Dental implants are one of the greatest advancements in dentistry. It offers patients with missing, damaged or compromised teeth to once again enjoy the benefits of a fully functional bite.
In our office, we have seen the demand for dental implants increase dramatically. To make the process more convenient for our patients, we have a surgeon, Dr. Chad Orlich, come into our office to consult and place most of our implants for our patients. We have found this to relationship to be exceptional for our patients and extremely convenient to have the restoring dentist and the implant surgeon in the same office during the planning phase, surgical phase and restoring phase.
What Are Dental Implants?
The implants themselves are small, titanium cylinders that are surgically placed into the jawbone where teeth are missing. These metal anchors act as tooth root substitutes. The bone bonds with the titanium, creating a strong foundation for artificial teeth. After the bone is finished healing around the implants, a titanium post or abutment is secured to the dental implant. The abutment extends from the implant, which is under the gums, through the gums and acts as a stable anchor for the replacement teeth. An implant crown is placed over the anchor and looks and functions like a normal tooth.
Implants also serve to preserve your facial structure by preventing bone deterioration that occurs when teeth are missing.
We recommend our Dental Implant patients briefly watch the following short video found here.
Why Select Dental Implants Over More Traditional Types Of Restorations?
The traditional method for replacing a missing tooth or missing teeth was to fabricate a dental bridge. A dental bridge requires preparing the teeth, on either side of the space, to act as anchors. In many cases, those teeth will develop negative consequences as now those teeth will be bearing their normal chewing forces as well as the forces of the missing teeth.
The Surgical Procedure
For most patients, the placement of dental implants involves two surgical procedures. First, implants are placed within your jawbone. For the first two to six months following surgery, the implants are beneath the surface of the gums where the bone is growing intimately around the implant securing it with the jawbone. You should be able to wear temporary dentures or other temporary appliance and eat a soft diet during this time.
The entire process usually takes two to six months. Most patients experience minimal disruption in their daily life.
Are You A Candidate For Implants?
If you are considering implants, then you will need to have a comprehensive oral exam, necessary radiographic images and a thorough review of your medical and dental history. If the bone in the areas of your mouth is not ideal for implants, ways of improving the outcome, such as bone grafting, may be recommended.
Dr. John & Dr. Lori Babineau have years of experience restoring implants, and they have the skill and knowledge to recognize any potential drawbacks BEFORE you start your case. They will be able to help you understand whether or not you are an good candidate to receive an implant — and what your aesthetic outcome will be using implants as well as other restorative options.
What Type Of Anesthesia Is Used?
The majority of dental implants and bone graft can be performed in our office under local anesthesia, with or without oral sedation.
Do Implants Need Special Care?
Once the implants are in place, they will serve you well for many years if you take care of them and keep your mouth healthy. In fact, dental implants are 90-95% successful! This means practicing good oral hygiene (brushing and flossing) and keeping regular appointments with Drs. John and Lori Babineau will keep your dental implants healthy for a lifetime.
To learn more about your dental implant options, schedule a consultation with Austin cosmetic dentist Dr. John Babineau or Dr. Lori Babineau today!