Dental Implants – Tyler, TX
The Last Tooth Replacement
You’ll Ever Need
Dentistry is constantly evolving. For patients hoping to replace their missing teeth, traditional bridges and dentures still offer viable solutions, but Dr. Perez usually recommends dental implants in Tyler, TX to anyone looking to rebuild their smile. Compared to every other treatment, they look the best, feel the most natural, and last the longest by far. At Times Square Family Dental, Dr. Perez can use implants to replace any number of teeth for a lifetime, and you can learn more and get started by contacting us today.
Why Choose Times Square Family Dental
for Dental Implants?
- Custom-Designed Restorations for Every Patient
- Implant-Retained Dentures Available
- Entire Dental Implant Treatment Completed Under 1 Roof
What Are Dental Implants?
Natural teeth consist of two key parts: the crown and the root. The crowns of your teeth are the shiny white enamel you see when you smile. Meanwhile, the roots of your teeth are hidden underneath the gums, anchoring your pearly whites in place. Traditional tooth replacement options like dentures, partials, and dental bridges restore the crowns of your missing teeth. However, they don’t do anything to replicate the absent roots. Not only does this make dentures and bridges less stable than natural teeth, but the lack of stimulation in the jawbone naturally leads to resorption and a sunken, aged appearance.
Dental implants stand head and shoulders above other tooth loss solutions because they are designed to replace every portion of a missing tooth! These small titanium posts can be inserted directly into the jawbone, allowing them to replace the missing root structure. One or more of these dental implants can be used to support a custom-made crown, bridge, partial, or full denture. Rebuilding one or more missing teeth from the roots up provides results that look, feel, and function just like your natural pearly whites!
The 4-Step Dental Implant Process
Getting dental implants requires a multi-step approach that Dr. Perez uses to place your dental implants. The process must be followed correctly and requires much patience. The completion of this type of treatment can take months or even a year, but the results you can expect are well worth the wait. Discover more about these prosthetics by learning more about how dental implants work in Tyler.
Initial Dental Implant Consultation
You will meet with Dr. Perez to discuss your desire to receive dental implants. This consultation will require a thorough examination of your oral health history as well as a discussion about your overall health. We’ll also take digital images of your smile to determine the status of your jawbone density. Because dental implants require a stable foundation to ensure adequate support, it may be necessary that you undergo a bone graft to help strengthen and create a denser area for dental implants to live.
Dental Implant Surgery
Once you are cleared to undergo dental implant surgery, we’ll start the process by administering local anesthesia. In doing this, you will begin to feel numb, ensuring that you feel no pain during treatment. Once Dr. Perez believes you are more comfortable, he will begin by making one or more small incisions in your gum tissues. This is to open the vacant socket(s) and prepare each implant for its new location. Using advanced technology and a precise treatment plan, he will position each implant post into its designated socket to ensure optimal support.
Dental Implant Osseointegration/Abutment
After Dr. Perez closes your gum tissue and places protective healing caps over each implant post, you will be able to return home to recover. Although you may only be at home for a few days, the actual healing process can take 4-6 months. The reason is that your implants must fuse with the bone and surrounding tissues. This takes time and requires that you follow recommended guidelines to ensure swift healing. Smoking, drinking alcohol, and biting down on hard, crunchy foods will only prolong the recovery process.
Once you are fully healed, you will meet with Dr. Perez again to have your metal abutments put in place. These are small connector pieces that attach to the implant and help to secure the restoration.
Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations
The last step of the dental implant process is receiving your customized restoration. Depending on how many teeth you are missing, you will receive a dental crown, bridge, or denture. No matter which one it is, you can trust that our team will make sure it looks natural and feels comfortable once secured in place.
Millions of individuals are already enjoying life with dental implants, so once your new teeth are firmly in place, you, too, can begin to take advantage of their superior benefits.
Benefits of Dental Implants
As the only tooth replacement that recreates the entire structure of a missing tooth, dental implants have a whole lot more to offer than dentures and dental bridges do. They look and feel much more lifelike than any other option. As many of our patients can attest, dental implants in Tyler are the next best thing to having your natural teeth back! They can improve virtually every aspect of your life – keep reading to learn how.
Day-to-Day Benefits
- Confidence in your smile – Your dental implant posts will be topped with custom-made crowns, bridges, or dentures made from incredibly lifelike dental porcelain. Known for its uncanny ability to mimic tooth enamel, these restorations will be impossible for others to distinguish from the teeth you were born with.
- Reliability – Just like natural teeth, dental implants are firmly anchored within the jawbone. You won’t have to worry about your teeth sliding around or falling out.
- Easier chewing – One of the greatest benefits of dental implants in Tyler is the fact that they restore almost all of the chewing power you had before tooth loss. When you take a bite of food with dental implants, it will feel like your teeth never went missing in the first place! This makes it easier to enjoy your favorite delicious and nutritious foods.
Health Benefits
- Stronger jawbone – After tooth loss, the jawbone naturally starts to shrink because it’s no longer being stimulated by the roots of the teeth. Dental implants are the only tooth replacement that support your jawbone from the inside, stopping and even reversing this process.
- Preservation of your remaining teeth – When the jawbone deteriorates due to missing teeth not being replaced, the nearby healthy teeth begin to lose the firm support they once had. Eventually, these teeth might even fall out! Replacing your missing teeth with dental implants helps to maintain the strength of your jawbone, ensuring that your remaining teeth have a reliable foundation.
- Reduced risk of gum disease – It’s easy for bacteria to collect in the nooks and crannies that dentures and bridges have. Plus, they’re hard to keep clean. Dental implants, on the other hand, don’t have these nooks and crannies. They’re also incredibly easy to maintain with regular brushing, flossing, and checkups with an implant dentist in Tyler. Ultimately, this decreases your risk for gum disease and other infections in the mouth.
Long-Term Benefits
- Youthful appearance – Jawbone loss eventually causes the face to take on a sunken-in, wrinkled appearance that makes a person look much older than they really are. Since dental implants support the jawbone and facial muscles, they help you look young and bright for years to come.
- A lasting solution – As long as you take good care of your dental implants, you can expect them to easily last for 30 years or longer. In fact, many dental implant patients end up keeping them for the rest of their lives!
Are Dental Implants Right For You?
Dental implants can be used to help patients dealing with any degree of tooth loss. After sitting down with Dr. Perez, he can help you determine which of the following restorations would be right for you.
Missing Single Tooth
A dental implant root is placed between two healthy teeth and topped with a porcelain crown. This crown will be self-supporting, meaning it won’t put pressure on the nearby teeth like a bridge, and it will be color-matched to blend with the rest of the teeth.
Missing Multiple Teeth
Rather than using individual implants to restore multiple teeth, a small number of roots can be used to attach a bridge or partial denture directly to the jawbone. These prosthetics are much stronger and longer-lasting than their removable counterparts.
Missing All Teeth
A full denture can be firmly secured within the mouth using just 4-6 implants placed along the jawbone. Implant dentures don’t shift out of place during eating and speaking, and they allow a patient to recover almost all of their natural bite force.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants
When you get dental implants, you’re paying for new teeth that will last for decades and offer numerous benefits that will keep your entire mouth healthy. Naturally, this level of quality will be reflected in the cost, which will be further affected by your unique needs and circumstances. Our team members are here to explain the costs of implants to you, and they’ll work with you to maximize your insurance benefits, sign up for our in-house savings plan, and generally make sure that your new teeth are well within your budget.
Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery
To begin with, there’s the cost of surgery. You may end up paying more or less for the procedure depending on the location of the implants and the kind of sedation needed to keep you calm and pain-free during the procedure. We place our own implants, so you don’t have to worry about being billed by a separate specialist. Also, remember that sometimes tooth extractions and other procedures have to be performed before dental implant surgery, and you’ll have to pay for these treatments on their own.
The Parts of Your Dental Implant
The dental implants themselves have their own costs, as do the abutments and restorations attached to them. The number of implants and the type of restoration are probably the most obvious factors. A small crown attached to a single implant does not have the same cost as a bridge composed of multiple false teeth that rests on two implants. Also, the size and material of the implants (which might vary based on your needs) will vary. Don’t forget to ask about the brand of implant we’ve chosen and how that will change the final price.
How Dental Implants Can Save You Money
One of the biggest advantages of dental implants is that they end up paying for themselves in the long term, offsetting the initial higher cost. Because of their long lifespan, you typically only have to pay for implants once, unlike a denture or bridge that will have to be replaced every decade or so. Dental implants are also easier to keep clean and don’t wear down the teeth or irritate the gums, so they don’t contribute to potentially costly oral health issues either. And unlike dentures, there are no adhesives or cleaning solutions for you to buy.
Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?
That’s a question that you may have to call your insurance provider to get the answer to. We can also review your benefits with you to clarify anything you don’t understand. Normally, the implant surgery itself will not be covered, but related procedures and the restoration might still fall under your chosen plan. Different insurance companies will have different policies about implants, and you need to be aware of what your own plan says before beginning the implant process.
Making Dental Implants Affordable
Uninsured patients can sign up for our Kalina Cares Program, which lets you enjoy our high-quality dental care at an affordable rate without worrying about deductibles, claim forms, or similar issues. Call us today to learn more about this program and how it can be used for dental implants specifically.
Maintaining & Caring for Your Dental Implants
Once you receive your dental implants, our team will make sure that you understand how to take good care of them. This is actually more simple than you might think; it involves many of the same steps that you likely already take to protect your natural teeth. Practicing good maintenance is often the key to ensuring that your dental implants are able to last as long as possible. Here’s a brief summary of the steps that you will need to follow.
Make Oral Hygiene a Priority
Over time, harmful bacteria can build up in the area where your dental implants are located. Said bacteria can attack the gums, resulting in gum disease that could put your dental implants at risk. Excellent oral hygiene is the key to keeping the gums around your dental implants healthy. As such, you need to keep up the habit of brushing at least twice a day for two minutes at a time. Flossing and rinsing with mouthwash are also highly recommended.
Eat a Healthy Diet
You’ll be able to eat most foods once the dental implant process has been completed, but sugary and starchy snacks are best enjoyed in moderation. Overindulging in these types of foods could increase your risk for oral health issues and lead to problems with your dental implants. If you want to keep your mouth in good condition and protect your implant posts, make sure your diet includes plenty of foods that are high in calcium and vitamin C.
Break Bad Habits
Do you sometimes chew on the ice at the bottom of your glass without thinking about it? Do you bite your fingernails when you’re nervous? Do you often resort to using your teeth when you’re having trouble opening a package? These are all common enough habits that could potentially end up damaging your dental implants. Try to be aware of any bad oral habits that you may have picked up over the years, and take whatever steps you need to in order to break them.
Protect Your Dental Implants
If you play sports, you’re probably all too aware of the ever-present risk of suddenly getting hit in the mouth. Wearing a mouthguard is a necessary precaution to take if you don’t want your dental implants to be damaged while you’re in the middle of your favorite athletic activity. Additionally, if you grind your teeth at night, you can wear a nightguard to ensure that your dental implants are well-protected while you slumber.
Schedule Regular Dental Checkups
We can take a look at your dental implants whenever you visit us for one of your biannual dental checkups. Our team can clean the area around the implant posts and check to see if there are any issues that have started developing since your last visit. You can consider us your partners in making sure that your dental implants stay in good shape.
Dental Implant FAQs
How Long Do Dental Implants Last?
Dental implants are built to last, which is why they have an impressive 30+ year lifespan! However, their longevity depends entirely on how well you care for them. With this in mind, it is important to brush twice a day, floss daily, and rinse with mouthwash regularly. Visiting your dentist every six months for a dental checkup and cleaning is also crucial. After all, these visits catch concerns in the early stages, confirm your implant is in good condition, and thoroughly clean even the hard-to-reach services of your mouth. It is also a good idea to avoid poor dental habits, like smoking, chewing on pen caps, and using your teeth as tools.
What Can Cause Dental Implants to Fail?
Although dental implants are successful more than 95% of the time, it is possible for them to fail. The two most common reasons are peri-implantitis (a form of gum disease) and failed osseointegration (the fusion of the implant and your jawbone). Other common causes are chronic teeth grinding, certain medications, and health conditions, like diabetes. That’s why our dentist in Tyler, Dr. Perez, will review all of the risk factors beforehand at your initial consultation. If you do notice any symptoms of dental implant failure (i.e., severe pain around the implant, inflamed gums, etc.), contact your dental team right away.
Will People Be Able to Tell That I Have Dental Implants?
Dental implants are custom-made for each patient, ensuring they seamlessly blend in with the size, shape, and color of your surrounding teeth. Furthermore, the implant structure restores both the root and crown of your missing tooth, ensuring maximum bite force and minimal movement. Simply put, once your restorations are in place, even your closest loved ones will have a hard time differentiating them from your natural teeth.
Is There Anything I Shouldn’t Eat with Dental Implants?
Directly following the procedure, it is important to stick to foods that are easy to chew, like yogurt, oatmeal, and applesauce. This will prevent irritation and discomfort during the recovery period. Once you get the thumbs up from your dentist, you’ll be able to indulge in all your favorite foods again! Just be sure to exercise caution around chewy/sticky and hard foods. Like your natural teeth, your dental implants aren’t indestructible. So, stay away from foods that can potentially crack, chip, or otherwise damage your teeth.