Dental Implants Specialist

What are dental implants?

Dental implants are metal posts placed beneath your gums during an outpatient procedure. Over time, they integrate with your jaw, providing a sturdy base for dental restorations like crowns, bridges, or overdentures. 

Dental implants look and function like your natural, permanent teeth. They don’t move around like dentures, are easy to clean and care for, and present few risks or potential complications.

What are the advantages of dental implants?

Dental implants provide an array of advantages, including:

• Convenience
• Durability
• Easier biting and chewing
• Improved oral health
• Improved comfort

Dental implants can also restore structure to your jaw. If you’re missing teeth, the skin around your mouth may wrinkle or sag. Implants help define your jaw, making you appear younger. 

What does getting dental implants involve?

At Esthetic Dental Partners Group, getting dental implants takes a series of three appointments:

First appointment

Before recommending dental implants, your provider conducts an oral exam, takes a series of oral X-rays, and asks about your goals for treatment. If your gums and jaw are healthy and able to support implants, they administer a local anesthetic and place a series of posts beneath your gums.

Following the implant placement procedure, your provider provides recovery instructions. Over a period of 12-16 weeks, the implants integrate with your jaw through a process called osseointegration.

Second appointment

Once the implants fuse to your jaw, you return to the nearest office. Your provider attaches a metal piece, called an abutment, to each implant, and takes a series of digital impressions. They send your impressions to a dental laboratory that uses them to create a custom restoration like crowns, a bridge, or overdentures. 

Third appointment

When the laboratory completes your restorations, you return to the nearest office for your third and final appointment. Your provider attaches your restorations to the implants, restoring your smile as well as your chewing and biting abilities. Afterward, they polish your teeth and provide care instructions.

How do I care for dental implants?

Caring for dental implants is like caring for your natural teeth. The team at Esthetic Partners Dental Group recommends brushing and flossing daily and visiting the nearest location two times a year for an oral exam and professional teeth cleaning.

To prevent damage to your restorations, wear a mouthguard if you play contact sports and avoid bad habits like chewing on ice or opening objects with your teeth.

To see if you’re a candidate for dental implants, make an appointment at Esthetic Partners Dental Group by calling the nearest office to speak with a friendly member of the administrative staff, or by clicking the online booking tool today.