Roughly five million dental implants are placed in the U.S. each year. Why are
they so popular? Essentially, it boils down to quality and longevity. Dental
implants are a state-of-the-art tooth replacement that is the next best thing
to natural teeth. And here at
Smile Rehab Centers, we have
made the process even better through our unique, expedited approach to dental
implants in Southlake. As your friendly “prosthodontist near me,” we are ready
to help you through every step of
your tooth replacement journey. We encourage you to
contact us today
to schedule your consultation!
What Are Dental Implants?
Teeth can be divided into two sections. There are the
crowns, which are the parts of the teeth that are normally
above the gumline. There are also the roots, which are
anchored in the jawbone. Traditional forms of tooth replacement, including
bridges and dentures, replace only the crowns of teeth.
Dental implants are small, screw-like devices that are usually made out of a
titanium alloy. After a qualified implant specialist in Southlake inserts
them into the jawbone, they actually fuse with the surrounding tissue and
are able to serve as prosthetic tooth roots. Restorations get placed on top
of the implants to replace the crowns of the lost teeth.
Because dental implants rebuild teeth from the roots up, they are considered
the gold standard of tooth replacement, and rightly so! They offer
remarkable function, stability, and aesthetics.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Surveys have found that roughly one-third of denture wearers believe their
prosthetic limits their ability to live life to the fullest. If you can
relate to them, the Smile Rehab Centers dental implant treatment may be
ideal for you. Not only can this treatment rebuild your lost dentition, but
it can do so in a way that improves your daily quality of life, bolsters
your health, and provides you with benefits that last for decades.
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Day-to-Day Benefits
Dental implants in Southlake can improve your daily quality of life in a
number of ways:
-
The freedom to eat what you want. After you heal from
your surgery and your restorations are in place, you can enjoy a wide
variety of foods, including fresh veggies and tough meats. And you can
do so without taking the precautions that inherently come with
traditional dentures.
-
Improved confidence. As your prosthodontist in
Southlake, we use cutting edge technology to design natural-looking
restorations. We even let you see your results before you commit to
anything. You can look forward to smiling with confidence whether you
are going on romantic adventures, relaxing with friends, or meeting
clients at work.
-
Less Hassle. Smile Rehab Centers’ restorations are permanently fixed in the
mouth,
meaning that they won’t slip and slide while you are eating and
speaking.
-
Easy maintenance. You can care for your new smile in
almost exactly the same way that you would care for natural teeth.
Health Benefits
The health benefits of “dental implants near me” include:
-
Jawbone preservation. After you lose your natural
teeth, their roots are no longer there to stimulate the jawbone. As a
result, the bone begins to deteriorate. After a while, the
deterioration might even reach the point where the face takes on a
sunken appearance. Dental implants are substitute tooth roots that can
prevent that from happening.
-
No damage to nearby teeth. Traditional bridges
require that the abutment teeth be filed down in order to support the
restoration. Dental implants are self-supporting and prevent this
problem.
-
Better overall health. Tooth loss is associated with
numerous systemic health problems, including cardiovascular disease
and shortened longevity. As the next best thing to natural teeth,
dental implants might help to mitigate such risks. Plus, because they
enable you to eat a balanced diet, they can help you meet all of your
nutritional needs.
Long-Term Benefits
The benefits of dental implants begin soon after they are placed and can
continue for decades.
-
Great value. Although dental implants have a higher
upfront cost than traditional tooth replacement, they may last for
many decades. That makes them a fantastic monetary value.
-
High success rate. Dental implants boast a success
rate of over 90%, even 10 years after placement. The vast majority of
patients who avoid smoking and maintain good oral hygiene can expect
their implants to endure for a lifetime.
-
Save time. Dental implants are a relatively
low-maintenance treatment. Unlike with dentures, you won’t have
to commit time and energy to replacing them every few years.
Who Dental Implants Can Help
If you have lost one tooth, a few teeth, or all of your teeth, dental
implants may be right for you. When you visit us for your consultation, your
prosthodontist in Southlake will carefully review your case and verify your
candidacy for the treatment. Most patients do qualify, either right
away or after some preparatory treatments. Once you are ready to receive
your implants, our specialist team will get to work on using advanced
CAD/CAM technology to design your restorations.
Missing 1 Tooth
If you are missing just one tooth, you may need just one dental implant. A
custom crown will go on top of it to fill in the gap in your smile.
Missing Multiple Teeth
If your missing teeth are all adjacent to one another, we may recommend an
implant supported bridge. These are similar to traditional bridges, but they
get all of their support from dental implants rather than the remaining
natural teeth. If a bridge isn’t right for you, you might benefit from a
partial denture.
Missing All Teeth
Implant dentures are the ideal solution for patients who are missing all of
their teeth. We can create a permanently fixed prosthetic that depends on
the support of just a few strategically placed dental implants.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants
A quick search for “the cost of dental implants in Southlake” will reveal that this type of tooth replacement has a higher upfront price than its traditional counterparts. However, dental implants are worth it due to the many benefits they offer. When you visit us for your FREE consultation, we will provide a straightforward quote for your new smile and help you understand all of your payment options. We charge fixed fees that are all-inclusive — you won’t run into any unpleasant financial surprises when you choose to work with us!
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Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery
Some patients require preliminary treatments, such as gum disease therapy or tooth extractions, before they can receive dental implants in Southlake. These services have separate fees, which will be determined by the practice that performs them.
In most cases, the dental implant placement surgery has a separate price. However, because we offer specialized service and all-inclusive tooth replacement packages, our pricing is much simpler. When you come in for your consultation, we’ll be able to talk about the details of your surgery and its associated costs.
The Parts of Your Dental Implant
Not all dental implant treatments are the same. Different doctors may use varying techniques, and their materials may come from various manufacturers. There are also several different sizes and types of dental implants. All of these factors can affect your total cost. Here at Smile Rehab Centers, we strive to use only top-quality materials, and our streamlined techniques keep your costs within a reasonable range. If you have any questions about where your implants or restorations come from, feel free to ask.
How Dental Implants Can Save You Money
Some patients are tempted to choose non-implant tooth replacement treatments because of their attractively low price. However, it is important to remember that dental implants are a better value. For example, traditional dentures usually need to be replaced every 5 – 7 years, and that is if they receive regular relines like they should. Implant dentures from Smile Rehab Centers last much longer and have a consistent fit. The dental implants themselves even have the potential to last a lifetime.
Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?
Dental insurance does not usually cover dental implants. However, there are some exceptions. You will have to check the details of your policy to see how it applies. Even if you cannot use it for the implants themselves, it might help you pay for preliminary treatments or other parts of your dental implant process. Ask our team about how we work with insurance; we will be happy to answer your questions and guide you on how you can keep your out-of-pocket costs as low as possible.
Making Dental Implants Affordable
As your
implant dentist in Southlake
, we want you to be able to afford your new smile! To that end, we have a few provisions in place:
-
Attend a
FREE consultation
.
You can discover whether dental implants are right for you and get all of your questions answered — all for nothing out of pocket.
-
We accept payment from several third-party lenders, including CareCredit, Lending Club, Proceed Finance, and Alphaeon. The application process is easy, and most patients are approved for credit.
Dental Implant Technology
Dr. Bay is an extremely skilled implant dentist in Southlake. However, skill and knowledge are only part of the equation when it comes to successful dental implant treatment; technology also plays a large role. Here in our office, we use a CBCT scanner, Yomi surgical robot, and digital impressions to minimize human error and maximize your chances of having a complication-free tooth replacement experience. Read on below to learn more about these types of dental implant
technology
in Southlake.
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3D Cone Beam Imaging/3D CT Scanning
Our team is proud to have an in-office cone beam scanner, also called a 3D CT scanner or simply a CBCT machine. This advanced piece of machinery is essentially a super-powered X-Ray. It uses a cone-shaped beam of radiation to produce highly detailed, three-dimensional images of a patient’s oral structures. Not only can it allow us to visualize your jawbone, but it can also give us a view of your nerves and connective tissues.
We often use our CBCT scanner as part of the dental implant planning process. It allows Dr. Bay to anticipate any unique aspects of your anatomy that might pose a challenge during your surgery. It also lets us know whether your jawbone is strong enough and large enough to support your prosthetic tooth roots.
The scanner also comes in handy after the dental implant surgery. It can give us an idea of how well the implants are integrating with the surrounding bone tissue.
The scanning process is quick, painless, and non-invasive. After we position you in the machine, all you have to do is hold still (usually for less than one minute) while the scanner does its work. Then, we will have quick access to images of your oral structures.
Implant Placement with the Yomi Robot
Many dentists use freehand techniques to place dental implants in Southlake. That is to say, they take an educated guess as to where, at what angle, and how deep to insert the implants into a patient’s jawbone. Freehand placement isn’t necessarily a bad thing; it is usually successful, especially in cases with no complicating factors.
As successful as freehand placement is, however, it is still not as accurate as more modern methods. We are proud to feature the Yomi robot in our practice. This advanced surgical robot can greatly reduce the risk of human error because it drills into the jawbone at a precise, pre-planned position. It is designed to avoid mistakes like inaccurate placement, drilling too deep, and other problems that can adversely affect patients. Surgery with the Yomi robot is consistently successful!
Digital Impressions
The old-fashioned method for designing dental implant restorations uses dental putty to produce a model of the mouth. We have abandoned that method with the help of a highly advanced digital impression system. We simply scan the mouth with a small, wand-like device, and complex software assembles the captured images into an accurate, three-dimensional representation of your gums and remaining natural teeth. Based on that impression, we can design beautiful, well-fitting prosthetic teeth that look and feel virtually identical to the real thing.
Would you like to learn more about dental implant technology?
Give us a call
today. We will be happy to answer your questions.
Dental Implant FAQs
We hope that the information on this page helps you fully understand what
getting dental implants really needs. If you have any other questions, we
invite you to call our office and set up an appointment with Dr. Bay
immediately so that she can directly address your concerns. We want to help
you save time however we can, so below we’ve answered some of the most
frequently asked questions that we’ve gotten from patients.
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Can I Get Dental Implants if I Have Osteoporosis?
A strong jaw with sufficiently high bone density is required before you
can get dental implants. Osteoporosis causes the bones to become fragile
and porous, and in that state the jaw may not be able to support implant
posts. That said, it’s often possible to strengthen the jawbone
with a bone graft; when we first examine your jaw to decide whether or
not dental implants are viable, we can also determine whether a bone
graft could improve your candidacy. It is sometimes possible for people
with osteoporosis to get dental implants without bone grafts, but the
odds of success are generally much greater if the placement is performed
as soon as possible.
How Long Will I Have to Wait to Get Dental Implants After Tooth
Extraction?
If you need to have teeth extracted before you receive dental implants,
then there may be a waiting period between the extraction process and
implant placement. Sometimes it’s possible to perform implant
surgery right away after tooth extraction if the jawbone is healthy
enough, but otherwise you’ll usually need to wait about three to
six months for the mouth to heal. (It usually won’t be outside of
that timeframe, since waiting too long runs the risk of allowing the
jawbone to break down.)
Does Getting Dental Implants Hurt?
There is very little discomfort involved in the dental implant process.
Your mouth is numbed before the surgery; you may experience some
pressure, but otherwise you won’t experience any pain, especially
since the jawbone doesn’t contain many nerve endings to begin
with. We can also provide sedation if you’re nervous. After the
numbness wears off, you should take prescribed or over-the-counter pain
medicine as directed to deal with any soreness that might occur. You can
periodically apply a cold compress to your jaw if it helps.
Is There Anything I Shouldn’t Eat with Dental Implants?
You should avoid hard-to-chew foods for the first couple of weeks after
implant surgery; during this time, you also need to stay away from
anything containing alcohol or sugar. Afterwards, though, you can use
your dental implants to eat virtually anything you like. Even then, you
should be careful around chewy or sticky foods that could loosen or
dislodge your implant restoration. Also, do not use your implants to
crush ice or chew overly hard foods like peppermints, as this can cause
serious damage to the posts.
