Dental Implant Restorations

Choose Implants For Replacement Teeth That Look & Feel Natural
Dr. Luzar Restores Your Smile With Dental Implant Restorations In Rancho Mirage

Dental implants are considered by modern dentistry to be the best approach to replacing natural teeth after decay, accidents, disease, or extractions. A dentist surgically implants a post in your jaw, and after the site is healed, screws on the crown to create an artificial tooth that looks and functions like a natural tooth without having to add a denture or partial.

The technology was developed in the 1960’s by a team of Swedish researchers. who discovered that bone can bond with titanium, a concept known as “osseointegration.” The process was commercialized by 1978, and with four years, their research reported a 91% success rate in lower jaw over 15 years. The success rate skyrocketed to 96%

The type of implants used by most practitioners are root-form implants, which means that the post functions as an artificial tooth root which substitutes for a natural root and provides support for the artificial replacements for the natural teeth that were removed. The resulting tooth looks like an original one, plus can facilitate normal biting and chewing. The implanted root even stimulates the bone so it stays in place.

Advantages Of Implants

Implants offer several advantages over traditional bridges and crowns.

• Having replacement teeth that look, feel and function like natural teeth improves the overall quality of life since you can bite, chew, and talk normally.
• With implants, the mouth is restored closely as possible to its natural state where nothing looks or feels artificial.
• The smile looks more natural than with bridges or dentures.
• Self-esteem and self-confidence often result from improved appearance, function, comfort, and dental health.
• As implants do not cover the roof of the mouth as dentures do, you can taste food again.
• Since the bone is kept intact, the facial structure will not sink as is common when teeth are missing or replaced with dentures or bridges.
• Adjacent teeth are not compromised to replace missing teeth as they are not damaged when implants are installed nor do they require clasps like partial dentures.
• Caring for an implant-supported crown is just like cleaning a natural tooth and does not require the use of a floss threader for proper cleaning as does supported bridge.
• Implants require no messy dental adhesive to hold them in place.
• Unlike dentures, implants will not fall out during laughing, sneezing, or eating since implants bond with bone while crowns are screwed unto the implanted posts for ultimate security.

Are Implants For Everyone?

While some medical conditions, such as uncontrolled diabetes, liver disease, or a severe bleeding disorder may preclude the use of implants, most patients are candidate for implants as long as they sufficient bone to support the implants. Typically, the dentist looks for a minimum of 8mm of vertical height of bone and 6mm of width for a successful implant, but patients with less bone can undergo bone grafting with bone from the lower jaw or from cadavers or bovine.

Age is no barrier to receiving implants. While they are not recommended for children, anyone with a fully developed jaw is a good candidate. There is no upper age limit for implants so long as the patient is in good general health.

Can All Dentist Do Implants?

While a general dentist may take additional training to learn to place implants. most dental implants are placed by oral and maxillofacial surgeons or periodontists. The American Academy of Implant Dentistry even accredits dentists as implantologists. Studies indicate that using the right tools, having experience, and doing implants regularly (50 times a year or more) leads to implant procedures with fewer complications.

Installing Implants

To prepare for the implants, the dentist will take a medical history, do an oral exam of the bone, and perform a radiographic exam that includes a panoramic film and a 3D cone beam to plot the exact placement of the implants. These tests are used to prepare a surgical guide to ensure that the implants are correctly placed.

After the patient is dosed with antibiotics and either local or IV sedation, the dentist makes an incision in the gum where the post will go, pulls back a flap of skin, and drills a hole to receive the implant post \which is screwed into place. If there is not enough bone to bond with the implant, a bone graft is set in place. The skin flap is repositioned and sutured closed. Over a period of four to six months, osseointegration takes place as the implants are undisturbed. A patient can wear full or partial dentures until such time as the implanted posts can be fitted with crowns.

For some patients with an abundant supply of dense bone, the process can be sped up with the TeethExpress process of “immediate load implants.” While osseointegration does not occur before the teeth are installed, the process allows some patients to enjoy a one-step implant process.

Costs Vs. Benefits For Implants

While implants offer the ideal solution for missing teeth, they are a more expensive solution for replacing missing teeth than dentures or bridges. Unfortunately, dental insurance may cover only a small part of the cost which can average from $2,000-3,000 each plus the cost of crowns Though costly, implants fare well if you do a cost benefit analysis. They can last over 20 years while affording benefits enumerated above that few other dental technologies can match.

The actual cost of implant treatment is based on a number of factors, such as the number of teeth being replaced, the type of implant supported teeth (treatment option) recommended, and whether additional procedures are necessary to achieve the proper esthetic and functional result.

When multiple teeth are missing, a dentist can support a span of teeth with a few strategically placed posts rather than with one implant per tooth. Only after a dentist formulates an individual treatment plan for a patient can the total costs be determined.

Most patients find that implants are worth every cent of their out of pocket cost. To help determine if implants are right for you, call Dr. Luzar today at (760) 674-8881.