If you suffer from previous tooth loss due to the many dental issues, dental injuries, or other dental problems, dental implants are available with our advanced improvements in technology, dental implants allow our patients who are dealing with dental issues including tooth loss, the ability to have functional teeth once more.

Dental implants provide great support for patients who:
 
– Have enough bone available for the dental implant to be secured to, or enough left for a bone graft to be an option
– The jawbone has reached its full potential growth
– The tissues within the mouth are healthy
– Are no underlying health conditions that may cause an unexpected negative influence on the healing process
– The patient isn’t able to wear dentures, or they refuse too
– Want to have an improved speech
– The patient can commit to many months towards the dental implant process
– The patient does not smoke
 
Dental implants will need a strong base to secure themselves too for the replacement teeth to be able to stay permanently. Dental implants are a customizable option that will be fit to match your other natural teeth.

Dental implant surgery at most dental clinics including Modern Family Dentistry is considered outpatient surgery, meaning you can go home after the procedure has been completed. Dental implants are done in stages and will have healing times in between each procedure.

The procedure of placing dental implants has many steps:
 
1. Remove the damaged tooth/teeth
2. Prepare the jawbone, if necessary, with grafting
3. Place the dental implant into the treated area
4. Allow for bone growth and healing to occur
5. Place the abutment piece on the dental implant
6. Place the artificial tooth onto the abutment piece
 
While these 6 steps seem relatively simple, and quick, the entire process of dental implants can take months to complete. The majority of the time for the dental implant procedure is devoted to the healing time and waiting for the bone growth to occur within the jaw. Depending on each patient, the procedure for dental implants, as well as the materials used may be combined to allow a faster time for this procedure to be completed.

When considering good candidates for dental implants, we tend to review their oral health including the gums, if they have healthy bones including their jawbone, and if they can undergo any dental extractions or surgeries that may be necessary to complete the dental implant procedure.
 
Patients will need to commit to their oral health and hygiene, as well as maintain regular dental visits with our clinic so we can review their dental implants each time.
 
Further evaluations will need to be commenced if patients are dealing with any chronic disorders including heart disease or diabetes, if they have gone through radiation therapy with a focus on the head and neck region, or if they are a heavy smokers. The reason further evaluations are necessary before deeming the patient a good candidate for dental implants is each case is sensitive and will need to be further reviewed to ensure no issues or complications will emerge.

When it comes to choosing dental implant options, there are three main dental implant options available that are the most commonly used on patients, they are:
 
1. Endosteal Implants
Endosteal is the most commonly recommended dental implant type, this type is best suited for patients wanting dental implants. Endosteal implants do require that patients have a strong and healthy jawbone to allow the post to fuse too.
 
2. Subperiosteal Implants
The subperiosteal implant is a common alternative to endosteal implants, this is because the endosteal implants rest on top of the jawbone instead of being permanently fixed to them. A metal frame is created and placed under the gumline, thereafter, a post will be attached to it.
 
3. Zygomatic Implants
Zygomatic implants are not as commonly used as the other two, but it is another alternative to dental implants. Zygomatic implants are created when you do not have enough jawbone left for the dental implant to attach.
 
While these are the most commonly recommended, there are other types of dental implant procedures available including:
 
– Bone augmentation
– Sinus lift
– Ridge expansion
– Immediate load dental implants
– Mini dental implants