesthetic, ensuring you don't feel a thing. Some patients, especially those with dental anxiety, may want something a little stronger, so they can request to be dentally sedated. In many cases, this means being put under with IV sedation, allowing you to wake up after the procedure is over. As implants are made of titanium, they can fuse with your natural jawbone in a process called osseointegration. It usually takes between three to six months for the implant to integrate with the bone fully. Similarly to bone grafts, rushing this step can mean imminent failure as the metal post can otherwise slip and become loose. Abutment Once we're sure the osseointegration process is complete, we'll be able to attach the abutment piece. As the gums will have healed over the implant during this initial healing period, our dentists will need to cut them open again to place the abutment. This step usually takes two to four weeks of additional healing before you can complete the implant. However, sometimes the abutment can be attached simultaneously with the implant, cutting down the procedure time by up to a whole month. Crown After you've fully healed from your last surgery, you’ll be ready to have the final dental crown attached. The crown will be screwed into the abutment, ensuring your new tooth is secure and not going anywhere. While most crowns only replace a single tooth, a connected piece of two crowns can also be used to replace two missing teeth. This would require a second neighboring implant to keep the entire restoration secure. While crowns are most common, they are not the only prosthetic piece we can use to restore your missing teeth. Several implant-supported dental bridge and denture options allow you more flexibility when replacing your missing teeth. Implant bridges are an excellent choice when you have three or more extracted teeth in a row. Instead of using natural teeth as anchors, it instead attaches its crowns to two implants on either side of the gap. Implant dentures, also known as permanent dentures, allow more stability while speaking and eating. Although they're often removable, some fixed versions, like All-on-4 dental implants, let you replace up to an entire arch of missing teeth without needing to remove them at night. What Is The Success Rate Of Dental Implants? Dental implants are exceedingly successful procedures, with a 90 to 95% success rate. However, that still means that there is the occasional rare exception. Please see your dentist as soon as possible if you experience any of the following symptoms as they may be signs that your implant is failing: Gum and jaw pain long after the implant has been placed Red and inflamed gums Receding gums around the implant Loose or wiggling implants Pain when chewing or biting How Much Do Dental Implants Cost? While dental implants are far and above both dental bridges and dentures, they also come with a higher price tag. There are many more steps, visits, and potential procedures involved in the entire process, as well as much more intensive treatment. Several factors determine your exact dental implant cost: Type of dental implant Type of crown Cost of tooth extraction, if applicable Whether local anesthetic or dental sedation is used If bone grafting is necessary Dental insurance doesn't usually cover implants. However, some full coverage plans may pay for part of the crown's cost. Long Beach Family Dentist wants our patients to always feel confident knowing they can get affordable dental implants. If you would like to discuss your implant's cost, please call our office at (562) 999-3602 to schedule an appointment with a periodontist. Here, we will go over all of the procedure's bases, including our practice's alternative financing options.