Dental Implants – Issaquah, WA
The Top Modern Choice for Replacing Teeth
Traditional tooth replacement solutions like dental bridges have their advantages, but they also come with drawbacks. The most notable one is that they can’t do anything about the missing tooth roots that used to stimulate your jawbone and keep it healthy. With dental implants, we can give you a new smile that looks and feels as much like your natural one as possible – complete with new artificial roots! Give us a call today to schedule a dental implant consultation with Dr. Sherman.
Why Choose First Impressions for Dental Implants?
- In-House Dental Implant Surgery
- Lifelike, Long-Lasting Restorations
- CT/Cone Beam Scanner for More Accurate Treatment Planning
What are Dental Implants?
A dental implant is a screw-like post made to be inserted into your jawbone. Once there, it can fuse with the surrounding tissue through a process called osseointegration. Then, we can restore the implant post with a crown or another type of restoration. The implant performs the same function as your tooth root; that includes holding your new tooth in place, providing regular stimulation to the jawbone, and providing the support and strength needed to chew a wide variety of foods.
The 4-Step Dental Implant Process
Compared to dentures or bridges, dental implants take longer to get. In fact, they require a unique, multi-step process that spans several months! That said, these prosthetics’ benefits more than justify the time and effort. First Impressions Dental Care performs treatment in-house, so you’re guaranteed to have excellent results. At our office, there are four steps to how dental implants work: consultation, surgery, osseointegration, and final restoration. Just keep reading to learn more about them, or call our office for details.
Initial Dental Implant Consultation
As with other restoration work, implant treatment starts with a dentist consultation. The latter allows you to talk with Dr. Sherman about your smile goals, medical history, etc.
One function of this visit is to confirm your implant candidacy. After all, a dentist must see you in person to learn your oral situation. They can then determine whether implants are right for you based on their findings. They can also suggest any preliminary work that should be done first.
A consultation also helps you see how a procedure will work. If a dentist gives you the go-ahead for implants, for example, they’ll walk you through the treatment plan step-by-step. This rundown includes what happens in implant surgery, your procedure timeline, and the cost.
Dental Implant Surgery
As stated before, our office performs implant surgery in-house. That means you won’t have to travel far for an expensive specialist. Office-based treatment also lets the dentist access your dental records quickly, ensuring the final prosthetics blend with your smile.
At an in-office implant surgery, you can expect the following:
- A Numb Mouth: – To ensure surgery is painless, Dr. Sherman will numb your mouth before treatment.
- Dental Incision – Once the affected area is numbed, we’ll make an incision in your gums. Doing so makes room for the implant.
- Implant Placement – With guidance from advanced tools, Dr. Sherman will place your implant in the appropriate jaw socket.
- Cloasure & Protection – As a wrap-up for the surgery, we’ll close your gum incision and put a protective cap over the post.
Dental Implant Osseointegration/Abutment
You’ll need to wait for the implants to fuse with your jaw when your surgery ends. That fusion – a 4-6-month-long process – will ensure your new teeth remain a permanent, secure part of your mouth. As such, it’s crucial that you not upset the treatment area during this time.
Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s)
You’ll receive your final restoration for the last step of the implant process. Given the state of your tooth loss, this might be a crown, bridge, or even a denture. However, having it added to your smile won’t take long. You may only need an hour or so of time.
After the restoration is placed, our team will make some adjustments so your bite is comfortable. You’ll then be ready to enjoy a new, full smile!
Benefits of Dental Implants
Did you know that more than 5 million dental implants are placed in the United States each year? When you begin to understand the benefits offered by this treatment, it becomes easy to understand why it is so popular. Implants have the potential to have a big positive impact on both your daily quality of life and your long-term wellness! What are some specific benefits that they can provide? Here are some of the most outstanding:
Day-to-Day Benefits
Dental implants could improve your daily life in a few ways:
- The ability to eat your favorite foods. Dental implants provide a strong bite force that can allow you to eat virtually any food, including juicy steaks, raw veggies, and more.
- Beauty and confidence. Dental implants look incredibly natural. Plus, they do not slip and slide in your mouth, so you will be able to speak and laugh without worrying about embarrassing movements.
- Easy oral hygiene. In many ways, caring for dental implants is similar to caring for natural teeth. You will not need to make any major changes to your routine.
- Improved speech. Clear speech is the result of complex interactions between the teeth, tongue, and other muscles. Implants can help you to enunciate your words and speak with clarity and confidence.
- Improved social life. A healthy, confident smile may make it easier for you to enjoy meaningful social interactions with others, whether you are exploring the dating scene or simply enjoying quality time with your family.
Health Benefits
Dental implants can support your health in a number of ways:
- Improved nutrition. Did you know that digestion starts in the mouth? Dental implants can allow you to chew a wide variety of nutritious foods that will help your body to function optimally.
- Jawbone preservation. The jawbone naturally starts to deteriorate after the natural teeth are removed. Because dental implants act as prosthetic tooth roots, they can stimulate your jaw and help to keep it healthy and whole. As a side bonus, this allows your face to have a more youthful appearance.
- Freedom from the inconveniences of traditional dentures. Traditional dentures may cause gum sores or other issues. Dental implants are much more comfortable.
Long-Term Benefits
Dental implants offer benefits that can last for many years:
- Dental implants have a track record of success; they often endure for 30 years or longer. In fact, they may even serve you well for the rest of your life.
- Monetary value. Dental implants cost more upfront than traditional dentures. However, their outstanding longevity makes them an excellent value. In fact, their cost per day over the course of a couple of decades is often less than that of a daily latte from a standard espresso shop!
- Possible longer life. Extensive tooth loss is often associated with early death. Implants might be able to help you live as long as possible.
Who Dental Implants Can Help
Dental implants can help virtually anyone who has lost at least one tooth. You do need to have an overall healthy mouth along with a strong jawbone to be a candidate for implant surgery. However, even people with gum disease or bone loss in the jaw may still be able to get implants after getting the right kind of treatment, such as bone grafting. Once we’ve confirmed that your mouth is ready to receive implant posts, we can start planning your procedure depending on how many teeth you’ve lost.
Missing One Tooth
A single tooth can be replaced with an implant and dental crown. The crown will be fabricated so that it matches the size, shape, and color of your other teeth. Once it has been attached to a fully integrated implant post, it will look so natural that most people won’t have any idea which tooth was the one that got replaced.
Missing Multiple Teeth
Two dental implants can support a dental bridge, allowing us to replace three or more consecutive teeth all at once. Unlike traditional dental bridges, implant bridges don’t require us to remove any enamel from the remaining natural teeth; by letting them rest on implant posts instead, we can preserve your dental structures.
Missing All of Your Teeth
Even people who have lost all of their teeth can still benefit from dental implants. Just 4 to 6 posts can be used to support a full denture. Unlike regular dentures that are always removable, implant dentures are typically made to stay anchored in the mouth at all times (although they can be removable if the situation calls for it).
Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants
There’s no one price that can be attached to the dental implant process. The amount you pay for your new teeth will vary depending on a variety of factors. We’ll take the time during your initial consultation to thoroughly explain the costs involved with the dental implant process so that there aren’t any unpleasant surprises later on. We will also work with you to find the best way to fit your treatment into your budget.
Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery
There are several preliminary treatments such as gum disease therapy, bone grafting, and tooth extractions that might have to be performed before dental implants can be placed. Each of these procedures will come with a separate cost that you’ll need to consider.
As for the actual implant surgery, the amount you pay will depend on a few variables, like the location of the surgical site and whether sedation is needed. Note that since we perform implant surgery in-house, you won’t have to deal with the inconvenience of receiving a bill from a separate practice.
The Parts of Your Dental Implant
The final cost of dental implants is affected by:
- The number of implants you need to replace all of your missing teeth. Some patients only need to pay for one implant; others might require four or more.
- The type of restoration that your implants will support. Smaller restorations like crowns cost less then bridges and full dentures.
- THe materials used to make your implants. Most implants are made out of titanium, but they can also be made out of zirconia.
- The brand of implant. There are multiple dental implant manufacturers that design their products to meet specific patient needs.
How Dental Implants Can Save You Money
Traditional dentures and bridges might seem like less expensive options for replacing teeth, but generally speaking, you can only expect them to last around 10 years before needing to be replaced. Meanwhile, dental implants can last for decades or even the rest of your life, which means you won’t have to pay for new ones as often. Furthermore, since dental implants are easy to take care of, they can lower your risk for oral health issues that could be costly to treat.
Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?
Many insurance plans will not pay for the actual dental implants but might still be willing to cover parts of the final restoration or certain preliminary treatments. Every insurance policy is different, though, so you’ll want to confirm the specifics of your coverage before you begin the implant process. If you’re not sure that you understand your benefits, our team can review them with you.
Making Dental Implants Affordable
Patients who don’t have insurance might consider applying for CareCredit financing to make paying for dental implants easier. CareCredit lets you break up the cost of your treatment into installments that work with your budget. Get in touch with us today to learn more about your financing options.
Dental Implant Failure and Salvage
The idea that a dental implant could one day fail can be a very distressing one, but rest assured that our team at First Impressions is more than ready to help should the worst ever happen. When dental implants come loose or seem to cause you pain, we can identify the root of the problem so that it can be treated. If you end up needing to have the dental implant removed, we can discuss the possibility of placing a new one.
Learn More About Dental Implant Failure and Salvage
Dental Implant FAQs
Now that you have a good idea of what dental implants are, how they work, and how they can benefit you, you might have some additional questions about them. After all, the treatment process is a complex one, but don’t worry. Dr. Sherman and our team members at First Impressions Dental Care are here to make it easy to find the answers you need. That’s why we’ve responded to some frequently asked questions about dental implants. Of course, you’re always welcome to call us if you have any more questions!
How Long Do Dental Implants Last?
Unlike dentures and dental bridges, dental implants are built to last. The titanium posts integrate with your jawbone, so they’re capable of lasting for several decades. On average, dental implants last for 30 years, but many patients are able to enjoy their new pearly whites for the rest of their lives! Plus, helping your implants last isn’t tricky or time-consuming like it is with dentures. All you need to do is brush and floss your implants like you would natural teeth, maintain a healthy diet, and visit your implant dentist for regular checkups.
What Should I Do If I Can’t Afford Dental Implants?
Since traditional tooth replacements typically cost less than dental implants, you might be tempted to choose them instead. However, dental implants are an investment worth making because of their long-term benefits. So, our team will do whatever we can to help you fit the cost of dental implants into your budget. This includes looking over your dental insurance plan – even if your policy doesn’t cover the implants themselves, it may partially cover some portion of the treatment, such as your restoration. Our practice also works with CareCredit, so qualified patients can split up their costs into monthly payment plans, often with low or no interest rates. Reach out to our team today to find out how we can help you afford your brand-new smile!
Will People Be Able to Tell That I Have Dental Implants?
Your implants are designed to recreate your original teeth in every way. The crown, bridge, or denture that is secured on top of the posts will be crafted from impressions of your mouth that we take, ensuring it looks just like your natural teeth. Additionally, the implant posts are embedded in your jaw, so you can rest assured they won’t shift around like traditional dentures often do. No one else should be able to tell that your implants aren’t your “real” teeth!
Do Dental Implants Feel Natural?
Yes. After the implant posts have merged with your jawbone, they should feel exactly like your natural teeth used to. This makes them a huge improvement over poorly fitting dentures that can slip around and cause irritation in the gums. Once the dental implant treatment process is complete, your new smile should feel so natural that you might even forget that your teeth have been replaced!