Dental Implants Salmon Creek

What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants work as a practical and efficient solution for tooth loss. They consist of artificial teeth that are secured directly into the jawbone, creating a strong foundation that is similar to the one provided by natural teeth. The entire process includes the use of implant posts made from biocompatible materials such as titanium, which fuse to your jawbone in a process known as osseointegration. This results in durable and robust support for your new teeth – a key aspect that contributes to the high success rate of dental implant treatment.

The 4-Step Dental Implant Process

During the dental implant process, our team will guide you through each step, from consultation and evaluation to implant placement surgery and restoration. Discover how we can help restore your smile today by reviewing the following information or calling us if you have any questions.

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

You will meet with Dr. Kelly for an initial consultation and evaluation. We will assess your oral health to confirm the procedure’s feasibility. This assessment includes screening for gum disease and tooth decay and examining jawbone density.

If necessary, procedures like bone grafting can be suggested to establish a robust base for the implants. At this stage, we will also discuss various treatment options and devise an in-depth plan that is tailor-made just for you.

Dental Implant Placement Surgery

Dr. Kelly will perform your dental implant placement surgery, so no referral to an outside specialist is required. He will provide local anesthesia to ensure your comfort during the process before inserting titanium implant posts into your jawbone to form the foundation for your new artificial teeth. When finished, he will close up the gum tissues before placing a protective healing cap over each post.

Osseointegration/ Abutment

After the surgery, your body will heal and form a strong foundation around the implant posts through a process known as osseointegration. It can take 4-6 months for this to occur, so it’s important that you adhere to the guidelines provided by our team when you return home to recover. This is important for the long-term success and stability of your new teeth.

Our dental team will closely monitor your healing progress to make sure everything is going well. Once you are fully healed, we will proceed with the application of your metal abutments, which will help hold your new restoration in place.

Delivery of Finalized Restoration

Once you are healed after receiving your metal abutments, you will return to our dental office and have your finalized restoration attached. This will be crafted with the help of a digital impression taken early on of your smile. Depending on how many teeth were replaced, you may receive either a dental crown, bridge, or denture that looks and acts just like your natural teeth.

Benefits of Dental Implants

Dental implants provide many unique benefits that cannot be enjoyed when choosing other tooth replacement solutions. Not only are they a permanent solution to tooth loss, but they also create a strong foundation for artificial teeth, which feel, function, and look just like natural teeth. Other benefits include:

• Being able to enjoy food without hesitation.
• Being able to smile confidently, enhancing your overall quality of life.
• A surgical procedure that helps maintain oral health in the long run.
• Unlike other treatment options such as bridges or dentures that require reducing other teeth, implants don’t need adjacent teeth for support.
• Greater stability and bone loss prevention because of the fusing of implants and bone tissues, resulting in improved stimulation and a lower risk of facial sagging.

Why Choose Us for Dental Implants?

We are the trusted choice for dental implants because of our expertise and commitment to quality care. Our skilled implant dentist has extensive experience in performing successful implant surgeries, ensuring that you receive the best possible treatment.

We understand each patient is unique, which is why:

• We take the time to create personalized treatment plans tailored to your specific needs.
• You can expect exceptional results and a comfortable experience from start to finish.
• We use state-of-the-art technology and techniques to ensure precise implant placement and natural-looking results.
• Our focus remains on maintaining good oral health throughout the entire process, ensuring optimal healing and long-term success.
• You can trust us to deliver superior dental implant services because of our dedication to providing high-quality care.

Dental Implant Failure & Salvage

Dental implants are successful in the vast majority of cases, so you do not need to fret that something might go wrong with your treatment. Still, it is important to acknowledge that, in rare circumstances, dental implant failure can occur, potentially due to an infection, injury, or underlying medical condition. If you ever suspect that is happening to you, call our team right away. We will evaluate the situation and provide guidance on your next steps. We want to get the health of your implants and your smile back on track ASAP!

Learn More About Dental Implant Failure & Salvage

Maintaining & Caring for Your Dental Implants

Although dental implants are known for their resilience, it’s essential to care for them correctly to continue making the most of their unique advantages. The procedure is typically incredibly successful, but if you develop a disease or damage your implants, they could fail.

Continue reading to learn more about a few simple precautions you can take to help preserve your restorations, and feel free to contact our office with any additional questions.

Make Oral Hygiene a Priority

These replacement teeth aren’t made from the same organic materials as the ones you’re born with, but that doesn’t mean that you no longer need to worry about your oral health. Bacteria in your mouth can potentially penetrate the implant site and cause an infection, such as peri-implantitis, the leading cause of failure.

You can prevent this by brushing and flossing twice daily to remove plaque buildup that contributes to different concerns, such as tooth decay or gum disease, that can harm your restoration.

Eat a Healthy Diet

Your dental implant will eventually fuse with your jawbone to become a more permanent part of your mouth, so you don’t have to worry that it will become destabilized or dislodged during meals. That means you can enjoy most of your favorite foods without harming them.

However, eating overly hard or sticky foods can potentially push or yank your new tooth out of place, or chip or crack the tooth-shaped restoration covering it, and should be avoided.

Break Bad Habits

You can also support your new teeth by breaking any less-than-ideal habits you have that could hurt them. For instance, people who smoke cigarettes or vapes, or who chew tobacco, are significantly more likely to experience implant failure because the nicotine entering your system suppresses your immune system.

Also, if you tend to open packages or boxes with your teeth, you can preserve their condition by taking a few moments to locate a more appropriate tool for the job, such as a pair of scissors, letter opener, or box cutter.

Protect Your Dental Implants

Athletes and others who participate in close-contact activities are at a higher risk of sustaining an injury that destabilizes, damages, or dislodges their teeth. Also, if you suffer from bruxism (teeth grinding), you might crack or chip your implant.

Dr. Kelly can provide a custom-fitted oral appliance, such as a nightguard or mouthguard, that provides a layer of cushion around your arches to shield them from the pressure of a blow to the face or subconscious clenching.

Schedule Regular Dental Checkups

You can also safeguard your smile by scheduling a routine checkup and cleaning with our team in Vancouver every six months. This allows him to monitor your condition so that he can catch and treat any areas of concern before they become more problematic.