With the right dental care, your teeth are designed to last for a lifetime. Unfortunately, even with the best preventive services, they can become damaged or injured over the years. When a tooth has become severely compromised, it may require a dental crown to rehabilitate its health; however, sometimes that may not be enough to save it from needing to be extracted. If tooth loss has occurred, you need an effective solution to replace it. At Advanced Dental Treatment Center, we offer the treatments you need to restore your oral health. In addition to natural-looking crowns, we can help you regain a complete smile with dental implants in Greenfield.
Dental implants are prosthetic tooth replacements that are designed to mimic the tooth in just about every way possible, not just in looks, but functionality as well. That means all the basic tasks we take for granted when teeth are lost, including chewing, speaking, and smiling, can be fully restored. The reason dentists often recommend them as a solution for replacing teeth is due to their longevity, making them a worthwhile investment both for your oral health and quality of life. Chances are if you’re missing teeth, you’re likely eligible to receive this modern and ground-breaking treatment.
After tooth loss, dental implants are a wonderful investment in your oral health that can last a lifetime. The procedure is usually done in multiple phases that are spread out over 3-6 months and provide a big payoff: A beautifully restored smile that looks and feels like your own. And, although the process takes time, our patients are often surprised at how much easier it is than they expected.
Our first step is making sure we understand your needs and goals so we can create the absolute best treatment plan for your smile. Then we’ll use state-of-the-art cone beam technology to take 3D images that help us evaluate your teeth and jaws. We’ll also assess your overall health as well as your gums to ensure the long-term success of your implants.
Finally, we’ll answer any questions you have and discuss any treatment you may need beforehand, such as a bone graft procedure, extractions, or gum therapy. This allows us to give you a tailored estimate of your cost and a more specific timeline of how long your treatment will take.
Here at Advanced Dental Treatment Center, Dr. Farr and Dr. Carini provide outstanding care through every part of the implant process, from the initial surgery to the final restoration.
The surgery itself usually takes 1-2 hours per implant, and we’ll begin by ensuring that you're completely numb and comfortable. Then we’ll place a surgical-grade titanium post in your jaw that takes the place of a missing root. Oftentimes, our patients say this is more comfortable than having a tooth removed!
Next, we’ll give you instructions for how to care for the area during the initial healing that takes place over the next several days.
Dental implants provide unmatched strength and stability due to a process called osseointegration in which they fuse with the surrounding jawbone. In most cases, this takes between 3-6 months, during which we’ll put a “healing cap” over the area so you can eat, drink, and function normally.
Then you’ll return so we can attach an abutment to the implant, which is a type of adaptor that connects it to its dental restoration. Depending on your needs, this restoration might be an implant crown, bridge or denture.
Restoring an implant simply refers to completing it with a prosthetic tooth so you can eat, speak, and smile comfortably. The procedure is similar to a restoration for a natural tooth and will be precisely matched in size, shape, and color to the rest of your smile. One of our experienced dentists will make sure that your final result feels incredibly natural and also looks great as well. If you’ve been interested in dental implants and have any other questions, or if you’d like to schedule a consultation, don’t hesitate to give us a call!
Since dental implants replace both the roots and the crowns of missing teeth, they’re able to mimic natural pearly whites in virtually every way. This means that they offer many important benefits that other options like dentures and bridges simply can’t! In fact, dental implants are becoming the most-recommended tooth loss solution around the world because of their potential to dramatically improve your quality of life. We’ll be happy to go over all the ways dental implants can change your life personally during your consultation, but in the meantime, here are some of the best benefits our patients love about this modern tooth replacement.
Dental implants remain the most versatile method of tooth replacement solely because of the number of teeth they are capable of replacing at any given time. Whether you want to replace a single tooth or replace an old denture that simply doesn’t meet your needs anymore, dental implants can get the job done quite effectively. Of course, our team will need to first evaluate your smile and confirm your needs before we can begin planning your procedure.
Generally, if you suffer from tooth loss and have good oral health, you are a candidate for the treatment. However, to ensure its long-term success, your dentist will need to go over your medical and lifestyle history to eliminate potential factors that may hinder your body’s ability to heal or fight infections. In addition, you must be committed to practicing good oral hygiene at home while also maintaining your regular dental appointments.
Once we’ve ensured you’re a good candidate for dental implants, we’ll help you get started in the early planning stages of your procedure.
A single implant post is placed into the jawbone to support the dental crown. Over the next several months, it will begin to integrate with your bone tissue to create a lasting bond. Once an abutment and ceramic crown are placed on top, your replacement tooth will blend in seamlessly with your remaining teeth for a flawless smile. No one but you and our office will even know you had the procedure completed (that is, unless you tell them!)
As an alternative to a traditional dental bridge, several missing teeth can be replaced with dental implants. To replace a few consecutive missing teeth in a row, two dental implant posts can support a bridge to fill the gap. Keep in mind that unlike traditional bridges, implant bridges do not require the removal of existing tooth enamel just to keep them stable. This means you can maintain more of your teeth’s natural structure throughout the tooth replacement process.
To replace several nonconsecutive teeth, dental implant posts can be used to anchor a partial denture in place. Additionally, when complete tooth loss has occurred on an arch, they can be replaced with the use of dental implants. A gum-colored base is made to feature the replacement teeth. Instead of using suction or an adhesive to hold the arch in place, an average of four to six dental implant posts are used for maximum stability.
Our office is also happy to offer the All-on-4 procedure, a treatment that enables you to restore an entire arch of teeth using just four dental implants. These posts are strategically placed throughout the jaw in order to provide lasting stability for the denture. Because of the nature of this procedure, you can actually receive your new restoration the same day the implants are placed.
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Before beginning an extensive dentistry service like dental implant tooth replacement, it’s essential that you take the time to consider every aspect of your dental care plan. That includes budgeting for the out of pocket costs of dental care. The Advanced Dental Treatment Center team will help you plan for the cost of treatment to fit your budget. It all begins with a tooth replacement consultation in our state-of-the-art Greenfield dentistry practice. During your consultation, we’ll walk you through every step of the dental implant tooth replacement process, provide accurate estimates for the out of pocket costs, and help you plan your budget accordingly. If you’re ready to get started with your dental implant treatment plan, call our team today.
The vast majority of the price of your implant tooth replacement plan is the cost of the dental implant itself. An individual dental implant post can cost $500 to $3000 or more in some cases. Luckily, most manufacturers offer discounts on additional implant posts, and when your implants are placed on the same day, you are less likely to have additional surgical costs.
In addition to the cost of dental implants and their surgical placement, the following factors can also potentially impact the price of your tooth replacement plan:
Unfortunately, most dental insurance providers do not yet cover the cost of dental implants, but the other parts of your dental implant plan may receive some coverage. Our team will carefully review your policy and help you to maximize any available benefits to offset the costs of your tooth replacement plan.
Some ways we can help patients fit the cost of care into their budgets include:
Dental implants can last for more than three decades or even the rest of your life. However, it’s crucial that you take all of the proper steps to care for them. If you aren’t taking the time to protect your dental implants from becoming damaged, they could end up failing and needing to be replaced with a new implant or another tooth replacement option. Fortunately, with a few simple precautions, you can keep your implants healthy and enjoy their benefits for numerous years down the road.
Dental implants aren’t able to get cavities themselves, but you still need to practice excellent oral hygiene. In addition to keeping your surrounding teeth in good shape, sticking to a great dental hygiene routine can prevent other dental problems, like gum disease, that can cause your implants to fail. Remember to brush, floss, and rinse with mouthwash each day.
One of the many benefits of dental implants is that you won’t need to deal with any eating restrictions. You can easily enjoy a nutritious meal without struggling to chew. Just remember that having too many items that are hard, sticky, or sugary can be problematic. Eat foods that have plenty of calcium and vitamin C to keep your jawbone and gums in good shape.
Bad habits can cause your dental implants to fail over time. Refrain from smoking or using tobacco products immediately after your procedure, as they can slow down healing and increase your risk of developing an infection. Don’t use your teeth as tools either, as you could accidentally end up damaging your dental implant or a surrounding tooth. Instead, find scissors, a bottle opener, or another tool that can help you complete your task safely.
As strong as your dental implants are, they aren’t indestructible. You should always wear a mouthguard to protect your dental implants and natural teeth when participating in sports. If you grind your teeth at night, ask about a nightguard to protect your implants from additional wear and tear.
You should always attend your regular cleanings and checkups every six months. This way, we can monitor your dental implants and spot any issues as early as possible. By catching potential problems now, you can prevent them from becoming more serious and leading to additional consequences, like a dental implant failure.
Tooth loss can have a serious impact on your wellbeing and oral health. With countless restorative options at your fingertips, it can be difficult to decide which one is the best choice for you. Luckily for you, when you visit Advanced Dental Treatment Center, our caring and compassionate team of experts will walk you through every step of each treatment solution to make sure that you’re well-informed. For your convenience, we’ve included some common questions we get about dental implants below.
When you visit Dr. Farr for your consultation, he’ll take images of your teeth and facial structure to determine whether you need any preparatory procedures. These can include:
Because dental implants need to naturally fuse with your jawbone to be successful, it’s important that your oral health is in good shape before the procedure begins. That means taking care of any possible risk factors, allowing you to enjoy your new smile for decades to come.
If you’ve been missing your teeth for a while but still want to get dental implants, there’s no need to fret. The roots of your teeth are connected to your jawbone and provide it with stimulation throughout your life. When they fall out or get knocked out, your bone is no longer going to be getting the proper blood flow to it, causing it to slowly deteriorate.
Dental implants require proper bone mass to successfully integrate with the jawbone. However, the situation is usually nothing that a bone graft can’t handle. So, even if you don’t have a dense enough jaw at the moment, you can still be a good candidate for implants.
Consultations are required to get the implant process moving. They play a vital role in reducing any risk of complications or implant failure and allow Dr. Farr to strategically plan the treatment for quality and long-lasting results. Plus, it’s a great time to get any questions that you may have answered!