Dental Implants: The Better Treatment Option

At Lakeshore Family Dentistry, we believe in helping our patients achieve a strong, healthy smile so that they can live comfortably, and without the pain of tooth decay, the inconvenience of dentures, or the embarrassment of an unattractive smile. For many of our patients, that smile often comes in the form of dental implants.

What Are Dental Implants?

In a nutshell, dental implants are a safe alternative to crowns, dental bridges or dentures. They’re a tooth replacement, but are favored above all other options, because they look and feel just like your natural teeth. This is due to the fact that they don’t just sit on your exposed gum line, as dentures do, but rather, they “anchor” into the jawbone to take the place of your missing tooth root. Better yet, the jawbone and titanium root (for that’s what the artificial root is made of) go through a process called “osseointegration” once introduced to one another—meaning, the titanium actually fuses to the jawbone, becoming a part of you, essentially. A cap is then secured to the titanium root. This new tooth looks, feels and performs just like a natural tooth would.

What Are the Benefits?

Dental implants offer a number of benefits, outside of aesthetic reasons (though aesthetics is the number one benefit for many of our patients). Aside from cosmetic reasons though, dental implants…

1.    Maintain Anatomy: If you have missing teeth, your jaw bone will begin to shrink over time, causing your jaw line to recede and your facial structure to change drastically. Dental implants stop the deterioration of the jawbone completely, helping your face retain its natural shape.

2.    Keep Your Teeth Healthy: A lot of tooth-replacement options, like dentures and fixed bridges, are bad for the gums, the surrounding teeth or both. Dental implants do not compromise any of your natural teeth.

3.    Security: The great thing about dental implants is that they don’t slip or move or become ill-fitting. This eliminates common problems like gum irritation and pain from exposed nerves.

What Does the Dental Implant Process Involve?

At our office, what the process involves all depends on your particular situation. The typical implant process involves several steps and takes place over a period of 4-9 months. The process includes:

·      Initial Consultation: During this pretreatment consultation, we’ll evaluate your medical and dental history, and determine if dental implants are right for you.

·      Initial Implant Placement: We’ll place the implant in your jaw and then wait for the bone to fuse to the implant over the next couple of months.

·      Implant Prosthetic Attachment: During this phase, we’ll painlessly attach a prosthetic “post” to the implant. Then we’ll take an impression and have an artificial replacement tooth created for a natural restoration.

·      Proper Care and Maintenance: We’ll teach you how to properly care for your implants so that they’ll last you a lifetime.

Same Day Implants

You may have heard of ClearChoice, the same day dental implant option. Lakeshore Family Dentistry, we offer same day implants as well, except in the comfort and convenience of your very own White Bear Lake dental office. While this process also include an initial consultation and exam before the placement process begins, same day implants allow us to place the titanium root, the post AND the artificial tooth all on the same day, so that you don’t have to go 4-9 months with a temporary bridge or crown.

The Implants-In-A-Day Process Involves:

·      Removal of the existing tooth or root;

·      Simultaneous placement of the implant;

·      Subsequent placement of the new tooth.

The implants-in-a-day process takes several hours of your time—oftentimes up to 8 hours—so it’s important that you set aside a whole day to get the procedure done.

Implants—whether you opt for the traditional implants or implants-in-a-day—are the better tooth replacement option. If you decide implants are right for you, you can use them for everything from single tooth replacement to complete upper or lower tooth replacement.

The Natural Solution for Confident Living

Dental implants can improve your appearance, boost your confidence and help you live your life comfortably and in great health. They look natural, feel natural and provide the same security as natural teeth.

Our team at Lakeshore Family Dentistry is happy to help you determine if dental implants are right for you. To set up your consultation today, visit us at http://www.lakeshorefamilydentist.com/appointment.html or give us a call at 651-429-3348 today.