Holistic Guide to Dental Implants: Procedures, Purpose & Benefits

Interested in getting dental implants, but not sure what to expect from the process? At Lakeshore Dental Specialists, we’re here to help! Led by Dr. Whitney Weiner, our dental team specializes in restoring missing teeth with dental implants. So in this guide to dental implants from Lakeshore Dental Specialists, we’ll provide you with an overview of everything you need to know. 

We’ll start with the basics about dental implants and restorations. Then, we’ll discuss the benefits of implant dentistry, provide a step-by-step overview of the treatment process, and finish up by answering some of the most common FAQs our patients have about dental implants in Eastpointe, MI. Let’s get into it!

Understanding Dental Implants: Artificial Roots For New Teeth

Dental implants are small, screw-shaped pieces of titanium. They are surgically placed into the gums and jawbone in the area where you’ve lost a tooth. Once they're in place, dental implants heal and bond to the bone tissue. This locks them in place, essentially turning the implant into a natural part of your mouth.

Then, once the implant heals, it can be used as an artificial tooth root. One implant can be used to support one tooth (dental crown), or multiple dental implants can be used to support a dental bridge or a set of implant-supported dentures.

Types Of Dental Implants – Understanding Your Options

Once you get your dental implants, the next step is to attach a false tooth or teeth to them and restore your smile. There are lots of different types of dental implant restorations that you can choose from:

• Single-tooth implants – These are the most common type of dental implant restoration, and involve placing a single crown on a dental implant to replace one missing tooth.
• Implant bridges – Implant bridges work similarly to traditional bridges. But rather than being held in place by natural teeth, it is attached to two dental implants. This makes them a great choice for replacing a row of several missing teeth.
• Removable implant dentures – Also called “snap-in” dentures, these restorations attach to a set of 4-6 dental implants. They are similar to traditional dentures and are removable, but offer superior stability and comfort.

• Fixed All-On-4 dentures – All-On-4 is a treatment that uses a set of four implants to support a full lower or upper arch of teeth. Unlike snap-in dentures, All-On-4 dentures are permanently fixed in place and can only be removed by a dentist, so they're more similar to natural teeth.

The Benefits Of Replacing Teeth With Dental Implants

Natural look and feel

Unlike alternative tooth replacement options, dental implants actually bond with your natural jawbone and gum tissue. This means they look and feel just like natural teeth. Eventually, you may even forget that you have implants at all!

Unbeatable stability

Dental implants are much more stable than full and partial dentures. They do not move or shift when you bite, chew, smile, talk, laugh, or sneeze. This means that you can eat your favorite foods, speak with confidence, laugh at jokes, and live your daily life without any worries about your teeth moving around.

Long lifespan

With proper care, dental implants can easily last 30+ years. In fact, many patients are able to keep their implants for the rest of their lives. This means that dental implants are a fantastic long-term investment in your oral health.

Requires minimal care

Single-tooth implants require no special care at all. You can brush and floss them just like natural teeth. Care for dental implant bridges, snap-in dentures, and All-On-4 is a bit more complicated, but is still quite simple once you get used to the process.

Preserves jawbone health

Unlike other tooth replacement options, dental implants prevent your jawbone from weakening after tooth loss. This is because implants stimulate the underlying bone when you chew and bite. This keeps the tissue strong and healthy, and prevents changes to your facial structure and appearance, too.

The Dental Implant Process – What To Expect

Not sure what to expect from the dental implant process? It takes multiple visits to Lakeshore Dental Specialists to get dental implants, with a total time period of between 5-8 months for most patients. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of what you can expect from the implant process from start to finish.

• Initial consultation – First, you’ll meet with one of the dentists at Lakeshore Dental Specialists for a consultation. Your dentist will review your dental records, perform an oral exam, and take digital X-rays and scans of your mouth to determine if you’re a good candidate for dental implants.
  
  
• Implant placement surgery – When it’s time for your implant surgery, your dentist will start by cleaning and numbing your mouth. We also offer a variety of sedation options for your comfort, including IV sedation. Once your mouth is numb, your dentist will create a small opening in your gums and jawbone. They will place an implant precisely into the area where your missing tooth used to be, then clean the area and suture it to ensure proper healing. This process will be repeated if you’re getting multiple implants.
  
  
• Healing and osseointegration – Next, you’ll be sent home to heal and recover from surgery. Your dentist will provide you with comprehensive instructions that you’ll need to follow as you heal. This minimizes the risk of complications.
  
  Initial healing from your surgery will take 2-4 weeks, but it will take between 3-6 months for your jaw bone to fully heal around the implants. During this time, you’ll come in for occasional checkups so that your dentist can make sure you’re healing properly. During these visits, your dentist will also start designing your implant restoration, such as a crown, bridge, or set of snap-in dentures.

• Abutment placement – Once your mouth is healed, you’ll come in for a quick visit with your dentist. They will expose your implants and then attach abutments to them. This abutment is a small piece of metal that allows your crown, bridge, or dentures to attach to the fully-healed implant.
  
  
• Final implant restoration – Once your abutments are in place and have healed, you’ll come in for one last visit with your dentist at Lakeshore Dental Specialists. We will check your implant restoration to make sure it fits perfectly, then attach it to your implant(s). You’ll be sent home with a beautiful and natural smile, as well as instructions on how to care for your new teeth.

Answering Your FAQs About Dental Implant

Still have questions about dental implant and how it work? Here are answers to some of the most common FAQs that patients have about implant dentistry:

• What would disqualify me from getting implants? If you currently have oral health issues like gum disease, tooth decay, or infected teeth, you will not be able to get dental implants until these are resolved. Your jawbone must also be healthy enough to accommodate an implant. If it isn’t, you may be able to get bone grafting to strengthen it, but this adds more time and costs to the procedure.
• How many implants can I get at once? Dentists will usually be able to place anywhere from 2-8 dental implants into your mouth at once. Thanks to treatment advances like All-On-4, eight implants may be enough to restore an entire mouth of missing teeth in just one visit to Lakeshore Dental Specialists.

• Do dental implants have any drawbacks? The primary drawback of dental implants is the cost. They are usually more expensive than alternatives like dental bridges and dentures, which may be a consideration if you're on a tight budget. To help ease the financial burden, we work with Sunbit to offer flexible financing options, making it easier to fit dental implants into your budget. And despite their higher initial cost, dental implants have a much longer lifespan than alternative tooth replacements, making them a great long-term investment.
  
  
• Can dental implants fail? Dental implant failures are very uncommon and are typically caused by complications during the healing process, such as peri-implantitis (an infection of the gums around the implant). Overall, dental implants are highly successful, with a success rate of about 97% after ten years.

See If Dental Implants Are Right For You – Contact Us Today!

If you’re interested in getting dental implants in Eastpointe, MI, the team at Lakeshore Dental Specialists is here to help. Led by Dr. Whitney Weiner, our team of dentists specializes in implant dentistry, including advanced treatments like All-On-4. Give us a call at (586) 238-3199 to learn more, or contact us online to book your first consultation and see if dental implants are right for you.

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