When you have missing teeth, there are a variety of other problems that come along with it, including difficulty eating, speaking, and lowered self-esteem. If you are missing one or more teeth, you should know that you are not alone. According to research, more than 178 million adults in the United States are missing at least one tooth and close to 40 million have no teeth at all. If you are among this growing population, you should know that we offer several options at Arlington Dental Excellence for missing tooth restoration, including tooth implants.
Tooth implants are medical devices that are surgically implanted into the jawbone to restore a patient's appearance and ability to chew and speak. They offer support for artificial teeth, such as bridges, dentures, or crowns. If you decide that you are interested in tooth implants at Arlington Dental Excellence, you will schedule a consultation with Dr. Alan Jureidini, as he is our Periodontist/Implantolgist.
When determining whether or not you are a good candidate for tooth implants, there are a few things that will be taken into consideration:
Another consideration will be your commitment to good oral hygiene. The success rate for tooth implants is 95%- but if you are not willing to take care of them, you increase your risk of infection and other issues while you are healing. What's worse, if you don't take proper care- that is brushing and flossing daily and visiting your dentist regularly for cleanings and check-ups, you risk implant failure.
Dr. Alan Jureidini and the staff will provide you with aftercare instructions to increase the likelihood of success with your tooth implants.
When meeting with Dr. Jureidini and the staff at Arlington Dental Excellence to learn more about tooth restoration options, including tooth implants, the pros and cons of this procedure will be explained. Of course, what you consider a pro versus a con may vary based on your overall health, desire for a picture perfect smile, and comfort with dental procedures. We will make sure you understand what you can expect from start to finish and beyond.
Here are the pros and cons of tooth implants. This may give you some ideas on questions that you can ask during your consultation- or it may answer some questions that you have already.
Pros
Cons
Tooth implants are not a one-and-done procedure. There are several stages to this missing tooth restoration option.
First, you will contact Arlington Dental Excellence to schedule your consultation. We will discuss your implant options:
This is the time when you'll want to ask any questions and bring up any concerns you might have about this procedure. Also, this is when you will want to discuss your sedation options if you have dental anxiety.
Next, if there is any extractions or bone grafting that needs to occur, this is when this will be done. If you have extractions, those should only need a few weeks at most to heal, but if you require bone grafting, that will take 4 months to 1 year to heal enough that the bone can accommodate the implant. Of course, if you only need minor bone grafting, that may be able to be done at the same time as the implants.
Once you have healed from any extractions and bone grafting, the dentist can place the implant. He will cut into your gum and drill into the jawbone and place the titanium rod- you will not feel it as it heals. It will take about 4 to 7 months for the implant to osseointegrate (fuse) into the jawbone.
When the implant is fused with the bone, the dentist will place a healing cap, which will be flush with your gum. This guides the gum tissue to heal around the cap to get ready for the abutment and crown to be attached. This will take about 10 to 14 days.
Once the tissue around the healing cap has healed, the dentist will remove it and screw the abutment into the implant. Then, a temporary crown will be placed on top. This will stay in place for 4 to 6 weeks, which allows the gums to heal properly.
A permanent crown will be made during the time you have the temporary crown. Typically, the crown can be ready in 2 to 3 weeks. When it is placed, it will be screwed to the abutment or cemented in place.
As you can see, tooth implants take some time, but each step is easy to manage. In most cases, only a local anesthetic is necessary. You may have some swelling and slight discomfort. However, we know that everyone is different and the team at Arlington Dental Excellence will be happy to discuss your needs!
Schedule Your Consultation with Dr. Jureidini at Arlington Dental Excellence today!
If you are missing one or more teeth and are interested in tooth restoration procedures, we would love to help! The most common method for tooth restoration is tooth implants- but there are other options. If you are in or near Arlington, Virginia, contact us today to schedule your free consultation. We even have night and weekend hours!
Below are a few frequently asked questions about tooth implants:
A: Tooth implants are titanium posts that are surgically implanted into the jawbone. the implant fuses with the jawbone, which creates a foundation like a tooth root. Once the implant has fused with the bone, a prosthetic tooth will be attached.
A:
A: While we described the procedure in detail above, it's pretty simple. An implant is placed in the gum and allowed time to fuse with the jawbone. Once that is done, a prosthetic tooth is attached. Though the process is simple-you must be patient because it takes time. In most cases, it will take about 4 months from beginning to end. However, if there are complications, such as extractions or bone grafts, some patients may need a year or more to complete the process.
A: Most patients only have mild to moderate discomfort/pain following the surgery that is easily managed with medications.
A: Yes- the titanium post and the prosthetic tooth are both 100% safe.
A: If you are in good health overall and you have good bone density, you should be a good fit for tooth implants. The only way to know for sure is to schedule your consultation and go through a thorough exam and evaluation.
A: If you are not a good candidate for tooth implants, Arlington Dental Excellence offers treatments that may help you get implants in the future. However, if you can't undergo those procedures, there are other tooth restoration options, including dentures and bridges.
