Dental Implants

Despite improvements in dental care, millions of Americans suffer tooth loss-mostly due to tooth decay, gingivitis (gum disease), or injury. For many years, the only treatment options available for people with missing teeth were bridges and dentures. But, today dental implants are available.

What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are replacement tooth roots. Implants provide a strong foundation for fixed (permanent) or removable replacement teeth that are made to match your natural teeth.

What Are the Advantages of Dental Implants?

• Improved appearance. Dental implants look and feel like your own teeth. And because they are designed to fuse with bone they become permanent.
• Improved speech. With poor-fitting dentures, the teeth can slip within the mouth causing you to mumble or slur your words. Dental implants allow you to speak without the worry that your teeth might slip.
• Improved comfort. Because they become part of you, implants eliminate the discomfort of removable dentures.
• Easier eating. Sliding dentures can make chewing difficult. Dental implants function like your own teeth, allowing you to eat your favorite foods with confidence and without pain.
• Improved self-esteem. Dental implants can give you back your smile, and help you feel better about yourself.
• Improved oral health. Dental implants don't require reducing other teeth, as a tooth-supported bridge does. Because nearby teeth are not altered to support the implant, more of your own teeth are left intact, improving your long-term oral health. Individual implants also allow easier access between teeth, improving oral hygiene.
• Durability. Implants are very durable and will last may years. With good care, many implants last a lifetime.
• Convenience. Removable dentures are just that; removable. Dental implants eliminate the embarrassing inconvenience of removing your dentures, as well as the need for messy adhesives to keep your dentures i place.

How successful Are Dental Implants:

Success rates vary, depending on where in the jaw the implants are placed but, in general, dental implants have a success rate of up to 97%. With proper care implants can last a lifetime.

Can Anyone Get Dental Implants?

In most cases, anyone healthy enough to undergo a routine dental extraction or oral surgery can be considered for an implant procedure. Patients should have healthy gums and enough bone to hold the implant. They also must be committed to good oral hygiene and regular dental visits. Heavy smokers, people suffering from uncontrolled chronic disorders-such as diabetes or heart disease-or patients who have had radiation therapy to the head/neck area need to be evaluated on an individual basis. If you are considering implants, talk to Dr. Hodgkin to see if they are right for you.

Does Insurance Cover the Cost Of Dental Implants?

In general, implants are not covered by dental insurance at this time. Coverage under your medical plan may be possible, depending on the insurance plan and/or cause of tooth loss. Detailed questions about your individual needs and how they relate to insurance should be discussed with your Dr. Hodgkin and your insurance provider. The Oasis Dental Center will assist you in determining if your insurance will pay for these cost.

These dental implant posts will snap into precision attachments on the patient's lower denture, for better retention.

These implant cover caps are usually underneath gum tissue and are placed after the dental implants to allow the bone to heal and start growing around the new implant.

Healing caps are taller than cover caps. A healing cap usually stays in for about 3 - 6 months to allow the gum tissue to form around the shape of the cap. Healing caps also help to keep the gum tissue pushed back so that a crown or abutment can be placed.

Impression posts are placed after healing heads are removed. These impression posts screw into the dental implant after a healing period of about 3 - 6 months. This allows the dentist to take an impression that a dental lab can use to make crowns or abutments to cover the dental implants.

This is the metal framework for a long porcelain bridge to be placed over the dental implants. Since the span of this dental bridge is so long, a metal framework will be tried in to ensure a good fit of the porcelain bridge. If the fit is good, the porcelain will be fused to this metal framework and permanently cemented to the dental implants.

The lower porcelain bridge (abutment) has been placed over the implants. This photo shows where the lower porcelain bridge has been permanently placed over the dental implants.

This is a small frame try in over the implant. Sometimes the dental lab will send a metal frame for the dentist to try in the patient's mouth over the implants to ensure that the crowns or abutments will be a good fit. If the fit is good, porcelain will be fused to this metal frame and permanently cemented to the dental implants.

The two natural teeth in this photo have been prepped for crowns. The abutment heads have been screwed into the dental implants for crowns to be placed. The next photo will show you the result.

This is the final result after the porcelain crowns have been permanently placed over the natural teeth and the abutment heads of the dental implants.

This is one angle of a patient's full upper arch after dental implant treatment was completed. This patient did not have any remaining natural teeth before having dental implants and porcelain crowns placed.

This is a close up photo taken of the front teeth immediately after porcelain crowns were placed over dental implants. This is a photo of the same patient as the previous page with a close up front angle shot of her new teeth after the dental implant procedure.

This is the same patient as the previous photo in a natural position.

Before