If you have missing teeth, you’re perfectly aware of the multitude of problems they can cause. Eating can become uncomfortable, speaking can feel awkward, and they always make you extremely self-conscious in social situations. Unfortunately, these day-to-day problems can eventually develop into significant oral health issues. People with missing teeth tend to suffer from bone deterioration and gum recession, both of which can lead to even more tooth loss!
However, you can now get the most natural-looking and longest lasting replacement solution available in dentistry today: dental implants. They have been used for decades to give people their complete smiles back, and you can get the entire treatment right here at D&G Dental.
Why Choose D&G Dental for Dental Implants?
- All-inclusive implant care: placement & restoration performed in-house
- Custom-made restorations for every patient
- Placement provided by in-house specialist: Dr. Ghobadi
What Are Dental Implants?
The reason dental implants are considered the “gold standard” for tooth replacement is that they do what no other restorative procedure can: give you back your entire tooth from root to crown. Most other treatments only serve to recreate the tooth above the gum line, but dental implants take it a step further.
Your new tooth root will be a small titanium post that is surgically placed directly into your jawline. This not only provides an extremely sturdy base for your tooth, but it also gives your jaw the essential support it needs to maintain its shape and strength over time. This root can then be attached to a variety of dental restorations that can restore a single tooth, multiple teeth, or even an entire mouthful of teeth. Basically, if you have gaps in your smile, dental implants can fill them better than anything else. The end result will always be a strong, healthy, and beautiful smile.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Patients who choose dental implants to bring back their smile will enjoy a number of unique benefits they simply won’t get with other, more traditional treatments:
Strength: Most other restorative treatments (crowns, bridges, and dentures) are held in place with just natural suction, small metal clasps, or even your own damaged teeth! With dental implants, titanium makes sure that once you have your new teeth placed, they won’t be going anywhere.
Style: The restorations used to replace the visible part of your teeth will be primarily made of dental porcelain. This material has the strength and durability of natural enamel, and it can even be sculpted to perfectly mimic a tooth’s shape, size, and color. The only person who will know it’s not a real tooth is you!
Versatility: Dental implants can replace a single tooth, multiple teeth, and even an entire mouthful of teeth. No matter which restoration you get, you’ll receive all of the long term medical and cosmetic benefits they have to offer.
Longevity: Because dental implants support your jaw just like your natural teeth, they will help maintain its shape and strength for decades to come, giving you sustained oral health throughout your life. Plus, the implants themselves can easily last for 30 years or more, meaning that for many patients, they are the last replacement procedure they’ll ever need.
Indications for Dental Implants
At a consultation with one of our dentists, they can help you decide which of the following restorative options is best for your particular needs:
Missing a Single Tooth
A custom-made, all-porcelain crown will be placed onto the implant root using a tiny screw called an abutment. It will be shaped to perfectly fit with your other teeth and specially shaded to blend seamlessly with the rest of your smile.
Missing Multiple Teeth
An implant-retained bridge is ideal for replacing multiple consecutive missing teeth. It is much more stable than its traditional counterpart because it is held in place with titanium, and it also preserves more of your natural teeth. This is because the teeth surrounding the missing ones don’t have to be filed down to hold supporting crowns.
Implant-Retained Partial Denture
This can be used to restore missing teeth throughout the entire mouth. They provide the same restorative benefits of traditional dentures with the added support of dental implants. Many dentists completely avoid using traditional partial dentures because they are often uncomfortable and put pressure on the remaining teeth. With this implant-retained model, they are held in place with the new roots and fit easily into your smile.
Missing All of Your Teeth
For this, we can use multiple implant posts to support an implant-retained denture. These prosthetics have innumerable benefits over traditional dentures. Thanks to the implant posts, they never slip, pop, or click unexpectedly. Also, because they help keep your jaw and gums healthy, the fit will last for much, much longer. Plus, the stability allows for a much stronger bite force, meaning patients will be able to eat foods they had to avoid while wearing normal dentures. This is often their greatest benefit because traditional denture patients often become malnourished because they have to avoid hearty/healthy foods
Start to Finish Convenience
We’re happy to say we can perform the entire dental implant procedure right here at D&G Dental. Other offices will need to refer you to an outside specialist for the first phase of treatment, but we’d rather bring the specialist to you! This helps the entire process go faster and ensures a much better result. Once we have decided that you are a good candidate for dental implants (more information about this in the FAQ), the process involves 3 main phases:
Placement: This is a minor surgical procedure where Dr. Ghobadi will make a small incision in your gums and place the implant post(s) directly into your jawbone. Before this, he will take a variety of scans and x-rays using a cone beam scanner to make a surgical plan customized to your exact needs and wants. Most patients only need local anesthesia for the procedure to be virtually painless, and Dr. Ghobadi is also a specialist in IV sedation if you need it.
Healing: Afterward, you’ll be given 4-6 months for your gums and jaw to heal. The actual recovery from the procedure only takes about a week, so this period of time is mostly to let the new posts naturally bond to the surrounding bone. This is a process called osseointegration, and it’s just another way dental implants make sure your new teeth will be permanent. While you are healing, you’ll wear a temporary restoration so that you’ll never be without teeth.
Restoration: At your final appointment, one of our doctors will place your final restoration, and then your new smile is ready for the world! We always love seeing the expression on patients’ faces when they look at themselves in the mirror for the first time.
Laser-Guided Dental Implants
When performing implant surgery, we want to be as precise as possible, which is why we always use a laser-guided system during the procedure. This enables us to find the perfect place within the jawbone for the new teeth while also avoiding sensitive nerves that could lead to pain afterward. It takes all the guesswork out and practically makes the procedure successful even before it begins! With this technology, we can adjust an implant’s position down to the millimeter to give a patient’s new smile the perfect foundation.
Dr. Med Dawoud
Dr. Med Dawoud is a graduate of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and has been practicing in the West Orange area since 2012. In addition to attending prestigious academic institutions, he has continued to seek out training and education for the latest advancements in implant dentistry. He currently has Fellowship status with the International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI), and he is one of the most well-respected authorities in the state when it comes to rebuilding smiles.
Dr. Ghobadi is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon who specializes in dental implant placement. In fact, he is currently the Chief of Implant Dentistry at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center. He has been dedicated to implant dentistry since his student days, which is why in 2004 he won the Dental Implant Student Award given by the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. In 2011, he received another award for his contributions to implant dentistry from MIS, the most advanced manufacturer and supplier of dental implant products in the world today.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants
The cost of a dental implant procedure can vary quite a bit from patient to patient depending on their specific needs, such as how many teeth they are missing, where they are located in the mouth, and what kind of restoration they want. The need for preparatory procedures and sedation can also make the treatment more or less expensive.
While dental implant restorations do tend to cost more than other traditional options, they are actually the best long-term investment. Regular bridges and dentures typically last only 7-10 years before they need to be completely replaced, while dental implants can easily last for 30 or more. That means, with implants, a patient will literally save thousands in retreatment over the course of their life, not to mention countless hours spent in the dental chair!
When you come in for your initial consultation, your doctor will look for 3 main things: stable overall health, decent oral health, and enough jawbone to support the implants. If you have any issues with your health, they will need to be addressed before you get dental implants. As for the jaw, if it is too thin or brittle to support the posts (which can be the case for patients who have been missing teeth for a long time), you may need to undergo a bone graft to make it strong enough before placement.
How long does it take to get dental implants?
This can vary greatly from person to person. Many people can complete the entire process in less than 6 months, while more complicated cases can often take over a year. Your doctor will be able to map out your particular treatment plan at your first appointment so you can get a better idea of your particular timeline.
How long can dental implants last?
One of the best parts about dental implants is that you can take care of them just like your real teeth. With regular brushing, flossing, and routine checkups at D&G Dental, your implants can easily last for 30 years or more.
How much does a dental implant cost?
No two patients will have the exact same dental implant experience, so the final cost will be based on 3 defining factors:
- How many implant posts you need
- What kind of restoration you want
- If you have any insurance coverage/financing