Your Journey to a Complete Smile
Are you looking for a high-quality dental restoration to replace your missing teeth? River Birch Dental provides the number one tooth replacement option to fit your dental needs: customized dental implants. Dr. Vargas and our professional team provide dental implants for patients needing to replace any number of missing teeth, support a dental crown, or secure dentures.
Discover if dental implants are the right choice for your unique situation and how they’ll benefit you and your oral health by reading our helpful guide below.
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are a permanent, natural-looking solution to replace missing teeth from root to crown. Implants are made up of three parts:
- The Implant: This is a screw that serves as a root for your new tooth. It’s the part that will permanently attach to your jaw.
- The Abutment: A permanent (unless removed by your doctor) connector that supports and holds the tooth or multiple teeth.
- The Crown: Also known as a prosthetic tooth. This is the part that’s visible. It’s typically made of porcelain to ensure durability and a naturally beautiful appearance.
Dental implants fuse with your jawbone to prevent disintegration, a consequence of tooth loss that can affect the shape of your face and ability to chew properly. Implants provide great support and strong stability so that you can eat all of your favorite foods with ease. Best of all, dental implants look, feel, and function like your natural teeth, giving you a restoration solution that can last a lifetime.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Dental implants provide a variety of benefits that other dental restorations can’t match, including:
- Secured to your jaw
- Natural look and function
- Resistant to decay
- Easy to care for and maintain
- Prevents jawbone deterioration
- Can last a lifetime
Your Dental Implant Treatment Process
Completing your smile with dental implants requires multiple visits to our Centuria dental office over the course of several months. The implant process consists of three steps:
Initial Consultation
When you’re ready to explore the idea of receiving dental implants, you’ll visit our Centuria office for your initial consultation with Dr. Vargas. We’ll thoroughly evaluate your teeth, gums, and jawbone to determine if dental implants are right for you. We’ll also take digital images to determine where to place the implants and how many you’ll need.
Some patients may need a supplemental procedure prior to undergoing dental implant treatment. If you fall under this category, we’ll notify you during this consultation. This is also a great time to ask any questions you may have or voice concerns.
Implant Placement
Once you’re ready, you’ll come back into our office for your dental implant procedure. One of our experienced dentists will place the implants directly into your jaw and then we’ll protect the surgical area with a healing cap to begin recovery.
In most cases, it’ll take three to six months for your implant to heal and merge with your jawbone. This is the natural process called osseointegration.
Finalizing the Restoration
Once you’ve fully healed, you’ll return to our Centuria office once more so our dentists can attach your customized restoration. Depending on your dental needs, this may be a porcelain crown, a fixed dental bridge, or full-arch dentures. After we attach your choice restoration, you’re ready to walk out of our office with a beautiful, healthy smile.
Dental Implant Candidacy
Ideal candidates for dental implants must have healthy gums and an adequate amount of jawbone to successfully support the implant. In most cases, if patients are healthy enough to undergo a tooth extraction or oral surgery typically qualify. If you lack the sufficient bone density needed for successful dental implant treatment, a supplemental procedure, such as a bone graft, can help prepare you for treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Caring for your implants can directly affect the success of your procedure. Immediate post-op care, maintaining good oral hygiene, using the right products, and visiting our Centuria office for regular checkups will help your dental implant treatment flourish.
Following your procedure, you should:
- Avoid eating hard foods
- Rinse regularly with warm salt water
- Don’t use a straw or spit
- Refrain from smoking and drinking alcohol
Additionally, your oral hygiene routine should be the same as with your natural teeth. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush, a gentle toothpaste, nylon-coated floss, and avoid mouthwash that contains alcohol as an ingredient.
The success rate for dental implants is 98 percent. However, in the event you do experience complications with your implants, don’t hesitate to contact our Centuria office right away. We’ll schedule an appointment for you to come in so we can evaluate your implants and assess for the next steps.
Dental implant insurance coverage will vary based on the details of your plan. Some providers may cover a larger amount of the cost than others. By contacting our office, we can help you receive the maximum amount of your benefits. You can also visit our financing page for more information on payment options.