Dental Implants FAQs
- Q: What is a Dental Implant?
A: A dental implant is a substitute tooth root made of titanium that allows a person to return to a fixed tooth.
- Q: Why a single tooth implant?
A: A dental implant is by far the superior aesthetic result which feels and looks like a natural tooth. Placement of an implant does NOT require cutting down healthy adjacent teeth, as a bridge does. Requires regular brushing, flossing, and dental hygiene appointments only – NO special attention.
Click here to download our brochure on replacing a missing tooth.
- Q: Why an implant retained denture?
A: An implant retained denture stops the deterioration of your natural facial structures. The implants preserve and stimulate the bone thus halting the resorption that occurs in areas where natural teeth are lost.
Allowing only 10% or less chewing power, conventional dentures will limit you to a soft food diet. With removing several foods you can no longer chew from your diet, you also eliminate many nutritional food items one needs for dietary health. An implant retained denture has proven to help in regaining up to 90% of your chewing ability. In comparison of chewing ability, conventional dentures offer a life of eating foods like scrambled eggs to a life of enjoying a steak dinner.
- Q: Is it expensive?
A: Most people assume that dental implant treatment is more expensive than other methods of tooth replacement. In reality, dental implants are more cost effective. The basic reason for the cost differential is due to the fact that other treatments require extensive repairs, replacements, and procedures to preserve the integrity of facial structures.
- Q: What will my insurance pay?
A: Although portions of the implant procedure may be covered, the implant itself is not always. However, we have recently experienced an increase in coverage due to the fact that dental implants are designed to last a lifetime. We will send pre-authorization information into your insurance and provide payments options.
- Q: Is there discomfort involved?
- Q: How long does it take to complete treatment?
- Q: Is there a chance of rejection?
A: Failure of an implant is often attributed to the failure of the bone fusing together properly with the implant. Factors that may cause this failure include but are not limited to:
- Insufficient bone
- Infection
- Undue forces or pressure on the implant that disrupt the integration process
- Certain medical issues of the patient
- Poor dental hygiene
While this may seem like a long list, please remember that serious problems are rare and success rates are 95+.
- Q: Should I plan to be off work?
- Q: What will happen without treatment?
A: When you lose a tooth, you gradually lose the bone that supported that tooth. As this bone disappears, problems with other teeth can increase. This progression raises the risk of possibility of not being able to provide the same, simple type of treatment that would have been possible if started earlier. However, in cases where bone loss has occurred, modern bone graft materials and surgical techniques can often rebuild missing bone.
- Q: Who is a candidate for implants?
A: Anyone who is missing one or more (even all) of their teeth may be a candidate for dental implants. If one or a few of the teeth are missing, dental implants in conjunction with a crown or bridge can replace those teeth and function as normal teeth without losing more bone and being subject to decay. If all or most of your teeth are missing, then implants may be placed to anchor a loose denture. Sometimes, if there is already some bone loss, bone can be added and regenerated or a technique called bone expansion can be used to create a more ideal site for the implant(s). More detailed information and images are available from the treatment menu. Ultimately, a consultation with a dentist who is knowledgable on these procedures can help determine your individual needs.
For more information, please visit, The Dental Implant Guide,
Treatment Options
- Q: Am I too old to have implants?
- Q: How do I choose a dentist?
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