One of our primary focuses at Weinberg Dentistry is making sure you as our patient receive the best care available. It’s as important for us as it is you that your smile is everything you could ever be. Keeping up with regular cleanings and staying on top of brushing and flossing can make a big difference in your overall oral health.
However, it’s not uncommon for many to deal with disease and decay, even despite their best efforts to keep their smile healthy. When this type of disease and decay leads to loss of one or multiple teeth, it can have a negative impact on many facets of your life.
When this happens to you, our team at Weinberg Dentistry is here to help with dental implants!
Restore Your Full Smile With Dental Implants
Living life without a full smile is often a painful, difficult thing. Not only does it limit your ability to eat and communicate, it also affects the health of your remaining teeth. Your existing teeth will often shift around to compensate for the extra space in your mouth, leading to unnecessary wear and tear on each tooth.
If you deal with the loss of one or multiple teeth, there are restorative options out there for you. Thanks to modern advances in dental technology and medicine, you don’t have to just deal with one or multiple gaps in your smile. At Weinberg Dentistry, we offer restoration of your smile through the implementation of dental implants.
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are small titanium or cubic zirconia rods that are surgically placed in the jaw or skull bone of a patient’s mouth. They take the place of a missing tooth’s root and hold a dental prosthetic in place—such as a dental crown, dental bridge, or set of dentures.
Once an implant is restored with said prosthetic, it will be like you were never missing the tooth to begin with! Implants are designed to act and function just like a real tooth. The restoration device will mimic the exact color and shape of your surrounding teeth.
Dental Implant Parts
Dental implants are made up of three separate parts: the body on the bottom, the abutment in the middle, and the dental crown on top.
- The body of the implant is placed into the gum directly. It will act like the root of the tooth.
- The abutment is fastened on top whether by screw or extremely strong and permanent dental cement.
- The crown will then be put on top of the abutment to restore your chewing ability and the visual part of your tooth.
Each piece is put in at set times following healing periods that allow your mouth to adapt to its new addition.
How Do Dental Implants Work?
Dental implants were designed to take the place of missing teeth and act just like a natural tooth! They will restore your ability to eat food, communicate, and smile with confidence.
Beyond restoring your smile, implants also are very healthy investments for your mouth. When a tooth is lost, root and all, the bone around the area begins to deteriorate without something to grow around and support it.
A dental implant acts like a tooth root, strengthening, stimulating, and supporting your jawbone to maintain important and needed bone density in your jaw.
Types of Dental Implants
Depending on your individual needs, there are a variety of dental implants you can choose from among. If you’re struggling with significant tooth loss, dental implants can support a dental bridge or a full or partial set of dentures. If you’re missing just one or a couple teeth, single tooth implants or mini implants are probably your best option.
Single Tooth Implants
Single tooth implants are individually placed. Each one has a body, abutment, and dental prosthetic attached at the top.
Keep in mind that regular dental implants need a certain amount of jawbone density to fit properly. If you have lower jawbone density due to missing a tooth for a longer period of time or other health issues, you may need a bone graft before your dental implant procedure can take place.
Mini Dental Implants
Mini dental implants are smaller in size than regular dental implants. They also don’t use abutments or screws like traditional dental implants.
Because of this, they can be used on patients with less jawbone density. So you can get all the benefits of a dental implant without adding a bone graft procedure to your process.
The Dental Implant Procedure
Placing a dental implant can be a lengthy procedure, but a very worthwhile one in the end. Most of the time is taken up by necessary healing. Your mouth will need a set period of time between placement of each part of the implant to heal in preparation for the next one to be set.
- The initial surgery starts with inserting the body of the implant. It will be held in place in the bone of your jaw.
- Then the abutment will be attached to the top of the implant.
- Once it is secured there, your jaw will be given time to heal and fuse with the implant.
- Once your mouth is given adequate time to heal, the dental crown or other type of prosthetic will be placed.
You’ll have a full, beautiful smile again that looks, feels, and functions like natural!
Do Dental Implants Hurt?
Any type of invasive surgery is going to have some level of pain and require time to heal. Placing a dental implant is no different. You’ll be given painkillers as necessary during your time of healing.
Once the time for healing has passed, your smile will be restored and you won’t experience any pain. Implants are designed to look and function like normal teeth and they’ll do just that! Any pain you experience will come from the healing process as your mouth recovers from the surgery.
Who Does Dental Implants?
Only specially trained dentists, such as Dr. Weinberg at Weinberg Dentistry, are qualified to place dental implants.
Other dentists may refer you to an outside surgeon to place the implants, while they can only restore the dental prosthetic on top—but our team at Weinberg Dentistry can do the whole procedure all in one office! You can be comfortable with the dental team you know from start to finish.
How Long Do Dental Implants Last?
Dental implants are designed to last a lifetime, and they’ve been proven to last more than 25 years on average! The implant which is inserted into the bone of your jaw should become a sturdy part of your facial structure that never needs to be replaced.
The crown or other dental prosthetic on top, however, will likely need to be replaced every 10 years or so due to normal wear and tear processes it will experience. You can make the dental crown or other restoration last longer by keeping up with regular flossing, brushing, and scheduling regular six-month dental appointments.
Average Cost of Dental Implants
Basic insurance policies do not cover dental implants entirely. If you take a look at your cosmetic dental coverage, you might find some expenses for dental implants taken care of there.
When it comes to the cost of dental implants, every situation—and smile—is unique. It’s therefore difficult to predict exactly what the expenses will be. Prices will vary depending on what type of implants you’re getting, whether you need a bone graft with your procedure, as well as where geographically you’re having the procedure done.
Come meet with us at Weinberg Dentistry for a consultation to learn exactly what your dental implant procedure will cost.
Find Your Dental Implant Dentist at Weinberg Dentistry
Get in touch with our office today to schedule an appointment to see if you qualify to have a dental implant placed. We’re excited to help restore your smile and your confidence!
