Dental Implants Rocky River
Replacing Teeth with Premier Prosthetics
Although the goal is to keep your natural teeth as long as possible, dental implants are often considered the next best thing. As artificial tooth roots, they allow you to enjoy the same great benefits as a regular smile, meaning you can eat, speak, and smile with ultimate confidence. Our dentists at Rocky River Dental can complete the entire dental implant process in-house, so let us know if you are interested in learning more about these permanent prosthetics by calling to schedule a consultation.
Why Choose Rocky River Dental for Dental Implants?
- Dental Implant Process Completed In-House – No Referral Needed
- Advanced Digital Imaging for Precise Dental Implant Placement
- Dentists with Extensive Surgical Training & Education
What Are Dental Implants?
Made of titanium and designed to look like small screws, dental implants require a surgical procedure in which they are placed into your jawbone. Integrating with the bone, they mimic natural tooth roots to deliver supreme foundational support for your new smile. Whether it is a crown, bridge, or denture that you need, Dr. William L. Farr, Dr. William Z. Farr, or Dr. Dalia Thweib can deliver a strong and sturdy restoration that completes your smile and offers improved daily use.
The 4-Step Dental Implant Process
Since dental implants are complex, the process of getting them often spans several months. Still, please rest assured; these posts are worth the extended time and effort! Rocky River Dental performs the whole implant treatment in-house to ensure the best possible results. With our expert dentists overseeing everything, you can trust your restored smile will be stunning! After all, they’ll handle the consultation, implant surgery, osseointegration, and delivery of the final restoration.
Initial Dental Implant Consultation
At the start of the implant process, you'll consult with our expert dentists. This talk lets us learn about your implant goals, oral health background, and other key factors. Using that feedback, we’ll determine whether dental implants suit you and tailor your final treatment.
There’s no need to worry if you don’t qualify for dental implants at first. In reality, preliminary dental work – gum disease therapy, tooth extractions, etc. – can make you a good treatment candidate later. Such care would strengthen your mouth enough to handle implant posts.
Dental Implant Surgery
If the consultation goes well, you’ll proceed to dental implant surgery. Our office will handle this phase of treatment without referring you to outside specialists. That way, you (and your smile) will benefit from our team’s extensive experience and expertise!
You should expect the following from dental implant surgery:
- Anesthesia – Before surgery starts, our dentists will numb your mouth with anesthesia. This step ensures placement work is painless; it won’t cause any aches or pains.
- Minor Incisions – We’ll make an incision in your gums after the anesthesia “kicks in.” In doing so, we’ll make room for your final implant post.
- Implant Placement – Our team will precisely place your implant post(s) with advanced tools and methods.
- Gum Closure – After the placement, we’ll close your gum incision quickly and safely. Our dentists will then set a cap over your new implant.
Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment
Not long after surgery, your dental implant will start fusing with surrounding bone tissue. This process of “osseointegration” lasts 4-6 months and helps your post take root in your jaw. Put another way, it makes your new “tooth” a permanent part of your mouth.
You’ll undergo an additional surgery after your implant fuses. More specifically, we’ll place an abutment – a metal connector – on your implant post. Lab workers will craft your final restoration while you recover from the placement of this abutment.
Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s)
You’ll receive your final restoration at the end of treatment. That said, the prosthetic you get will depend on how many teeth you lost. This device could be a single dental crown, a dental bridge, or even an implant denture.
Fitting your restoration shouldn’t take long. Once we have it, we’ll apply dental cement to your abutment, set the device, and make some final adjustments. You’ll be ready to enjoy your restored smile once it’s clear that your complete implant fits well!
Benefits of Dental Implants
- Optimal Durability – Dental implants are placed within the jawbone, so they will not cause teeth to slide out of place or slip.
- Long Lifespan – If they’re properly maintained, dental implants can remain in place for a lifetime.
- Bone Preservations – Tooth loss is known to cause bone resorption, but dental implants can restore bone density and keep it strong and supportive for new teeth.
- Normal Use of Teeth – Your bite force will improve, and you’ll enjoy being able to eat and speak without fear of slurring your words or accidental slippage while eating.
Sinus Lifts
A sinus lift is an advanced dental implant treatment that is often required when these prosthetics are to be placed in the upper arch but lack the jawbone density to support implant posts. Our team can perform these services in-house and regularly accepts referrals from other dentists in the area when patients need them before receiving dental implants.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants
Dental implants represent a long-term investment in your health, confidence, and quality of life, and, with dental restorations as with everything else, you can expect to get what you pay for. The process of placing these devices is entirely customized at each of its stages, so the overall cost of a dental implant can vary significantly from one patient to another. Dental implants offer a host of benefits that traditional restorations cannot match, and their lengthy lifespan can make them the most cost-effective way to replace your teeth in the long run. Here’s a brief guide to how dental implants are priced at Rocky River Dental, but please contact our office if you would like to know more.
Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery
You may need preliminary treatments such as gum disease therapy, tooth extractions, or bone grafting before receiving dental implants, and these procedures will contribute to the overall cost of your restoration. Thankfully, these treatments are often covered partially by dental insurance.
The cost of dental implant placement surgery will be determined by a variety of factors such as where the restoration is placed and the type of anesthesia or sedation treatment administered. We are equipped to perform the entire implant placement process in-house so you won’t have to worry about seeing an outside specialist who uses a different pricing structure.
The Parts of Your Dental Implant
The cost of your dental implant will also be influenced by its parts. A few factors to consider include:
- The number of dental implants placed: A single tooth can be replaced with a single implant, but larger restorations such as dentures and bridges may require two to six. Each individual implant will be noted on your bill.
- Type of restoration: Larger restorations such as bridges and dentures are more expensive than smaller ones such as crowns.
- Size: Depending on where the implant is placed in the jawbone, it may need to be longer or shorter. Longer implants are more expensive.
- Material: Some patients may benefit more from implants made from zirconia instead of titanium, and these materials are priced differently.
- Brand: Many companies manufacture dental implant components, and different brands come at different price points. Please contact us if you’d like to learn more about brand-specific benefits.
How Dental Implants Can Save You Money
While traditional dentures and bridges may seem cheaper at first glance, it’s important to consider the lifespan of your chosen restoration. Traditional dentures and dental bridges must be replaced every few years, and, since these restorations are not cheap, the cost of new appliances can add up significantly over the decades. With excellent care, your dental implants may be able to last as long as a lifetime, which makes them a one-time investment that can pay large dividends over time. Dental implants are also easy to clean and harmless to neighboring teeth, which can also save you vast sums of money that would be spent on restorative dental care.
Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?
While dental insurance plans typically do not cover implants, they may cover preliminary procedures such as gum disease therapy. We’ll be happy to help you navigate the details of your policy during your consultation so you can know exactly what it will pay for before you commit to the treatment.
Making Dental Implants Affordable
To help make dental implants affordable to the greatest number of people possible, we partner with CareCredit to offer our patients flexible financing options. These payment plans break your bill down into small monthly payments that are easy to manage, and they often involve little to no interest. We’ll be happy to walk you through your payment and financing options during your consultation.
Dental Implant FAQs
How Long Do Dental Implants Last?
Today’s dental implants can often last for 30+ years, which is several times longer than traditional bridges and dentures. But ultimately, their lifespan greatly depends on your individual health and lifestyle.
To ensure that yours have the best odds of survival, be sure to brush, floss, and rinse your mouth with mouthwash daily. Furthermore, be sure to attend all your regular dental check-ups and cleanings, even if you have no remaining natural teeth.
Avoid chewing anything too hard or sticky and never use them to open packaging or bite fingernails. Smoking and tobacco use has also been linked to dental implant failure.
Can I Take Dental Implants Out?
No, because dental implants are fixed in the bone, they cannot be removed except for by a dental professional. Never attempt to remove your dental implants yourself!
There are some types of implant dentures that can be removed for cleaning; however, the implant post itself cannot come out.
How Successful Are Dental Implants?
When placed by a skilled dental professional, your dental implants can have a success rate of over 95 percent even after 10 years!
However, this depends on how well you take care of them with proper oral hygiene, routine dental check-ups, a healthy diet, and avoiding tobacco products.
Your implant success can also vary based on the location of the implant within your mouth. For example, molars receive more strain from chewing than front teeth, so they may be more likely to fail.
What Can Cause Dental Implants to Fail?
Though it is uncommon, dental implant failure typically occurs for one of two reasons: peri-implantitis, or failed osseointegration.
Peri-implantitis is a form of gum disease that develops from poor oral hygiene and can damage the bone and gums supporting your dental implant, causing it to loosen.
In other cases, the dental implant may fail to integrate with your jawbone, particularly if you had low jawbone density to begin with.
Other causes of dental implant failure may include chronic teeth grinding, tobacco use, poor oral hygiene, certain medications, radiation to the head and neck, and certain health conditions like diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, and autoimmune disorders.
Your dentist will provide you with a list of guidelines for minimizing your risk of dental implant failure to ensure that your new smile has the best odds possible!
