After losing any number of permanent teeth, you’ll likely find that chewing certain foods and pronouncing words clearly have become much more difficult tasks. Eventually, you may notice that the rest of your teeth have started to shift out of place, and your jawbone will start to break down from the lack of stimulation. Replacing your teeth as soon as possible is essential for your oral health – and dental implants are often the best way to do just that. Call Magnolia Shores Family Dental today to set up a consultation to discuss replacing missing teeth with dental implants in Summerfield, NC with Dr. Parry.
Dental implants are small metal posts that can support artificial teeth. While other forms of tooth replacement rest on the gums or on natural teeth, implants are inserted directly into the jawbone itself; this gives them the unique ability to act as artificial roots that stimulate the bone and prevent it from shrinking. Most dental implants are made from titanium, which is a highly biocompatible metal that can join with the bone through the natural process of osseointegration.
Dental implant placement is a comprehensive process that typically takes several months to complete. Unlike many other practices that have to refer patients elsewhere for implant placement, Dr. Parry is fully equipped with advanced training and expertise to handle the entire procedure in-house. This not only saves you valuable time and money, but also ensures continuity of care with the familiar dental team you rely on. If you’d like to learn more about the dental implant process in Summerfield, take a moment to review the following details and feel free to reach out to us with any inquiries.
Your first step is to schedule an initial consultation with Dr. Parry. During this visit, he’ll conduct a thorough visual examination and use a CBCT Scanner to capture detailed digital images of your oral and facial structures. These images will then be projected onto a nearby screen, creating a 3D image for Dr. Parry to carefully assess your teeth, gums, jawbone, nerves, and tissues.
Based on this evaluation, he’ll determine your eligibility for dental implants. You’ll discuss preliminary treatments, such as bone grafting, sinus lift, periodontal treatment, or tooth extraction, if they’re necessary before proceeding with dental implant surgery. This comprehensive assessment ensures that you receive personalized care tailored to your specific needs and sets the stage for a successful dental implant procedure.
Once you've had your consultation with Dr. Parry, we'll proceed with scheduling your implant surgery. Dr. Parry will begin by administering local anesthesia to ensure your comfort. Then, he will make one or more small incisions in your gums to access the underlying jawbone. Carefully positioning the implant to maximize bone density, he will then cover it with a protective cap to aid in the healing process. This cap not only shields the implant but also helps maintain the shape of your gum tissue.
After your oral surgery, your gums will typically heal within a few weeks. However, the process of osseointegration, where the dental implant merges with the surrounding bone tissue, requires more time. This strengthens the foundation for your future tooth restoration as the bond between implant and bone develops.
Depending on the number of dental implants you receive, the complete healing process will take three to six months. Once osseointegration is complete, you'll receive metal abutments that connect your implant to your personalized restoration, marking the final step in your dental implant journey.
After you finish healing, you'll come back to our office for the placement of your custom-made crown, bridge, or denture. Crafted from top-notch materials, these personalized restorations seamlessly blend with your natural smile. With these enhancements, you'll experience enhanced confidence, a more attractive appearance, and improved functionality and stability. Plus, your dental implants are designed to last for 30 years or more with proper care and maintenance.
You may not be aware, but dental implants are pretty popular as tooth replacements. Dentists place about 500,000 of them yearly! As for why they’re so well-liked, the reason is that they fuse with the patient’s jawbone. This feature grants implants several perks that dentures and dental bridges can’t match. As such, you can trust them to improve your quality of life. To learn more about the benefits of dental implants in Summerfield, keep reading or call us for details.
As you’d expect, the most apparent implant benefits are the day-to-day ones. These typically include the following:
Aside from the everyday upsides, implants also offer health-related advantages. The most common of these are:
With dental implants, you’ll even get to enjoy long-term benefits. Here’s what you can expect:
While not everyone is a candidate for dental implants, some steps can be taken to make the procedure more viable. For example, if your jaw currently lacks the density to support implant posts, we might recommend having a bone graft performed. Also, periodontal therapy and other treatments might be necessary to ensure that your mouth is completely free of infection before the surgery. It’s important to know that the implant process will be different depending on how many teeth you’ve lost.
Even if a missing tooth isn’t visible when you smile, it can still throw off the balance of your bite and cause other health difficulties. The gap can be filled with a single implant post that is eventually topped with a porcelain crown after osseointegration is complete.
When three or more teeth in a row are gone, an implant-retained bridge can be used. Traditional bridges rest on two abutment teeth, which involves the removal of enamel. Such alterations can be avoided if the bridge is placed on a pair of dental implants instead.
Even people who have lost an entire arch of teeth can still get implants. A full denture can be anchored to four to eight implant posts so that it won’t slip at inconvenient times. When a denture is permanently attached to implants, it can be brushed and flossed just like natural teeth.
The All-on-4 procedure is an advanced technique that lets those who have suffered from extensive tooth loss get new teeth much faster. Four dental implant posts are strategically inserted into the jaw at specific angles so that they have the strength and stability to support a temporary denture right away.
Some patients think that once real teeth are substituted with dental prosthetics, they no longer have to worry about taking care of their smile, but it’s not true! If you want your implants to last a substantial amount of time, you must maintain them through deliberate, smart lifestyle choices. Our team at Magnolia Shores Family Dental are here to support you and make this maintenance simple and effective.
Even though your replacement teeth are impenetrable to decay and cavities, bacteria-filled plaque can still build up on them. These bacteria can infect your gums and give you a condition called peri-implantitis, which can lead to implant failure. That’s why you need to continue to clean your teeth through daily brushing and flossing. By keeping your teeth clean at home, you stop bacteria from having the chance to steal your restored smile from you!
The foods you eat don’t just fuel your body, but they can also fuel the bacteria in your mouth. Carb-heavy and sugar-filled foods, in particular, are favorites for harmful bacteria. As a result, if you keep your consumption of these substances to a minimum, you can greatly limit oral bacterial growth. On the other hand, you have plenty of healthy food options that contain vitamins and nutrients your body needs to fight infections and strengthen your jawbone and gums.
If you have certain habits, such as smoking, vaping, or chewing on ice, you are putting your smile at risk and endangering your implants in Summerfield. Before you get implants is the perfect opportunity to start fresh and end these habits. If you need help, enlist your friends and family to hold you accountable and avoid actions that could lead to failed implants.
Sometimes, the risk of damage feels out of your control. For example, if you grind your teeth while you sleep or play sports, your restored smile could be in danger of an accident. Fortunately, there are oral appliances in each of these cases that can protect your dental implants and stop unnecessary wear, pressure, and damage to your implants.
Just as important as diligent at-home care, attending your checkups with Dr. Parry ensures the longevity of your implants. These appointments give him the opportunity to inspect your gums and implants for any sign of infection or complication. If he finds any sign of trouble, he can take care of it long before it causes implant failure. When you leave our office, you can feel confident that your smile will last and stand up to whatever comes next!
When it comes to dental implant treatment (and tooth replacement in general), you truly get what you pay for. Dental implants are considered a long-term investment not just for your smile, but your oral and overall health as well as your quality of life. Since there are so many factors that can influence the final price tag of your care, you’ll need to speak with Dr. Parry first and complete an exam. With that said, you can click the button below to learn about all of the variables that will go into the overall cost.
You need to have a consultation before an estimate of the cost of dental implants can be made. That is because the price is going to vary from patient to patient based on:
Dr. Parry will personally complete every phase of your implant treatment, which means you will spend less compared to offices that require you to work with a specialist for placement.
The more implants you need to place, the higher you can expect your costs to be. This is because more materials, including titanium, are needed from the manufacturer. Where the implants are ordered from can also influence the final price tag. More implants also means more abutments, which are used to connect the restoration to the implant. Dr. Parry will be happy to explain why he uses certain implants and how they will ensure a tooth replacement that lasts longer and works better compared to others.
If you require a restoration that is more complex, such as an implant bridge or denture, the cost of treatment goes up because more time and dedication is needed to craft a properly fitting tooth replacement. Not only are the materials designed to look incredibly natural, but they also keep the bite even, preventing undue stress son the jaw joints.
Make sure to review your insurance benefits; not every plan will pay for the implants themselves, but related procedures could still be covered. For example, it’s common for insurances to offer coverage for preparatory treatments like bone grafts or periodontal treatment. The restorations may also be covered at a specific percentage depending on your plan. Our office will gladly go over your benefits and confirm that you are maximizing them to the fullest.
Even if you don’t have dental insurance, there are other options available to you that make dental implants a more affordable and accessible treatment. For example, we partner with multiple third-party financiers that allow you to make monthly payments on dental services with little to no interest attached. This includes CareCredit, Alphaeon, and Proceed Finance.
At Magnolia Shores Family Dental, we want you to be able to start living your life to the fullest as quickly as possible. If you have questions or concerns about dental implants that are making you hesitant about treatment, Dr. Parry is happy to answer them to help you feel more confident about your future tooth replacement. Below, you can find some of the most common questions we’ve heard, but feel free to call us directly if yours is not listed.
Ahead of surgery, Dr. Parry will administer a local anesthetic. Keep in mind that the jawbone does not have any nerve endings anyway, and while sedation may be recommended, it’s actually not needed in most cases. Many patients note that the procedure is much more comfortable than initially expected. With that said, you can expect to feel sore for the next few days after surgery, but this can be mitigated with painkillers and cold compresses. If your discomfort does not improve after a week or so, get in touch with our office.
The most common signs that a dental implant is failing include significant discomfort around the implant itself. You may also notice inflamed gum tissue, swollen gums, or the sensation of a loose implant. These indicate that either an infection is present or the implant did not properly integrate. Call our practice as soon as possible if these symptoms appear!
It really depends on how complex your dental implant treatment is and how many teeth you intend to replace. For example, a single implant can take anywhere between one to two hours to place, while more implants can increase the length of your procedure. Also keep in mind Dr. Parry will take the time to ensure anesthesia is fully administered and a sterile, surgical atmosphere is established.
Those who have smoked in the past can technically receive dental implants, but we do not recommend smoking for several weeks ahead of treatment as well as quitting tobacco completely after you’ve received them. This is because tobacco causes dry mouth, slows down the healing process, and can interfere with the ability of the implant to fuse with the jawbone. Smoking can also cause the blood clot that forms over the implant site to dislodge, leading to a painful condition known as dry socket.
Once the implants are placed and fully integrated, they should feel almost exactly like your natural teeth. If you notice sensations around the implants, it’s actually coming from the gums that surround them, not the prosthetic roots themselves.
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