Dental implants are human-made replacements for the root of a tooth. If a patient has broken or missing teeth due to injury, periodontal disease, decay, or congenital defects, a dental implant can replace a single tooth, several teeth, or the entire upper or lower jawline.
The dental implant procedure involves the placement of permanent, prosthetic teeth that look and function like the real thing. The implant procedure is designed to be painless and provide a smile that lasts a lifetime. When placed by an experienced team of dental implant professionals at Galveston Dental, the procedure is one of the safest and most successful in dental and cosmetic practices.
Why Do People Need Dental Implants?
- To replace missing teeth: People experience tooth loss for many reasons. Some of these reasons include decay, gum (periodontal) disease, anodontia, medications, chemotherapy, drugs, or injury. Many who experience tooth loss choose to replace the lost or decaying teeth with dental implants.
- For eating: Being able to bite and chew through a variety of foods is necessary for consuming essential vitamins and nutrients. While dentures only restore up to 25% of original bite strength, dental implants often restore 80-100% of a patient’s original bite strength after the healing period.
- For self-confidence: Those with lacking or unsightly teeth often face anxiety in social situations and experience greater isolation as a result. Strong and natural-looking teeth often help a person regain confidence to socialize.
- To reinforce the structure of the jawbone: When a tooth is lost, the integrity of the jawbone underneath it is compromised. The neighboring teeth then begin to slowly drift. This also causes gradual degradation of the jawbone, which in turn causes facial deformity. When a lost tooth is replaced with an implant, the integrity of the jaw is maintained.
What Are the Different Types of Dental Implant Cases?
- Conventional: In standard cases, dental implants are embedded within the jawbone. Conventional dental implants can be a single tooth, bridge, or a full arch.
- Single: Individual implants can be placed for the replacement of one tooth, such as a missing molar or anterior (front tooth). After the implant is placed, a short healing period is needed before a final crown can be fitted on top.
- Bridge: A bridge fixes a crown or crowns over the area of a missing tooth or teeth. A bridge can be supported by implants or healthy teeth at each end.
- Full Arch: In many cases, a patient will choose to have a full set of upper or lower teeth replaced with what is known as a “Full Arch.” Arches are full sets of prosthetic teeth fixed onto four or more implants.
- Zygomatic: In cases of severe bone loss, zygomatic dental implants are embedded into the cheekbone (zygoma). Zygomatic implants are different from conventional implants in the method of embedding and the length of the implant. This method is used to replace the teeth in the upper jaw.
How They Work
- Dental implants are posts placed into the jaw where the tooth root used to be located.
- Implants are made of strong titanium metal.
- The posts fuse with the bone in the jaw and serve as a strong anchor to attach a replacement tooth (or replacement teeth if multiple are needed).
- An abutment (connector) is screwed into the implant to support the new crown (artificial tooth).
- The crown is designed to be strong and natural-looking.
The DIOnavi Difference
The DIOnavi EcoDigital Implant Procedure is what makes us different from other dental offices that place implants. We have partnered with a dental technology company called DIOnavi to provide our patients with an implant that offers the most comfort and the fastest turnaround. With our collaboration with DIOnavi, our patients can start their treatment as soon as they receive their consultation.
The entire implant process includes an initial consultation where our team will answer any and all questions you or a loved one have about the implants. At that same appointment, we can take a scan to begin creating the digital impression for implants, or we can schedule a separate visit for the scan. The subsequent appointment will be for placing the implant. Expect to have a post-operation visit a week or two after the implant is placed. During the post-operation visit, we will scan the healing abutment for the crown. The crown will take 3-8 weeks to fabricate. Then the crown will be placed.
Our partnership with DIOnavi enables us to give our patients a premier dental experience. With the DIOnavi procedure, data is collected from the patient’s intra-oral scans. That data is then used to create a:
- Precise, intelligence-driven procedure plan
- Personalized procedure guide to ensure precise implant placement
- Personalized replacement tooth (or teeth) designed to look and function like a natural tooth
With the personalized, minimally invasive DIOnavi EcoDigital Implant Procedure, there is no surgical incision, and recovery is quick without the complications that come with an incision-based procedure. Conventional implant techniques require a surgical incision, and recovery time can be slow and painful due to swelling and risk of infection.
Dental implants are the permanent, ideal solution for tooth loss and decay. Those who favor dentures often do so for the lower cost, yet pay the price of discomfort and occasional slippage, leading to embarrassment or slurred speech. Quality dental implants placed by an experienced surgeon and properly maintained have a 98% success rate to never become loose.
Additionally, implants reinforce the jaw structure as natural teeth do. Dentures add no reinforcement to the jawbone and allow for continued deterioration, leading to warping of the lower region of the face. Before and after photos of dental implant patients often show an improvement in jaw structure.
The DIOnavi EcoDigital Implant Procedure is the clear choice for fast, comfortable tooth replacements. If you have missing teeth, permanent dental implants can be an excellent option to fill those spaces. Implants are more comfortable than dentures, partials, or bridges and can last a lifetime.
You can easily schedule an appointment with us on our contact page. Please call our office in Richmond, TX at 281 238 4454.