Dental Implants Abilene

What are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are small posts made from biocompatible materials, such as titanium, that are surgically placed into a patient’s jawbone. They’re intended to bond with bone matter in order to support a future restoration. Once the implants have fully fused and the prosthetic is attached, patients will enjoy a greatly restored smile in terms of look, feel, and functionality. Better yet, dental implants are remarkably durable and can last for decades with the right care.

The 4 Step Dental Implant Process

The dental implant process can seem lengthy or even confusing, and each patient’s journey looks a little different. Still, we want to help you get an idea of what to expect. Below, you’ll find an overview of the four basic steps every dental implant patient has to travel. When you reach the end of your treatment and get to enjoy all the benefits that come with dental implants, you’ll find the wait was well worth it!

You’ll also be glad to know that Dr. Jonathan and Dr. Robert Hawley are both prosthodontists (dentists who specialize in tooth replacements). This means we can provide the entire treatment process, from consultation to delivery, in-office. No outside specialists or external referrals required! 

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Initial Dental Implant Consultation

To start your tooth replacement journey, we’ll meet with you for an in-depth consultation. This allows us to address any questions or concerns you may have in person, and also gives us an opportunity to evaluate your oral health. If you have a condition that could harm your dental implants, like gum disease or jawbone deterioration, we’ll be sure to take care of it before proceeding with your treatment.

Dental Implant Surgery

We’ll have to make small incisions in your gums in order to anchor the implant posts to your jawbone. This might sound alarming but rest assured that we’ll effectively numb your mouth with an anesthetic. After Dr. Jonathan and Dr. Robert place your implants, they’ll seal your gums with sutures, then fix a protective cap to your implants.

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment Placement

For the next three to six months, we’ll be patiently waiting for your implant posts to fuse with your jawbone. Dental implants use highly biocompatible materials that encourage bone to grow around them. Also known as osseointegration, this merging process is what makes dental implants so stable and strong.

Once we’re confident that your implant posts and jawbone have effectively merged, we’ll have you come to our office for your abutment placement. This is simply a metal connector piece that will allow Dr. Jonathon and Dr. Robert to attach the crown, bridge, or denture portion of your restoration to your implants.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations

While you’re completing dental implant surgery and osseointegration, our trusty lab technicians will be working with impressions of your teeth to craft the perfect shade and shape for your new restorations. Their artistry and modern technology can make dental implants look incredibly realistic – even the gloss will reflect light the same lifelike way natural teeth do. We’ll finally attach your restorations to your abutments, and when you look in the mirror, you’ll see a flawlessly seamless smile!

Benefits of Dental Implants

Dental implants are the best tooth replacement option out there! Since they replace the roots of the missing teeth, they allow for a wide range of benefits that you can’t achieve with dentures or dental bridges. Here are just some of the incredible advantages that you can experience if you choose dental implants to replace your missing teeth.

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Day-to-Day Benefits

Dental implants look and feel just like natural teeth. You shouldn’t be able to notice much of a difference between them. Here are some of the benefits you can enjoy every day.

• Bite Force: Rooted in your jawbone, dental implants give patients the ability to chew through a wide range of foods for a more enjoyable, nutritious diet.
• Easy Maintenance: All that you need to do is brush and floss your teeth like you normally would. This way, you can keep your dental implants shiny and new.
• Confidence: With dental implants, you can feel confident when smiling, eating, speaking, and laughing.

Health Benefits

In addition to your daily benefits, you will notice benefits to your health. Here are some of the health benefits that you can look forward to.

• Improved Oral Health: Because dental implants replace the lost roots of the missing teeth, they are fully self-supported. They help to prevent future oral health issues related to tooth loss.
• Improved General Health: Having excellent oral health will positively influence your general health. Dental implants can lower your risk of serious health issues, like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
• Prevents Bone Loss: Dental implants are the only tooth replacement solution that preserves your jawbone by stimulating it through biting and chewing.

Long-Term Benefits

When you get dental implants, you are making a long-term investment in your smile. Here are some of the benefits that you can enjoy for many years into the future.

• Long-Lasting: With proper care, patients can enjoy dental implants for a lifetime.
• Successful: Dental implants have an incredible success rate of over 95%. Dental implant failure is highly unlikely.
• Save Money: You don’t need to worry about buying adhesives or soaking solutions when you have dental implants. They also don’t require frequent repairs and replacements. Dental implants also help to reduce your risk of additional health issues, saving you time, discomfort, and money.

Who Dental Implants Can Help

The ideal dental implant candidate needs to meet two main conditions: they must have sufficient jawbone density so that the implants can properly heal, and their mouth needs to be adequately healthy and free of issues like gum disease since compromised oral health can lead to implant failure. Luckily, if a patient is found lacking in either one of these departments, things can be cleared up before the implants are placed.

Missing One Tooth

A single dental implant can be strategically placed between two healthy teeth without disturbing them, and once it’s fused with the jawbone, it can be topped with a custom-made crown. This high-quality restoration will look just like the rest of the natural teeth and can last for decades thanks to the support of the implant.

Missing Multiple Teeth

Dental implants can be used to replace any number of missing teeth, no matter where they’re located within a patient’s mouth. Bridges, partial dentures, or full dentures can all be secured to the implant posts once they’ve fused with the jaw, offering incredible foundational support and leaving any remaining natural teeth alone.

Missing All of Your Teeth

Even patients missing all their teeth can get dental implants to fully restore their smile. We can strategically place multiple implant posts around the mouth that support beautiful, lifelike full dentures. This option offers much more stability than a traditional prosthetic in addition to numerous other benefits such as improved bite force. 

Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants

When it comes to replacing lost teeth, you get what you pay for. Because dental implants are a highly customizable treatment, prices can vary dramatically depending on your individual needs. At 325 Dentistry, we want you to feel confident in your choice to restore your smile with these durable, lifelike prosthetics, so we’ll do our best to ensure that you always know an estimate of the cost of your treatment before we begin. Our team is committed to helping make your treatment as affordable as possible by maximizing your insurance benefits or assisting you in applying for financing through our preferred lenders CareCredit and First Financial Bank.

While it is true that dental implants are more expensive than other options, their benefits are well worth the investment. Because they’re likely to last you a lifetime, they could easily be the most cost-effective option in the long run.

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Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery

Preliminary treatments such as gum disease therapy, tooth extractions, and bone grafting will add to the overall cost of your dental implant treatment. However, while these procedures will add to the price, they are extremely important for maximizing the success of your restored smile.  The good news is that many are partially covered by some dental insurance plans.

Dental implant surgery incurs its own cost, and can be affected by several factors, including where along the arch your dental implant needs to be placed, and which kind of sedation and/or anesthesia is needed.

Because we conveniently provide your entire dental implant treatment right here at 325 Dentistry, you won’t have to worry about working with an outside specialist or surgeon or paying multiple parties for your surgery.

The Parts of Your Dental Implant

There are several factors that affect the cost of your actual dental implant. These include:

• Number of dental implants: One dental implant for one missing tooth will cost less than four to six dental implants for an implant denture; however, an implant denture will be more cost effective than replacing each individual tooth separately.

• Type of restoration: A dental crown, bridge, and denture each cost different amounts. The smaller the restoration, the less expensive it will be.
• Size or material: Some dental implants are made longer or shorter depending on where they will be placed in your jawbone. Furthermore, some dental implants are made from zirconia instead of titanium. Each of these factors will affect their price.
• Brand of dental implant: Much like car brands or cell phone brands, different manufacturers make dental implants differently to respond to the unique needs of patients.

How Dental Implants Pay for Themselves

It’s not uncommon for patients to be tempted to choose more affordable restorations like dentures or dental bridges because of their lower upfront costs. However, the one-time cost of dental implants could realistically be the more cost-effective option in the long run. That’s because with dental implants, you won’t need to pay for replacements every five to ten years like you would with dentures or dental bridges, nor will you need to keep buying special pastes, cleanings solutions, or adhesives to maintain your dental implants.

What’s more, because your dental implants won’t wear down your remaining natural teeth or irritate your gums, they’ll help prevent issues like gum disease, tooth decay, and jawbone deterioration and their associated treatment costs. Studies have even shown that good oral health can help lower your risk of systemic issues and their associated costs, too!

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

Although dental insurance doesn’t typically cover dental implants, there may be some exceptions. At 325 Dentistry, our team will review the details of your dental insurance plan. We have years of experience maximizing insurance benefits and are happy to assist you with this step. Please be aware that some portions of your treatment may be covered such as a percentage of your final restoration or preliminary treatments.

Making Dental Implants Affordable

Although we are not in-network with any dental insurance providers, we are happy to help you file paperwork for PPO insurance on your behalf. Additionally, we are proud to accept payment plans through our preferred third-party financiers, CareCredit and First Financial Bank. These lenders can help break up the cost of your treatment into multiple, low-to-no-interest monthly payments that are better suited to your budget.

At 325 Dentistry, we’re committed to helping restore your smile by making your dental implant treatment as affordable as possible. If you have any questions about any financial aspects of treatment, please call us at your earliest convenience, or schedule a consultation today.

Dental Implant Post-Op Instructions

Now that you’ve had your beautiful new dental implants surgically placed, it’s time for the recovery process to begin. Thankfully, it’s nothing to worry about!  Below, we’ll detail what you can expect moving forward, including what types of symptoms are normal, and what you can do to help your smile heal.

Should you experience any abnormal pain or other strange side effects not covered here, please don’t hesitate to call us for guidance!

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What to Do Directly After Dental Implant Surgery

Immediately following your dental implant surgery, your first priority should be to leave the forming blood clot at your incision site or sites untouched. This will help ensure that your healing happens smoothly. To that end be sure to follow these rules:

• Do not spit; only wipe your mouth with tissues or swallow your saliva.
• Do not use drinking straws. 
• Do not smoke or use tobacco products for at least the first day. 
• Do your best to keep your fingers and tongue away from the surgical site(s).

Common Side-Effects When Recovering from Dental Implant Placement

Following your procedure, some mild side-effects are perfectly normal, especially in the first few days after placement. These may include:

• Intermittent bleeding, which can be lessened with the help of gauze and light pressure. This may continue for several days.
• Swelling over the first 72 hours that may last over a week. Using cold or warm compresses over the area can help. 
• General discomfort. You can take over the counter or prescribed pain medication to alleviate this.

Each of these effects should be temporary and will gradually subside with time. If you ever find that this is not the case, please let us know as soon as possible.

Your Diet After Dental Implant Surgery

In the first few days following your dental implant surgery, we recommend sticking to a soft diet full of non-abrasive foods. Some suggestions include:

• Mashed potatoes 
• Yogurt
• Ice cream
• Pudding
• Soup (warm, not hot)
• Scrambled eggs
• Pasta

You can resume your regular diet as soon as you feel up to it, but we highly recommend limiting your consumption of crunchy or tough foods and avoiding any direct chewing on the implant site or sites.

Post-Op Health & Oral Hygiene

The day after your dental implant surgery, it is okay to begin brushing your teeth as usual. However, be sure to be extremely careful near your surgical sites.

Rinse your mouth two or three times a day (ideally after eating) with salt water and use prescription mouth rinse if you have it. Avoid using any mouthwash that contains high levels of alcohol, such as Scope or Listerine.

What to Do After Your New Teeth Are Attached

The great news is that the hardest part of the dental implant process is already behind you! When your new crown, bridge, or denture is ready to be attached to your dental implant, you may experience some minor, temporary sensitivity in the gum tissue. Thankfully, this is also easy to control with OTC pain medication. There should not be any swelling or bleeding or an extensive recovery at this stage. In fact, you should be ready to show off your new smile the very same day!

Dental Implant FAQs