
Living with missing teeth can drastically impact your day-to-day life. Some patients aren’t satisfied dentures or bridges because they don’t function like normal teeth, they can be messy and unstable. Dental implants provide unmatched security and strength because they replace the entire structure of missing teeth, from the roots upward. To learn whether you’re a good candidate, schedule a complimentary consultation today.
A dental implant is a biocompatible post that is placed below the gumline to restore the root structure of your missing tooth. As you heal, it will naturally fuse with your jawbone, providing it with the strength and security of a natural root structure. Atop the implant, we’ll place a small, metal connector piece called an abutment. This will secure the customized bridge, crown, or denture to restore your smile.
Dental implants are highly recommended due to the variety of benefits that they offer compared to traditional restorations or living with missing teeth. As the only restoration to replace every portion of a missing tooth, dental implants look, feel, and function just like natural teeth. Some of their most popular benefits include the following:
The best way to learn whether you’re a good candidate for dental implants is to visit our dental office for a complimentary consultation. Typically, we suggest this treatment for patients who exhibit the following features or traits:
If you don’t match all of these traits, don’t worry. Often, we can work with patients to improve their oral health so they can become successful candidates for implants.
If you’re missing a single tooth, we can replace it by inserting one dental implant in the gap and top it off with a customized dental crown. Once in place, it will keep surrounding teeth from drifting into the space, causing misalignment and bone loss over time.
Instead of needing to alter your natural teeth with a traditional bridge, we can attach a customized bridge to two dental implants that we place at either end of the gap in your smile. Not only will this provide your restoration with added stability, but you also won’t have to worry about having a negative impact on your healthy teeth.
If you’re missing an entire arch of teeth, we can place between four and eight dental implants along your jawbone. These will secure your customized implant retained denture. Implant retained dentures end the mess of fiddling with denture adhesive and the embarrassment of slipping, ill-fitting dentures.
At Grand Dental - Wilmington, we’re able to complete the dental implant process from beginning-to-end from the comfort of our own dental office. That means that you can stick with the same team of professionals that you trust throughout your entire procedure. Our specially trained periodontist will surgically place your implants to offer the best results. Once you heal, your dentist will craft and place your restoration to complete your smile.
There are several factors that can impact the cost of your dental implant treatment. The only way we can provide you with a precise cost is by first examining your mouth, taking X-rays and a CT scan of your jaw to determine the following:
Based on our findings, we can develop a treatment plan that is right for you. Our team will walk you through financing and insurance details and happily answer any questions you may have during your consultation.
Even though dental implants in Wilmington are almost universally considered superior to other methods of tooth replacement, many patients have several questions before they’re ready to begin the treatment process. This is quite understandable, as dental implants are a lengthier and pricier investment than traditional options. Our team at Grand Dental – Wilmington would be more than happy to explain why dental implants are worth it in the long run, but in the meantime, we encourage you to learn a bit more by reading the answers to some frequently asked questions below.
If you take good care of your dental implants, you can most likely expect your new teeth to last for upwards of 30 years. Many patients have even gone on to keep their implants for the rest of their lives! Of course, the lifespan of your implants will depend on your dedication to keeping them in great condition. Your implant dentist in Wilmington will ensure that you’re well-informed of the steps you can take to make your new smile stand the test of time, such as daily oral hygiene, a healthy diet, and regular dental checkups.
As long as you find a highly qualified professional to place your implants – such as our in-house periodontist, Dr. John Micaletti – then you can almost always count on a successful treatment. In fact, surgical dental implant placement has a success rate as high as 95%. Even after 10 years, the success rate drops less than 5% from that, if at all.
It should come as no surprise that the long-term success of your implants varies based on how well you take care of your oral and overall health. Our doctors will gladly provide you with tips to help!
Generally speaking, dental implants are not recommended for patients who have not yet reached their mid to late twenties. The jawbone might not be finished developing until that age range, so placing implants before then could result in severe complications. For that reason, we recommend that, if you’re in your late teens or early twenties and are interested in tooth replacement, you consider seeking alternative options. This may involve wearing a partial denture or bridge, or simply leaving the gap empty, until your mouth and jaw are fully developed and ready to support dental implants.
Yes, we highly recommend taking off from work the day of your dental implant surgery. However, the number of days you’ll want to stay home after that can vary. For example, if you’re only receiving a single implant and work a fairly sedentary job, you might feel well enough to return to work the very next day. On the other hand, if you’re getting multiple implants placed at once, or your job requires physical labor, it’s best to spend the next two or three days recovering (rigorous exercise can impede the healing process). We might suggest scheduling your dental implant procedure on a Friday if you’re worried about missing work (if you get the weekends off). That way, you’ll have Saturday and Sunday to recover.
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