If you are missing one or more teeth and would like to smile, speak and eat again with comfort and confidence, there is great news! Dental implants are teeth replacements that can look and feel like your own.
A dental implant is an artificial tooth root that is placed into your jaw to hold a crown or bridge. While high-tech in design, dental implants are actually more conservative than traditional bridges, since implants do not rely on other teeth for support.
What dental implants can do for you:
Replaces missing teeth without affecting bordering teeth
Provide support for a bridge or denture
Tooth missing, Implant placed, then the tooth replaced with crown
Advantages of Dental Implants
Esthetic: Implant supported crowns look and feel like your own teeth.
Teeth Saving: Adjacent teeth do not have to be reduced to crowns like they do for conventional bridges.
Confidence: Implants will allow you to eat and speak with confidence.
Reliable: Dental implants are highly predictable.
Am I A Candidate For Implants?
The best candidates for dental implants are free from periodontal diseases and have an adequate amount of bone in the jaw to support the implant. Dr. Packman will be happy to discuss your options.
What Is Treatment Like?
The best results always flow from close teamwork between you, your dentist, and Dr. Packman. Our office will work closely with your dentist to determine where, when and how your implant should be placed. This is critical because the quality of the crown or bridge that your dentist will place on the implant is directly related to the planning that occurs well before the implants are placed. The surgical procedure to insert the implants is relatively minor. It is done in the office under local anesthetic. For the week after surgery, your mouth will be sore but not painful. Medications are always prescribed to make certain you are comfortable.
What is the Follow Up Care needed?
Dental implants require the same daily homecare and professional cleaning that your teeth do. Dr. Packman will probably place you on an alternating cleaning and evaluation schedule between our office and your general dentist. In that way we can continually monitor the health of your teeth and implant and your dentist can make certain that your crowns and bridges are functioning as designed.
How successful is this procedure?
Over thirty years of clinical documentation has proven the success implants, with nearly half a million patients treated.
Are implants always successful?
There is a small possibility that the implant and bone will not attach correctly or that an implant will fail after some period of time. If this happens, the implant can be removed and often replaced by another implant.
Will my new tooth or teeth look natural?
Depending upon your condition, your new tooth or teeth will ideally look, feel and function like your own. Dental implants currently provide some of the finest restorative results in dentistry.
How long will my implant last?
The first implants were put in place 30 years ago and are still functioning. To date, there is no time limit on the life expectancy of successful implants.
How long does the implant procedure take?
The first procedure, placement of the implants, takes approximately 30-45 minutes for each implant. The second procedure to uncover the implants and attach the abutments usually takes an hour or less.
Is the procedure painful?
If you are like most patients, you will experience minimal discomfort during or after the operation. You and Dr. Packman will discuss options for anesthesia and plan your procedure accordingly.
Will there be any swelling after the implant procedure?
This too can vary, but most people experience only minimal swelling. Any that does occur usually ends within one or two days after the procedure.
How long will it take before I receive my replacement tooth or teeth?
The implants are usually be left undisturbed in the jaw for 4 to 6 months for osseointegration to take place. Then the new tooth or teeth can be attached to the implants.
How will the teeth be attached to the implant and what are the steps?
After osseointegrafion has occurred, a minor procedure is performed to expose the top of the implant and attach a small post. Then the new tooth or teeth are custom designed to fit precisely on top of this post.
Will I be able to chew on the implant teeth with the same amount of force and pressure as I do with my natural teeth?
Yes. Studies have shown that chewing efficiency improves significantly after treatment with implants, and following a brief adaptation period, is comparable to the chewing efficiency of natural teeth.
How much will implant treatment cost?
The actual cost of the procedure will depend on the number of implants necessary, the position of implant placement and the type of replacement teeth that will best meet your needs. All in all, dental implants represent a wise investment in overall health and well-being and provide you with substantial long-term benefits.
