Dental implants are the most effective method of replacing missing teeth and stabilizing loose dentures. If you dread the idea of attempting to speak or eat while your dentures slip and slide around or despise the idea of eating nothing but soft foods for the rest of your life, then dental implants may well be your answer.
Even a single missing tooth can make getting dental implants extremely important. Lost teeth can negatively impact your confidence and appearance, but that’s not the only reason for concern. A single missing tooth threatens all the teeth around it.
Missing teeth impact everything!
A single missing tooth is all it takes to begin weakening your jawbone. As the jawbone starts to erode you start to speak differently. Your facial shape begins to change. And other teeth begin to grow loose and can ultimately fall out as the jawbone grows too eroded to hold the roots in place.
In fact, as soon as you lose a single tooth you stand a good chance of losing up to 25% of your jaw within a single year. During this time, it becomes harder and harder to place a dental implant.
So don’t wait! Head those negative consequences off at the pass by making a dental implant consultation appointment today.
Dental implants provide significant advantages over dentures and bridges, including:
- Preventative. They can prevent the bone loss and gum recession that often occurs with bridgework and dentures.
- Cost Effective. Since one tooth is replaced instead of the several necessary to install a bridge, dental implants can actually cost less than traditional bridgework.
- Conservative. Unlike traditional bridges, adjacent teeth are not needed to support the implant. This means that the adjacent teeth do not have to be ground down to support crowns like they do for conventional bridges. Your own natural teeth are not compromised.
- Comfortable. Dental implants function very similar to your natural teeth and are comfortable and stable. This eliminates some of the key problems of dentures including poor fit, gum irritation and pain from nerve compression.
- Reliable. Dental implants are highly predictable – there are no embarrassing prosthetics that slip or cause speech impediments.
- Cosmetically Esthetic. Implant supported crowns look and feel like your own natural teeth.
- Preservative. Missing teeth cause bone shrinkage, which can result in a receding jaw line and change in facial structure. Dental implants help prevent deterioration of the jawbone so the patient’s face retains its natural shape and appearance.
What to Expect During Your Initial Consultation
Initially, we will evaluate you to determine whether or not you are a good candidate for implant therapy. We will also evaluate you to determine whether you need additional therapy such as bone grafts to compensate for bone and gum loss.
The evaluation consists of a consultation with a doctor and an implant coordinator here at Revitalize Dental Implants. We will discuss treatment options and associated fees. We’ll also discuss financial options such as insurance coverage and payment plans.
We want you to walk away from your consultation with a complete understanding of all of your treatment options. That way, you can make an informed decision about the treatment option that’s right for you!
Best of all, you’re not just meeting with one doctor. You’re meeting with an entire team of professionals, including an oral surgeon, a general dentist, and our specialists at the dental lab.
Keep in mind that the dental implant process may require anywhere from two to five visits to complete. Usually it takes at least three: the initial consultation, the visit in which we insert the titanium implant and the visit where we give you your permanent crown.
Will implants hurt?
We want to reassure you that we’re prepared to offer several anesthesia options which should render the procedure relatively painless.
What if I don’t have a general dentist?
We’ll evaluate you. Then, we’ll refer you to one! We enjoy working with a vast network of excellent general dentists both in Edmond and in the surrounding areas. We can find one that will work for you.
