Missing teeth can be embarrassing, leading to people hiding their smiles and losing their self-esteem. They can also cause other teeth to shift out of place and make it difficult to speak or eat correctly. The team led by Dr. Kakadia and Dr. Kataria at Roswell Modern Dentistry is aware of the hardship a missing tooth can create, which is why we often recommend dental implants so that our patients can regain their self-confidence, improve their health, and approach life boldly. Call our office today if you are interested in scheduling a dental implant consultation.
Why Choose Roswell Modern Dentistry for Dental Implants?
Beautiful, Long-Lasting Restorations
Caring, Experienced Dental Team
Comfortable, Welcoming Office
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants go a step further than traditional bridges and dentures. In addition to filling in any gaps in your smile, they can also mimic the functions of your tooth roots. This allows them to keep your new teeth firmly secured in place while also stimulating the jaw in order to prevent bone loss. Dental implants have three main components: an implant post that is placed in the jaw, a restoration that acts as your new tooth or teeth, and an abutment that connects the restoration to the post.
The 4-Step Dental Implant Process
The process of getting dental implants needs to be personalized according to each patient’s needs, but it generally follows these four crucial steps: consultation, implant placement surgery, osseointegration and abutment, and finally restoration. Each of these stages is essential for the success of your dental implants, and our team can guide you through all of them and help you know what to expect next.
Initial Dental Implant Consultation
We will examine your mouth and jawbone to determine if the procedure is right for you. Before the dental implant process can move forward, your gums need to be healthy, and your jawbone needs to be strong. Our team will let you know if bone grafting or other preliminary treatments will be required prior to dental implant surgery. During this consultation, we can also answer any questions you have about dental implants, talk about the financial details, and schedule treatment.
Dental Implant Surgery
The next step in the process is placing the metal implant post. Said post is surgically inserted in the jawbone in order to create a durable, synthetic root system that rivals the strength of natural tooth roots. To make sure you undergo this procedure at the hands of an expert, we will refer you to a trusted local specialist for this surgery. As a result, you can feel confident that your implant placement will be successful!
Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment
Your gums should heal relatively quickly following the surgery. However, the important process for your restored smile is just beginning. The dental implants will fuse with the jawbone through a process called osseointegration. This normally takes around 3 to 6 months. After osseointegration, a metal connector piece called an abutment can be secured to each dental implant post. The abutment will act as the “middleman” between your post and restoration.
Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s)
Impressions will be taken of your upper and lower arches to design a crown, bridge, or denture that can seamlessly blend in with your natural teeth. If all your teeth are being replaced, your dentures will be crafted to look and feel realistic. When the lab has finished fabrication, the completed restoration will be attached to the implant posts thanks to the abutments. At that point, you’re done with treatment and are free to enjoy your replacement teeth!
Benefits of Dental Implants
Dental implants are among the most popular tooth replacements, with dentists placing 500,000 of them each year. Their placement in your jaw grants them many perks that other restorations just can’t match. As a result, the folks who get them enjoy various upsides and see large rises in their quality of life. If you want to learn about the benefits of dental implants, we’ll gladly tell you more. Just keep reading or call our office!
Day-to-Day Benefits
Once you’re healed from treatment, you’ll likely notice dental implants’ day-to-day benefits. These include:
Beautiful Looks – Today’s dental implants have porcelain surfaces, so they blend with your surrounding teeth. They look so lifelike and natural that most people won’t notice their presence.
Simple Oral Care – Unlike dentures or dental bridges, dental implants can be cleaned like natural teeth. That means you only need to focus on twice-daily brushing and once-daily flossing.
Easier Eating – Dental implants restore your bite force when they fuse with your jaw. At that point, they’ll help you eat your favorite tough foods!
Confidence Boost – Since dental implants restore your smile, they give most patients a much-needed confidence boost. Knowing they fill out your grin often makes people feel self-assured, especially when chatting with friends or family.
Health Benefits
While the day-to-day stuff is nice, dental implants also improve your body’s health. They should grant you qualities like:
Good Oral Health – Aside from looking ugly, smile gaps let harmful bacteria build up in your mouth. They thus make you more likely to suffer tooth decay and gum disease. Still, dental implants will fill those gaps and stabilize your oral health.
A Stronger Jaw – In many cases, tooth loss erodes the jaw until you have a facial collapse. Luckily, dental implants prevent and even reverse this erosion.
Tooth Support – Unless treated, smile gaps tilt your other teeth until they fall from your mouth. The good news is that dental implants fill those spaces to prevent such tilting.
Great Nutrition – By restoring your bite force, dental implants give you more choices in what to eat. This greater range of meal options can boost your nutritional health.
Long-term Benefits
Though you may not see them at first, dental implants do have long-term benefits. They are the following:
Extended Success – Dental implants nearly always succeed in the long run, at least when placed by qualified dentists. They even have a success rate that’s over 98%!
Lasting Results – On average, dental implants last around 15-20 years or so. That’s already a long time compared to other replacements. Plus, their lifespans can reach 30+ years with good care.
Major Savings – Dental implants save you money if you give them daily maintenance. Their long lifespans (see above) mean they rarely need repairs or replacement work. To that extent, they won’t cost as much in follow-up work as dentures or dental bridges.
Who Dental Implants Can Help
Now, you might have an important question on your mind: Are dental implants right for me? The easiest way to find out is to schedule a consultation with our Roswell team so we can review your medical history, conduct an oral exam, and learn about your smile goals. If you want to learn more about who dental implants can help in the meantime, you can also read on!
Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?
Since dental implants can replace one lost tooth, every tooth, and just about everything in between, they are a great option for a wide range of patients! That said, there are some factors we need to consider to prevent dental implant failure, like the density of your jawbone and your commitment to good oral hygiene habits. Rest assured, we will go over all of this information with you at your consultation. If we do determine that this state-of-the-art tooth-replacement solution is right for you, then we will move onto the next step: creating your custom treatment plan.
Missing One Tooth
When a single tooth is missing, a dental implant post can be inserted into the gap where it used to be. Once it has fused with your jawbone, it will have the strength to support a crown, which will be custom-made to look and feel just like the real thing. In other words, the final result will be a beautiful smile, improved oral health, and a stronger bite. Not only that, but your dental implant will prevent your other teeth from drifting out of place!
Missing Multiple Teeth
Are you missing several teeth in a row? If so, we will likely recommend a dental bridge! Unlike a traditional bridge, an implant bridge can be placed without making any changes to the teeth that you still have. Plus, they are anchored with dental implants instead of dental crowns.
Important note: If you are missing teeth in different parts of your mouth, you may be able to fill in all the gaps at once with an implant-supported partial denture instead.
Missing All Teeth
As little as four dental implants can be used to secure a full denture in place. That means you can replace an entire row of missing teeth with just a few implant posts. In many cases, implant dentures can be designed to stay fixed in place, allowing you to care for them as if they were natural teeth (i.e., brushing them twice a day instead of taking them out for cleanings). Since they are custom-made for each patient with their face shape, aesthetic preferences, and smile goals in mind, they look incredible as well!
If you are interested in rebuilding your smile with dental implants, then don’t hesitate to schedule a consultation with us so we can determine if you’re a good candidate!
Maintaining & Caring for Your Dental Implants
Your dental implants may be able to keep your smile healthy, strong, and beautiful for a lifetime if they receive excellent care. However, if you indulge in bad oral habits and don’t practice proper hygiene, your implants may fail and need expensive replacements shortly after being placed. Here’s a brief guide from the team at Modern Dentistry on how you can keep your new teeth in great shape for decades to come.
Make Oral Hygiene a Priority
While your dental implants are impervious to cavities and tooth decay, they still need proper oral hygiene to stay beautiful and functional. Brushing, flossing, and using antibacterial mouthwash every day can keep your smile clean and your breath fresh while preventing infections that can cause implants to fail like gum disease.
Eat a Healthy Diet
While dental implants allow you to eat whatever you like, indulging too much in sugary, crunchy, or sticky foods can damage them or lead to infection. By taking care to enjoy a varied diet rich in healthy foods that contain protein, calcium, and vitamin C, you can prevent oral infections and keep your smile healthy and beautiful.
Break Bad Habits
Breaking a few bad habits can set your dental implants up for long-term success. Smoking is terrible for your oral health because it restricts blood flow to your gums and causes them to harden to protect themselves from toxins. Excessive alcohol consumption can also interfere with your implants’ healing process and increase your risk of gum disease by causing dry mouth. Using your natural or artificial teeth to open packages or bottles is a great way to chip, crack, or break them, leading to emergency dental visits or the need for expensive replacement crowns. Kicking these habits can help your implants stay in great shape for as long as possible.
Protect Your Dental Implants
While dental implants are incredibly strong, they are not invincible. Wearing an athletic mouthguard when you play sports or ride a bike can protect your smile from injuries, and wearing a nightguard to bed if you grind your teeth in your sleep can help you reduce the amount of wear and tear your implants endure.
Schedule Regular Dental Checkups
Seeing us at our office in Roswell every six months allows our dentist to evaluate your mouth, correct issues in their early stages, and recommend better oral hygiene practices. These visits are crucial to preserving your oral health and keeping your implants in excellent condition for as long as possible.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants
As great as dental implants are, you may worry about their price. Fair enough – nobody wants to commit to something that would strain their budget. However, the cost of dental implants varies by patient; you’ll need to consult Drs. Kakadia and Kataria for a precise estimate. Our team will also strive to make your treatment more affordable and guide you through its cost factors, payment options, etc. Plus, new implants would save you money in the long run. Please keep reading or call our office to learn more.
Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery
Before you get dental implants from us, you may need a few preliminary treatments – bone grafts, gum disease treatment, tooth removal, etc. These services can strengthen a mouth to support implant posts and ensure their success. That said, they’ll add to your treatment cost if performed.
Of course, the dental implant surgery has a distinct price as well. Its cost can rise or fall based on anesthesia, the final implant’s location, and many other factors. Plus, we’ll refer you to an outside for the actual surgery; the surgeon will discuss with you separately what to pay for it.
The Parts of Your Dental Implant
Your dental implants’ traits also impact their price. These elements include:
Implant Number – Based on the number of dental implants, your treatment will cost more or less. One implant post is cheaper than four to six for an implant denture. Similarly, an implant denture is more cost-effective than replacing many teeth separately.
Implant Material – Dental implants can have different materials, each with its own distinct prices. For example, zirconia implants cost more than titanium ones.
Implant Brand – Your treatment price is partly shaped by your dental implants’ brand. After all, different providers cater to varying needs; they’ll likely charge unique amounts.
Restoration Type – Dental bridges, crowns, and dentures have different prices. All in all, a restoration often costs less when it’s smaller.
How Dental Implants Pay for Themselves
While they may have a high upfront price, dental implants can save you more money than a denture or dental bridge. For example, their long lifespans mean they hardly ever need repairs or replacements; they won’t force you to get costly follow-ups. Similarly, their health benefits reduce your risk of gum disease, tooth decay, and jawbone loss. With fewer cases of these conditions, you’ll pay less for dental care than you would have otherwise.
Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?
Dental insurance doesn’t often cover dental implants, though there are exceptions. Your plan may apply toward portions of your care, such as a percentage of your final restoration. Either way, our team will gladly review your policy and ensure you maximize any and all possible benefits. You should thus confirm the details of your plan with your provider before you commit to anything. We’ll even help you contact them if you need additional aid.
Making Dental Implants Affordable
With or without insurance, dental implants can be affordable. Just rely on our office’s other payment options to make things more budget-friendly! In particular, our flexible financing program with CareCredit should make your treatment much easier to purchase. It would let you pay for dental implants in monthly installments with little or no interest. That way, you could cover your care’s cost gradually instead of all at once.
At Roswell Modern Dentistry, we don’t want you to “break the bank” when getting dental implants. Please visit our office to learn how to finance them!
Dental Implant FAQs
Does getting dental implants hurt?
No, you should not expect the placement of your dental implants to hurt, as your dentist will administer local anesthesia to numb your mouth. This creates a more comfortable experience so that you do not feel anything during your procedure. However, you can expect there to be some slight soreness once the anesthesia wears off after your surgery. This will be normal for a few days but can be managed with the help of an over-the-counter pain reliever. You may also use a cold compress to reduce swelling and discomfort. Should you notice the soreness not improving after two or three days, though, make sure to call our office.
How successful are dental implants?
Dental implants are known to have a high success rate of 95% when they are placed by a skilled professional. The location of the dental implant can also determine its success, as molars may not last quite as long because they sustain more wear and tear than teeth located toward the front of your mouth. The average success rate can remain just as high 10 years after placement, though, if they’re taken care of properly. That is why you can expect our Modern Dentistry team to provide helpful tips to keep your new teeth lasting as long as possible. You can do this by adopting a healthy diet, giving up unhealthy habits (i.e., smoking), and continuing to see your dentist regularly for checkups and cleanings.
Am I too young to get dental implants?
Although you may want dental implants, your dentist may recommend an alternative solution if you are deemed too young for this type of treatment. Typically, the jaw is not finished developing until you reach young adulthood, so it’s best if these prosthetics are not put in place until you are at least 18 years old. The reality is that some jaws are not fully developed until you’re mid-20s, so it’s important that you undergo a thorough evaluation beforehand. Placing dental implants before the jaw is finished forming can cause complications, as it may hinder the further development of the existing bone.
Will I have to take off work for dental implant surgery?
It is recommended that you take one or two days off of work to receive dental implants. The more prosthetics you need, though, the more time you will need to spend recovering at home. When meeting with your dentist to discuss the timeline for your treatment, you can expect they will provide a recommendation regarding how much time you should take off for proper healing.
You can request that your surgery occur later in the week so that you have the weekend to recover, reducing the number of days you need to take off. This is especially helpful if you have a physically strenuous job that requires you to move and lift heavy objects. You’ll need plenty of rest before returning to this type of work to avoid continuous bleeding, which can prolong the healing process.
Can I get dental implants if I have osteoporosis?
If you have osteoporosis, your bones will likely be more fragile and porous – this includes your jawbone. It may not be strong enough to support dental implants; however, our team at Modern Dentistry can recommend a bone graft to create a denser foundation for your smile. When taking osteoporosis medications, though, you may notice that your jawbone takes longer to heal after surgery, so, if possible, you may want to speak with your doctor about temporarily stopping your medication while undergoing dental implant placement.
