More than 178 million Americans have lost at least one natural tooth. If you’re part of that statistic, you’re already aware of how tooth loss can negatively impact your day-to-day life. Not only can it make you insecure about your smile, but eating, speaking, and maintaining good oral health can become difficult. Traditional solutions for missing teeth like dentures and dental bridges certainly look lifelike, but they don’t solve the underlying problems of long-term tooth loss like dental implants do. At Texas Dentistry, we can restore your smile with dental implants in Kaufman, TX. Call us today to learn more about this state-of-the-art tooth replacement!
Whether you have lost just a single tooth or several, dental implants let you regain a full set of teeth so that you no longer feel like something is missing. Dental implants are small titanium posts inserted into the jawbone. Because titanium is biocompatible, the posts encourage the jawbone to grow around them until they are completely embedded. Once this process is complete, dental implants provide a firm and long-lasting anchor for any number of replacement teeth.
In the vast majority of cases, dental implants require two surgical procedures spaced about six months apart. During the first procedure, the implants are fitted to your jawbone and then allowed to bond to the bone underneath your gums. While in this phase, many patients wear temporary crowns, bridges, or dentures – it’s recommended that you stick to a soft diet to prevent any potential issues with the implants.
Once the implant has properly bonded to the bone, then the next part of the process can begin. The implants are uncovered under surgery to ensure that they are bonded, and a small healing collar is attached to them. The dentist will then take an impression of your mouth so that the new teeth can be made to the right size and shape. The teeth themselves are placed on posts inserted into the implants. From start to finish, the dental implant process usually takes between six and eight months, but this solution is absolutely worth the wait!
Because dental implants replace the roots of teeth and not solely the visible crowns, you’re fully replacing the tooth, which means you are taking the necessary steps to restore all of your smile’s basic functions and your overall appearance. For example, chewing your favorite foods is possible as well as retaining your jaw’s natural shape. Those with tooth loss experience accelerated facial sagging due to reduced bone stimulation and loss, but dental implants improve bone stimulation and allow blood flow to continue.
On top of restoring your smile’s functions and appearance, dental implants have been proven to be long-lasting, especially more so compared to other tooth replacements. Dental implants generally last between 25 years and a lifetime, but most people can keep them for life when they practice proper daily oral care. When placed by a professional, their success rates are as high as 98 percent! Furthermore, they don’t require modification of neighboring teeth like traditional bridges, meaning you can retain more of your smile’s natural structure.
Implant dentistry is certainly a popular choice, but as a surgical procedure, your dentist needs to be sure that they are right for you. To do this, you will need to undergo a dental or radiographic examination, and the dentist will go over your health history. This allows your specific needs to be dealt with in full- you may be referred to an oral surgeon at this point as well. These consultations also allow you to ask any questions or express your concerns about the process- we want you to feel as comfortable as possible, and will take the time to talk you through things so that you fully understand how the procedure will work.
To replace a single tooth, a titanium implant is placed directly into the jaw and allowed to heal for several months. Once the biocompatible post has integrated with your bone tissue, we’ll attach an abutment so that a restoration can be reliably anchored. Our restorations are made from porcelain in order to ensure the most natural esthetics possible.
To replace multiple consecutive teeth, a pair of dental implants are placed in the gap in your smile, then restored with an implant bridge. Keep in mind that traditional bridges use modified teeth nearby to hold restorations, but dental implants are strong enough to hold both a three- or four-crown bridge entirely on their own.
Even if you are missing several teeth on opposing sides of your mouth or all the teeth in your top or bottom arch, an implant denture can easily restore your smile to its fullest! Both full and partial dentures can be created to look incredibly natural, provide a more stable denture, and remove the need for adhesives or metal hooks to stay in place.
Every patient’s dental implant process is unique, which means there is no flat cost for treatment. However, it’s important to note that you truly get what you pay for when it comes to your tooth replacement. What you pay will largely depend on factors we’ll determine during your initial consultation. In most cases, you can expect your costs to be most influenced by the following.
The initial consultation is intended to inform our team of your dental needs. For example, we’ll confirm if you need to have preparatory treatments completed to protect the longevity of the implant posts. This includes bone grafting, a treatment that expands the amount of available bone tissue inside the jaw due to deterioration. Additionally, the cost of surgery can fluctuate depending on how many implants must be placed. Because we partner with oral surgeons outside the office, the surgical fee you pay will be separate from the other phases of your care.
The more implants you need to replace missing teeth, the more your treatment will cost. This is because more materials will be required for the posts (which in most cases are made of medical-grade titanium). Much like different models of cars or other items, some last longer or work better than others. If you’d like to learn more about the manufacturers or materials our trusted oral surgeons work with, please let them know and they’ll be happy to explain why they use the products they do.
Different restorations hold different price tags depending on how complex they are. Single crowns needed to cover individual crowns will cost much less compared to a complex implant bridge or denture designed to attach to a series of implants placed throughout the jaw. Not only are more materials needed, but so is more time and labor to ensure the best-looking and most accurate restoration possible. You can expect your tooth replacement to look incredibly lifelike after it’s attached.
In most cases, dental insurance won’t provide coverage for dental implants. If there are any exceptions, it’s for specific phases of care (such as the restorations that cover the implants). Even if there is coverage provided, it will typically be at a specific percentage based on your provider’s plan. Our team members will gladly review your plan in detail on your behalf to ensure you’re getting the most out of your benefits.
Other financial options are worth considering for dental implants if you do not have dental insurance or find it too expensive to cover out of pocket. One popular option is CareCredit, which enables you to pay for treatments over the span of several months in more manageable installments. Plus, these payments often come with little to no interest attached!
Alternatively, you can sign up for our in-house membership plan, which is complete with discounts on services performed in-house and a guaranteed list of preventive treatments you can expect to pay on that plan.
I Need a Checkup & Cleaning I am Looking for a Dentist for My Child I Want to Enhance My Smile I Need Immediate/Emergency Help I Have a Cavity or Broken Tooth I am Missing One or More Teeth I Would Like a Straighter Smile I am Nervous/Afraid of the Dentist I am Concerned About Bleeding Gums I Need My Wisdom Teeth Removed View Our Services