Dental Implants Justin

What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants refer to small rods made from biocompatible materials like titanium that are surgically placed into a patient’s jawbone. These posts are capable of fusing with the surrounding bone tissue, meaning that they can replace the missing roots of lost teeth – which is something that traditional options like dentures or bridges cannot do. Once this fusion has occurred, a custom-made dental restoration can be attached on top to replace the visible portions of the teeth. However, these restorations aren’t just for sure; thanks to the support from the implant posts, these new teeth are durable, functional, and can serve a patient well for life under the right circumstances.

The 4 Step Dental Implant Process

Unlike with traditional tooth replacement options such as dental bridges and dentures, getting dental implants requires a unique, four-step process that spans several months. Although this may seem like a long time, you’ll likely find that it’s well worth the investment. At ForestLeaf Dental of Justin, we’re proud to complete the entire dental implant treatment right here in our office instead of ngeeding to refer you to an outside specialist. Although each patient’s treatment journey will look slightly different, you can expect the same four main steps along the way. These include the consultation, surgery, osseointegration, and the delivery of your final restoration.

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

At your initial consultation, Dr. Zhang will review your oral health and medical history to ensure that you are a good candidate for treatment. If necessary, she will work with you to complete preliminary procedures such as gum disease therapy, tooth extractions, or bone grafting. Once completed, we can move on to planning the rest of your dental implant treatment. We’ll walk you through, step-by-step, what you can expect, including the timeline and total cost.

Dental Implant Surgery

At ForestLeaf Dental of Justin, Dr. Zhang is proud to complete your entire treatment in house. This means you needn’t worry about traveling from office to office,  getting comfortable with new specialists and staff, or paying multiple doctors.

Once you arrive for surgery, Dr. Zhang will numb your mouth and ensure you are comfortable. Then, she will make an incision in your gums, place the implant posts in your jawbone, close your gums, and place protective caps over the posts.

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment Placement

Osseointegration is the stage where your dental implant permanently fuses with the jawbone. This is essential for the success of your new smile. Typically, this process takes anywhere from four to six months, depending on the patient.

Once osseointegration is complete, you will return to the office to have another small surgery where Dr. Zhang will place the dental implant abutments on top of the posts. As you heal over the next few weeks, your final restorations will be crafted from the impressions taken of your mouth.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations 

Finally, you’ll return to the office once more to have your restorations placed. These may be in the form of single crowns, bridges, or dentures, depending on how many teeth you’re replacing. At this time, Dr. Zhang will check to make sure your bite is comfortable, and you’ll be free to go enjoy your beautiful new smile!

Benefits of Dental Implants

When you receive dental implants, you aren’t just receiving a new set of durable, natural-looking teeth; you’re receiving a noticeable boost to your overall quality of life. Dental implants have so many benefits to offer, including:

• They can replace any number of lost teeth in terms of look, feel, and functionality.
• Unlike traditional restorations, dental implants have the potential to last for decades or even a lifetime with proper care.
• Dental implants don’t require any sort of special maintenance or cleaning solutions.
• They can restore a patient’s bite force to a level similar to what it was prior to tooth loss.