What are dental implants?
Dental implant surgery is the best way to replace one or more missing teeth and restore your appearance & confidence. They also restore your ability to speak and eat naturally.
Their unbeatable strength, durability, and longevity comes from a structure that closely mimics natural teeth in three parts.
- A metal anchor called an implant post acts as the root of your new tooth. The post is made from specialized material (usually titanium or ceramic) that will fuse with the surrounding bone, which is what gives implants their superior function.
- A specialized piece called an abutment creates the connection between the implant post and the replacement teeth.
- The restoration or prosthesis replaces the visible top portion of the teeth. This can be an individual dental crown, dental bridge, or complete denture. Your implant will hold your replacement tooth comfortably in place so you can eat all your favorite foods again.
Dental implants can improve your quality of life, your comfort and your confidence. They can also improve your dental health, preventing bone loss from missing teeth, and restoring facial structure.
Whatever your smile needs, every phase of your dental implant surgery and restorations will be tailored to your unique needs so your new smile will look and feel completely natural to you.
What to expect with dental implant surgery
Curious about how dental implant surgery works? Here’s a step-by-step look at what to expect when you get dental implants.
Step 1: Your Comprehensive Dental Implants Consultation
Our implant dentists will evaluate your needs and anatomy to determine whether implants are right for you. If you have multiple teeth missing or severely damaged teeth that can’t be saved, you may also be interested in a few implant alternatives, like a bridge or partial denture.
No matter the best method of treatment for you, the result will be natural looking teeth, a beautiful smile and restored comfort and function.
We’ll perform a thorough oral health examination, take detailed diagnostic scans, and determine if you’re a good candidate for dental implant surgery. If so, we’ll create a personalized treatment plan just for you. We’ll answer all your questions and explain the entire process, so you feel comfortable and informed.
Step 2: Planning Your Dental Implant Surgery
Dental implant treatment procedures can vary depending on your unique needs. During your consultation with our team, we will let you know exactly what to expect during your dental implant procedure and what to expect during recovery. We’ll also determine which sedation option is best to make the whole process as easy as possible.
From there, we’ll plan every aspect of your procedure using the most advanced diagnostic equipment and surgical techniques.
In some cases, you may need other procedures to prepare you for implants. That may mean tooth extractions to remove unsalvageable teeth or bone grafts to rebuild lost bone volume.
We’ll go over all of this in advance so you know exactly what to expect.
Step 3: Placing Your Implant Posts
Dental implant scans can take place in our Red Bluff or Redding offices, but the dental implant procedure happens in our Redding office.
The process of getting dental implants happens in two parts for most patients.
The first part of the dental implant procedure is having a metal implant post placed in your jaw bone. You’ll rest comfortably through every phase of your dental implant surgery with the right sedation dentistry option for your needs. Our safe and effective pain control and anxiety reduction treatments will make your treatment as stress-free as possible.
For full tooth replacement with implant-supported dentures or full mouth dental implants, we’ll use as few as four to six implant posts in strategic sites at exact angles to the jaw to withstand heavy chewing forces.
In some cases, we can place your dental implant posts in the same appointment when we remove damaged teeth. In others, we’ll make a small incision in the gums to access the underlying bone and place your implant post.
We may place a lightweight restoration right away, or cover the post while you heal.
Step 4: Healing and Final Scans
Titanium dental implants mimic the function of a natural root to hold the tooth in place, which makes chewing and speaking easier and more natural. This will support your eventual replacement tooth, but needs time – 3 to 6 months – to heal and bond with the jaw bone.
Once your implants have healed, you’ll return to your implant dentist to have them tested so we can be sure they’re as strong as possible. Then we’ll update your scans and finalize your restorations.
Step 5: Celebrate Your New Smile for Life!
The second part of dental implant surgery is having the replacement tooth or dental implant crown attached to the implant. The artificial tooth (implant crown, bridge, or denture) will be created just for you to perfectly match your smile, and will be able to look, feel and function like a natural tooth.
Afterward, you can walk out of our office confident in your new, beautiful smile, and the ability to laugh, talk and eat normally again.
We’ll also get you set up with regular appointments to monitor your oral health and protect your implants so you can love your smile for life.
Who can benefit from dental implants
Dental implants may be a viable option for people who are experiencing:
- Tooth loss- one or more missing teeth
- Broken teeth
- Advanced cases of tooth decay where extraction is the best option
- Patients who are experiencing discomfort with their current denture, partial denture, or bridges that do not currently use implant technology
Those who have insufficient bone or other health conditions may not be suitable candidates for dental implants. It’s important to discuss your entire medical history with our team while we’re considering your candidacy for dental implants to help ensure that no complications arise.
How to care for dental implants
It’s just as important to care for your dental implants as it is your natural teeth.
To ensure your dental implants last as long as possible, follow these simple dental implant care instructions:
- Brush twice every day for at least two minutes per day with a soft toothbrush. If possible, use a high-quality electric toothbrush. Choose an angle-necked or other toothbrush that allows you to clean under and around your dental implants.
- Floss at least once per day. If you have a dental implant bridge, you may need floss threaders or specially designed crown and bridge floss to thoroughly clean under and around dental implants. Our team will give you full instructions on how to floss your new teeth.
- Using a water flosser instead of or in addition to traditional floss can help prevent peri implantitis – inflammation of the gum and bone structure around implants. Water flossers sweep debris and bacteria out from under fixed prostheses like full mouth dental implants, which can make it hard to clean between your permanent bridge and your gums.
- Only use low abrasive toothpaste without ingredients like baking soda or charcoal, which can damage the glaze from your restorations and dull their shine.
- Keep up with regular maintenance visits so we can maintain the health of your gums, prevent peri-implantitis (an inflammatory disease that can lead to implant failure), and monitor the health of your jawbone.
With these simple steps, you can enjoy your rejuvenated smile for life without needing to worry about uncomfortable adhesives, constant visits to your dentist for adjustments like relines, or the expense of replacing your prosthesis every few years.
Take back control of your oral health with dental implants in Redding and Red Bluff!
At Moore and Pascarella, we want to help you put your best smile forward. We offer happy, healthy, family dentistry in Redding and Red Bluff, and we specialize in a wide variety of dental services. If you think you’re a candidate for dental implants or want to know more, reach out to us today to schedule a consultation.
