Designing Beautiful SmilesDental Implants – Plano, TX
Completely Replace Missing Teeth
Are you one of the more than 170 million Americans who have lost one or more teeth? If so, you’re probably sick of the troubles that your missing teeth create when eating, talking, or smiling. Maybe you’ve tried a traditional denture or dental bridge, but they just didn’t provide the stability you were looking for. That’s where dental implants come in. Unlike bridges and dentures, dental implants in Plano recreate the entire structure of lost teeth, making them the most reliable solution that modern dentistry has to offer. If you’re interested in learning more about how dental implants can improve your smile, contact Parkway Vista Dental today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Kamali!
Why Choose Parkway Vista Dental for Dental Implants?
- Partnered with Highly Trained Plano-Area Oral Surgeons
- Family-Owned & Operated Dental Office
- Several Flexible Financing Options Available
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are titanium posts surgically inserted below the gums. Over the course of three to six months, the implant posts fuse with gum tissue and supportive jawbone via the process of osseointegration. This creates a solid, natural bond and mimics the lost root system. Once osseointegration is complete, a metal abutment is placed, onto which Dr. Kamali can secure your custom-made dental crown, bridge, or denture and complete your smile.
The 4-Step Dental Implant Process
To ensure dental implants are successful, multiple appointments are required. Therefore, getting dental implants could take several months to a year or even longer. However, they can potentially last a lifetime with the right care, so they’re absolutely worth the wait. The four basic steps of the dental implant process include:
- Initial dental implant consultation – Dr. Kamali evaluates your oral health to determine whether dental implants are right for you.
- Dental implant surgery – A trusted oral surgeon or periodontist in the area places the implants at precise locations and angles in your jaw.
- Dental implant osseointegration/abutment – The implants become one with the surrounding bone and tissue. Then, your abutment is attached.
- Delivery of dental implant restorations – You’ll return to our office and we’ll install your crown, bridge, or denture.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Dentists in the U.S. place over 5 million dental implants each year. When you understand the many advantages that this treatment offers, it becomes easy to see why it is so popular. Implants are the best way to replace missing teeth! How might the benefits of dental implants in Plano be able to improve your daily quality of life, your health, and your long-term prospects? Read on below to discover the answer.
Day-to-Day Benefits
Dental implants in Plano might improve your daily quality of life in numerous ways:
Health Benefits
Here are a few ways in which dental implants may be able to benefit both your oral health and your overall wellness:
Long-Term Benefits
You can begin to experience the benefits of dental implants shortly after you get them, and they can continue to serve you well for decades. Here are some of their long-term benefits:
Would you like to learn more about how dental implants may be able to benefit you? As your implant dentist in Plano, we are ready to answer your questions. Contact us today!
Who Dental Implants Can Help
As an incredibly versatile solution, dental implants can replace any number of missing teeth.
Missing One Tooth
For those patients who’ve lost one or two consecutive teeth, we typically recommend placing a single dental implant which then supports one or two dental crowns that can be fused together.
Missing Multiple Teeth
Patients who’ve lost three or four consecutive teeth may be advised to attach a row of connected dental crowns, often referred to as a bridge, to two dental implant posts – one at each end.
Missing All of Your Teeth
Those who are missing a full arch of teeth should consider implant dentures. Like their traditional counterparts, implant dentures are crafted by connecting replacement teeth to a gum-colored base. Traditionally, the base of the denture was shaped to create suction between teeth and gums, but the implant-supported denture can be attached to between four and six dental implants, depending largely on the size and shape of patients’ natural jawlines.
Learn More About Implant Dentures
All-on-4
As the name suggests, All-on-4 are dentures that are connected to four implants. This may not seem much different than the regular implant-supported denture, but the All-on-4 technique is what sets it apart. All-on-4 makes it possible for patients with less bone density to successfully receive an implant-supported denture. Traditional implant dentures use four to six dental implants placed across the entire jawbone. All-on-4 uses the naturally denser part of the jaw at the front of the mouth to provide support for the entire denture. This is done by placing two of the dental implant posts at an angle from the back of the mouth to the front where the post is anchored to the jawbone, providing support for the full denture.
Mini Dental Implants
Mini dental implants are just that. They are smaller versions of traditional implant posts. These miniature implants are great for patients who have naturally smaller teeth, for supporting front teeth that are thinner in shape, and for patients who have diminished jawbone density following tooth loss. Mini dental implants have made it possible for more patients than ever to be considered successful candidates for implant supported tooth replacement. The placement process is the same, but in most cases, patients recover more quickly, the implant fuses with the jawbone in less time, and even those with minimal jawbone density can successfully fuse with mini dental implants.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants
While dental implants can be an expensive tooth replacement option, it helps to think of them as a long-term investment in your oral health. The cheaper you go, the less reliable they may be. By working with a knowledgeable and trustworthy implant dentist, you can expect a long-lasting replacement tooth that makes it easy to chew your favorite foods, smile with confidence, and protect your oral health. With that said, here’s what you can expect when it comes to determining the cost of your future care.
Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery
Before you can begin your dental implant treatment, you may need to complete certain procedures to ensure the implant placement is successful. For example, gum disease therapy or tooth extractions may be needed ahead of time, both of which incur a specific cost attached to your tooth replacement total. Since you’ll be partnered with an oral surgeon and/or periodontist, the fees they charge will be separate from the fees paid at Parkway Vista Dental. Other services like local anesthesia (required ahead of surgery) as well as sedation dentistry (which is optional for those with dental anxiety) can also increase your overall cost.
The Parts of Your Dental Implant
The more implants you need, the more your dental treatment will cost overall. Additionally, certain dental implants are made from different materials, which can influence the total cost of your care. Much like different makes and models of cars, dental implants can have variations in their longevity and effectiveness that directly correlate with their price tag. For example, zirconia implants tend to cost more than titanium ones due to their metal-free attributes.
Final Dental Implant Restoration
The number of implants you receive will directly impact the restoration that is used to cover them and rebuild your smile. For example, the cheapest restoration you can receive for a dental implant is a dental crown, while more complex varieties include dental bridges and dentures. Since bridges and dentures require more time and effort to customize to your specific needs, you’ll need to pay more to have these restorations designed and fabricated.
Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?
In most cases, dental implants are not covered by dental insurance. However, there are some exceptions that can occur. For example, specific phases of your treatment (including preliminary procedures, the restorations themselves, and initial consultations) can receive coverage from a dental plan. Keep in mind that if they do provide coverage, it’s usually only a portion or specific percentage. Our team will gladly review the details of your plan so you are not caught off guard by surprise fees.
Making Dental Implants Affordable
Even if you don’t have dental insurance to utilize, there are options available to make your dental implant treatment more affordable. For example, those looking for a way to pay for care in monthly installments and with little interest attached will find CareCredit to be more than reasonable.
Alternatively, those who sign up for Parkway Vista Dental’s in-house benefit plan can expect discounts on many procedures performed at the office, including specific phases of care related to dental implant treatment!
Maintaining & Caring For Your Dental Implants
Other than effectively restoring your teeth and preserving your jawbone health, dental implants can also last a lifetime. However, this is highly dependent on how well you care for them. The good news is that it won’t take much to maintain your restorations. Read along as we elaborate on the most important aspects of dental implant care in Plano and how you can make the most of your fully restored smile for many years to come. Feel free to reach out to us today if you have any further questions!
Make Oral Hygiene a Priority
Although dental implants can’t get cavities like natural teeth, you’ll want to maintain good dental hygiene. One of the most common reasons for implant failure is an illness called peri-implantitis—an inflammatory infection in the gums surrounding your restoration. To avoid serious conditions like this, the most effective way to do so is to brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes and floss at least once.
Eat a Healthy Diet
With dental implants, you’ll be able to regain 80% or more of your natural biting and chewing power. This means you can enjoy all your favorite meals again! You can also try sticking with healthier and more nutritious food options, as these can improve your smile and overall well-being. By eating meals rich in lean protein, calcium, and vitamin C, you can promote stronger jawbone and gum tissue in the long run.
Break Bad Habits
Certain practices can dramatically increase your risk of dental implant failure. To ensure the long-term success of your restored smile, it’s best to break away from bad oral habits, such as:
- Smoking/chewing tobacco : These products reduce your natural ability to heal, which is essential when first receiving your implants. Smoking or chewing tobacco can make you vulnerable to infections and disrupt the osseointegration process, causing your restorations to fail.
- Using teeth as tools : Trying to open a container, crack open a bottle, or hold items with your teeth can potentially damage your smile as well as your dental implants.
- Biting down on hard items : Munching or chewing on objects like fingernails, pen caps, or ice can wear down your enamel and restorations. If you feel the need to bite on something, try chewing on sugar-free gum instead!
Protect Your Dental Implants
While dental implants are durable, they aren’t invulnerable to damage. If you play physical sports, then your restoration can be harmed in the same way your natural teeth can. Having protective gear can also benefit you if you struggle with teeth grinding, as this can wear down and loosen your implant. To reduce your risk of these complications, our team can provide personalized mouthguards or nightguards for bruxism to help preserve your new and improved smile.
Schedule Regular Dental Checkups
The best way to care for your dental implants is to schedule a checkup and cleaning with us every six months. We’ll monitor your oral health and restorations, allowing us to detect any developing issues early on. Not only can we help ensure your dental implants remain successful, but we can keep more serious health issues at bay. Give us a call if you’d like to schedule an appointment today!
Dental Implant FAQs
Getting dental implants is a process that can take several months and involves multiple steps. You’re bound to have a question or two along the way, so feel free to get in touch with Dr. Kamali and the rest of our Parkway Vista Dental team at any time if there’s something you want to know about the implant process and what you can expect from it. Here are the answers to a few of the questions that we often receive from our patients.
Does Getting Dental Implants Hurt?
The phrase “dental implant surgery” makes some people nervous, but the procedure actually causes very little, if any, discomfort. The jawbone doesn’t contain many nerve endings to begin with, and the treatment area will be numbed with a local anesthetic before the procedure even begins. You can also elect to be sedated for your procedure, which further reduces the body’s ability to register discomfort during the treatment. You may experience soreness for a few days after implants are placed. Make sure to take pain medication as directed, and hold a cold compress over the area in 10 or 20 minute intervals. Any discomfort should start to improve after two or three days; if it grows worse instead, call us immediately for help.
What Can Cause Dental Implants to Fail?
Dental implant failure can typically be attributed to either peri-implantitis or failed osseointegration. Peri-implantitis is a type of gum disease that can form if you don’t keep the area around your implants clean. Harmful bacteria can accumulate and damage the bone and gums responsible for supporting the implant and holding it in place. As for failed osseointegration, it can occur if you have low jawbone density or if something goes wrong with the recovery process. There are several risk factors that can potentially contribute to implant failure, including tobacco use, chronic teeth grinding, and a number of health conditions. We’ll give you some guidelines for reducing the risk of failure before your implant surgery.
Am I Too Young for Dental Implants?
You need a fully developed jaw in order to get dental implants. If they’re placed too early, they could interfere with the development of the bone and cause a number of problems. Most of the time, jaw development is completed around young adulthood, so dental implants aren’t normally recommended to anyone under the age of 18. Even then, some people might not have fully developed jaws until their mid-20s, and men will usually have to wait longer than women. We’ll check your jaw and consider its current stage of development before we recommend dental implants as a form of tooth replacement.
Do Dental Implants Decay?
Neither the implant posts or the restorations they support are prone to decay since they are not made of enamel. However, your natural teeth can still develop cavities, and gum disease is a still a potential issue. As such, oral hygiene is just as important as ever, and you need to brush your dental implants as thoroughly as you would your real teeth.