Dental Implants Califon
Sturdy, Lifelike Replacement Teeth
Since dental implants are the only form of tooth replacement that can mimic your missing tooth roots, they can offer all kinds of benefits that can’t be matched by traditional bridges and dentures. At Califon Dental Arts, Dr. O’Connell can personally handle the process of placing dental implants in Califon, and he can even perform an All-on-4 procedure to replace all of your missing teeth with just four implant posts. Reach out today to schedule a dental implant consultation with our team.
Why Choose Califon Dental Arts for Dental Implants?
- Dental Implants Placed and Restored In-Office
- Dentist with Extensive Training
- State-of-the-Art Technology
What Are Dental Implants?
The main parts of a dental implant are the post, the abutment, and the final restoration. The screw-shaped post is surgically inserted into the jaw; once it has fused with the bone via a process known as osseointegration, it can act as an artificial tooth root. The abutment is a connector piece that is attached to the implant post once your mouth has healed. The final restoration will be designed to match the appearance of your natural teeth, and it will be anchored to the implant post via the abutment.
The 4 Step Dental Implant Process
Unlike traditional tooth replacements like dentures and dental bridges, the process of getting dental implants looks a little different. It requires a unique, multi-step process that spans several months. Although this may seem like a long time, most patients feel that the benefits of treatment are well worth the wait.
At Califon Dental Arts, we’re proud to complete the entire dental implant treatment process right here in our office, instead of needing to refer you out to a specialist. Dr. O’Connell has been rebuilding smiles with dental implants for years and is pleased to be able to offer this life-changing treatment to his patients.
While every patient’s treatment will look slightly different, there are four main stages you can expect: the consultation, surgery, osseointegration, and of course the delivery of your final restoration!
Initial Dental Implant Consultation
At your dental implant consultations, Dr. O’Connell will review your oral health and medical history to ensure that you’re a good candidate for treatment. If necessary, he will work with you to complete any preliminary treatments such as gum disease therapy or bone grafting. Then, we can move on to planning the rest of your treatment. Our team will walk you step-by-step through what you can expect to happen next, including the timeline and cost of your dental implant treatment.
Dental Implant Surgery
At Califon Dental Arts, Dr. O’Connell is proud to place your dental implants right here in house. This means you don’t need to travel from location to location and submit forms repeatedly to get care.
At your surgical procedure, Dr. O’Connell will numb your mouth, make an incision in the gums, and place the implant posts in your jawbone. Then he will close your gums and place protective caps on the posts.
Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment Placement
Osseointegration is the process of your dental implant permanently fusing with your jawbone. This step is essential for your dental implant to be successful. To give your prosthetics their best chance for survival, you’ll want to follow Dr. O’Connell’s aftercare instructions as closely as possible to avoid dental implant failure. Once your mouth has healed, you will return to Califon Dental Arts to have your implant abutments placed on top of the implant posts. As you heal from this procedure over the next few weeks, your final restorations will be crafted from the impressions taken of your mouth during your initial consultation.
Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations
For the final step in your dental implant journey, you’ll return to Califon Dental Arts to have your restorations placed. This could be in the form of crowns, a bridge, or a denture, depending on how many teeth you’re replacing. At this time, we’ll check to ensure that your bite is comfortable, and you’ll be ready to share your newly rebuilt smile with the world!
Benefits of Dental Implants
Dental implants continue to gain popularity, with an estimated 500,000 placed annually. Unlike dentures and dental bridges, dental implants are surgically placed directly into your jawbone, providing unique advantages over alternatives.
Continue reading to learn more about several of the benefits of choosing to rebuild your smile with dental implants to help inform your decision!
Day-to-Day Benefits
Gaps in your grin can detract from your daily quality of life in a few different ways. For instance, you might feel self-conscious about the changes to your appearance, or struggle to eat or speak normally.
Fortunately, Dr. O’Connell and the rest of our team in Califon can provide quality dental implants that can help in the following ways:
- Restoring your bite force. These replacement teeth tend to be stronger and more resilient than other options, returning up to 80% of your original bite force so you can enjoy most of your favorite foods.
- Improving your enunciation. They’re unlikely to slip out of place, making it easier for you to overcome any changes to your speech caused by missing teeth, such as a lisp or slur.
- Boosting your confidence. They’re capped with a lifelike prosthetic designed to match your natural enamel for beautiful, seamless results.
Health Benefits
Dental implants can help improve your appearance to enhance your self-esteem, but that’s not all they do! These restorations also provide several advantages that can help maintain your oral and overall well-being by:
- Preserving your jawbone. The support rod of your implant stimulates new bone generation in your jaw with each bite down to keep it active, preventing the process of degeneration that typically follows tooth loss.
- Preventing oral issues. Because they function as sturdy, standalone structures, they don’t rely on a firm bond with your gum tissues or enamel to remain in place, helping to avoid sores, decay, and disease.
- Encouraging positive dental hygiene. This treatment is easier to maintain with your usual dental hygiene routine of brushing and flossing twice daily, combined with routine checkups and cleanings with Dr. O’Connell every six months.
Long-Term Benefits
Dentures and dental bridges tend to wear down after about 5 to 15 years, and tend to require periodic relining, repairs, or replacement. Meanwhile, dental implants fuse with your jawbone to become a more permanent part of your mouth, allowing you to enjoy these long-term benefits:
- High success rate. This procedure has an incredibly high success rate of over 90% when performed by a qualified professional like Dr. O’Connell, making complications or failure unlikely.
- Protect your facial structure. Preserving your jawbone can potentially help prevent additional tooth loss, sunken-looking cheekbones, and additional facial wrinkles.
- Save money over time. Because they tend to be stronger and more resilient than the alternatives, you may not have to invest in as many costly fixes. Plus, there’s no need to regularly purchase additional accessories or supplies, like special brushes, soaking solutions, cleaning pastes, or adhesives.
Who Dental Implants Can Help
Whether you’re missing all of your molars, you don’t have any of your natural teeth left, or you are only missing one of your front teeth, we have good news: dental implants can help. In fact, this state-of-the-art tooth-replacement solution can help patients at all different stages of tooth loss! So, if you are struggling with an incomplete smile, don’t hesitate to schedule a consultation with us. You can also read on to learn more, including the different types of dental implants we offer.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?
During your consultation with our dental implant dentist in Califon, Dr. O’Connell, he will determine:
- If your jawbone is strong enough to support dental implants
- If your gums are free of infection
- If any remaining teeth you have are healthy
- If you’re committed to healthy habits, like flossing daily
- If you’re willing to break bad habits, like smoking
Then, he can determine if you’re a good candidate for dental implants and, if you are, help you decide which type is best for you.
Missing One Tooth
With dental implants, we can restore both the root and crown of a missing tooth. The first step is surgically inserting the implant into your jawbone. Then, after the two have fused together, we can secure a dental crown in place with an abutment. Since the size, shape, and shade of the restoration are custom-made, the final result will look and feel extremely natural.
Missing Multiple Teeth
The first option is replacing each tooth with a single dental implant. That can sometimes be costly, which is why many patients opt for an implant bridge or partial implant denture. In this case, we secure two or more dental implants in position and place the custom restoration on top. One of the best parts of this tooth-replacement solution is that it stimulates your jawbone, preserving it and your youthful face shape in the process.
Missing All Teeth
Although traditional dentures continue to be a tried-and-true solution, they can slip out of place, which can be embarrassing at times. Fortunately, there’s another option: implant dentures. Securing your restoration to several strategically placed dental implants leads to increased stability and durability. Not only that, but yours can last for well over a decade with proper care and maintenance.