If you’re missing teeth, you might feel like hiding your smile. But tooth loss is not just a cosmetic concern. It can make it hard to bite and chew. Gaps in your smile cause other teeth to shift, creating misalignment issues. Tooth loss can also cause deterioration in your jaw. Dental implants help rejuvenate your smile and oral health when you have missing teeth.
Whereas dentures and crowns are artificial teeth, implants are artificial roots. They’re tiny rods that are surgically implanted through the gums and into the jawbone. Implants are made of titanium alloy, the same material that a surgeon would use for a hip or shoulder implant. This material is highly biocompatible, which means that it bonds with your natural bone as it heals.
The dental implant must be covered by a crown to give you a surface to chew on and a pearly white to fill the gaps in your smile. Crowns are customized to a shape, color and size that look and feel natural. Then, they’re screwed onto the implant.
You don’t need a dental implant for every tooth. If you’re missing several teeth, dental implants can secure the anchors that connect to bridges. Implant-supported dentures are sets of artificial teeth that snap onto four to six implants. Dental Implants stabilize replacements in cases where you have lost teeth.
A dental implant is the solution for replacing a single missing tooth because of its permanence and durability.
When multiple teeth have to be replaced, Dr. Marks places individual implant or an implant-supported dental bridge.
When replacing all your teeth, you need strength, permanence, and support while chewing.
Mini implants are smaller than traditional implants, requiring less bone tissue to remain stable than a traditional implant does.
Dental Implants are a more intensive treatment than some other options. If you still have your natural teeth, Dr Marks at Smiles of Mathews will assess the benefits and risks of extracting and replacing teeth compared to saving them. In some cases, a root canal and crown are preferable to an extraction and dental implant.
Surgical implants could help you if you are missing teeth due to injury or decay. Patients commonly visit our Mathews dentist office for implants when:
• They are missing enough teeth to require dentures
• Decay is too severe to fill the tooth
• They have had a few teeth knocked out
• They have been considering getting dental bridges or crowns
• They need a full smile restoration
You need to be in good health generally and have minimal oral health problems. Healthy gums are also vital for this procedure. Your implants and replacement teeth won’t be subject to decay. However, bacteria that cause periodontal disease can still build up, requiring you to maintain strong dental hygiene habits.
Your complimentary implant consultation will include a review of your dental and medical histories, as well as a physical exam of your teeth and mouth. Evaluating patients for dental implants will require X-rays of your teeth and underlying jaw bone to make certain there is sufficient bone structure to support the implant.
As an experienced, highly-trained implant dentist, Dr. Marks will answer all your questions in advance, as well as discuss your implant treatment plan.
When you call the office for your complimentary Implant Consultation, (a $168 value), here is what you will receive:
As an experienced, highly-trained implant dentist, Dr. Marks will answer all your questions in advance, as well as discuss your implant treatment plan.
Dr. Marks believes a dental implant is the solution for replacing a single missing tooth because of its permanence and durability, and that no other replacement method can come close to restoring a long-lasting, natural smile, especially if the surrounding teeth are healthy.
When multiple teeth have to be replaced, such as three or four missing teeth in a row, Dr. Marks places an individual implant or an implant-supported dental bridge. Either solution will provide chewing strength as well as a natural look and feel.
When replacing all your teeth, you need strength, permanence, and support while chewing. Dr. Marks recommends individual dental implants, fixed implant-supported bridges or removable implant-supported dentures to achieve this objective.
If there is no bone on the lower jaw to work with, which is rare, or if there’s a financial issue (as this procedure is less expensive), mini-implant supported dentures may be something to consider. According to Dr. Marks, it’s better for some patients as it’s a less-invasive procedure and still provides stability and chewing strength.
Because mini implants are smaller than traditional implants, they require less bone tissue to remain stable than a traditional implant does.
We are proud to use a state-of-the-art 3D Cone Beam scanner, which captures 3D images of a patient’s jaw, teeth, bone and skull using a cone-shaped X-ray beam. This allows Dr. Marks to get views from every angle and plan your implant surgery ahead of time.
Our cone beam CT scanner uses far less radiation than traditional X-rays or medical CT scanners.
Once Dr. Marks has planned the implant surgery, he creates a surgical guide that ensures the implant is placed precisely, allowing him to place it quickly and efficiently.
Guided surgery reduces the time needed for surgery and makes the implant placement a minimally invasive procedure as there is usually no need for actual cutting or suturing.
There are times when Dr. Marks will need to increase the amount of bone in a patient’s jaw so that sufficient bone will be available to support the dental implant. Bone can be lost through periodontal disease or when a tooth is missing.
He uses bone grafting, a safe and very successful procedure, to build up bone on the jaw by adding a small amount of bone from the patient, a donor or synthetic bone. Dr. Marks uses graft material best suited to you. In many cases Dr. Marks can place the bone graft at the same time as the implant(s).
A sinus lift (sometimes called a sinus augmentation), is surgery that adds bone below the sinus, added between your jaw and the maxillary sinuses, which are on either side of your nose. To make room for the bone, the sinus membrane has to be moved upward, or “lifted.”
For many patients, dental implants offer substantial benefits and can provide a superior solution for missing teeth. To learn more about implant dentistry or the other tooth replacement options we offer, contact our office online or call us today.
Dental Implants give you a strong, stable smile that is as functional as it is attractive. They’re a permanent solution for people who are missing teeth and want to eat and talk normally. At Smiles of Mathews, our team has extensive experience using implants as part of a customized treatment plan.
Every patient is different. Not everyone has the same reason for choosing implants. Contact us for a consultation so that you can make an informed decision.
We will begin with a consultation and learn more about your dental history and oral health. Then, we will discuss all of the available options for treating your concerns. We want you to feel great about your dentist as well as your smile.
