Dental Implants – Carrollton, TX

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

Before you begin treatment, you need to meet with Dr. A to determine whether you’re a good candidate for dental implants. He can answer your questions and evaluate your specific case to make sure that you have sufficient jawbone density to support dental implants and that you’re in good oral health. Once these criteria have been met, he will create a personalized treatment plan and go over the details of the procedure with you. Because we want you to feel completely confident about your treatment, don’t hesitate to ask any questions you may have.

Dental Implant Surgery

After your consultation, you’re ready for the next step—Dr. A will insert the “root” or titanium post into the socket. This requires a minor surgical procedure with minimal risks, especially when you have someone of Dr. A’s advanced and specialized training, skills, and experience performing the work. During the entire placement procedure, we will do our best to make sure you feel comfortable. We will also provide you with specific care instructions to ensure that you heal properly afterward and prepare for the next step toward your restored smile.

Dental Implant Osseointegration/Abutment

For several months after the placement procedure, you will undergo a process called osseointegration, in which the post stimulates the jawbone to grow and surround it completely. To avoid potential failure, it’s important to make sure that your jawbone has fully bonded to the post before we place a restoration on top. Otherwise, the dental implant will not have the stability and strength to function as intended. Once the gums and bone have healed sufficiently, we’ll attach the abutment, or a small metal piece that connects the post to the dental restoration.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations

The final step is putting the restoration into place on top of the abutment, completing the dental implant. Depending on the number of implants you have, we can attach any dental prosthetic, including a dental crown, fixed bridge, or implant denture, to complete your smile. We use high-quality, durable restorations that look just like natural teeth, and because dental implants are so secure, you can feel confident in biting, chewing, talking, laughing, and smiling without worrying about your new teeth slipping out of place.

Improved Oral Health

With an implant post serving as a new root, it stimulates your jaw to encourage bone growth. This preserves your jaw’s density to stop dental drift. Any remaining natural teeth will have the support they need to stay in place. This reduces your risk of tooth decay, gum disease, and additional tooth loss to lower your long-term dental expenses.

No Risk of Tooth Decay

Tooth decay is the biggest threat to your natural teeth, but you won’t need to worry about it when you have dental implants. Although they aren’t subject to decay, that doesn’t mean you can skip your oral hygiene habits. You’re still at risk of a preventable gum infection called peri-implantitis. You can protect your investment by maintaining your oral hygiene at home and visiting your dentist at least twice a year.

Cost-Effective Long-Term Solution

Dental implants have over a 95% success rate. They are proven to last for several decades with the right aftercare, like brushing, flossing, and visiting your dentist in Carrollton regularly for a cleaning and checkup.

You’ll initially pay more for dental implants upfront than other treatments, but they are actually more cost-effective long-term. They have the potential to last for a lifetime, so you’ll never need to spend money to have them replaced, like that of a bridge, partial, or denture. Not to mention, they improve your oral health to reduce your risk of preventable dental issues, like tooth decay and gum disease. This will save you even more money down the road.

Younger Appearance

Tooth loss can make you look years older than your true age. Replacing your missing teeth to restore a complete smile will make you look younger. It also provides your facial tissues with support to prevent premature wrinkles or sagging skin.

No Slipping or Irritation

Dental implants don’t rely on adjacent teeth, suction, or an adhesive to hold them in place. Instead, your jawbone fuses to the posts to permanently eliminate any slipping or irritation. In fact, you’ll regain as much as 70% of your natural biting force. You can chew, speak, and smile without any worry because your new teeth will stay firmly in place.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

The majority of healthy adults can get dental implants. Here are the three factors that will need to be considered to determine whether you make a good candidate for dental implants:

• Good overall health: Placing dental implants is a surgical procedure, so you’ll need to be able to withstand a surgical procedure.
• Great oral health: Things like cavities and gum disease can cause dental implants to fail, so they’ll need to be addressed ahead of time.
• Adequate jawbone density: It’s important that your jawbone is strong enough to support dental implants for your treatment to be a success.

If you aren’t a good candidate right away, don’t stress. Many patients need to complete preliminary treatments before they can get implants. This includes tooth extractions, gum disease therapy, or bone grafting before getting dental implants. We will help you schedule these preparatory procedure to get you back on track towards a complete smile.

Missing One Tooth

If you’re missing a single tooth, Dr. A will use a single implant post and crown to return the natural look and feel to your smile. This not only restores your appearance, but it also keeps your natural teeth from shifting around to fill in the gap.

Missing Multiple Teeth

If you’re missing multiple teeth consecutively, we can use a dental bridge to literally bridge the gap in your smile. Using dental implants on either side of a custom-made dental bridge, we can give you a natural looking, feeling, and functioning smile.

Missing All Teeth

If you’re missing all or the majority of the teeth in your mouth, Dr. A can use anywhere from four to six strategically placed dental implants to support dentures. This allows us to replace all of your teeth at once with the stability and biting power of dental implants.

Learn More About Implant Dentures

Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery

Do you need to undergo gum disease therapy or a bone graft before we can place your implants? These procedures can help ensure the success of treatment; however, keep in mind that any preparatory work will increase the overall cost. At Epic Family Dentistry of Carrollton, we provide the convenience of one bill, instead of sending you to another practice for the placement procedure. This means our trusted team can guide you through the entire process and consolidate the price you pay.

The Parts of Your Dental Implant

The cost of your dental implants in Carrollton can range based on several variables, which is why it’s difficult to give an estimate before examining your mouth. The number of implants that you need and where you need them will contribute to the cost, but the price may also vary based on the type and brand we choose to use for your unique situation. Just as you can choose the make and model of a car, we select high quality implant parts to go into your smile.

Final Dental Implant Restoration

The restoration you need will depend on the number of teeth you’re missing and your desired results. There are three different types of implant restorations we may suggest:

• An implant crownreplaces a single missing tooth with a customized dental crown attached to a single implant.
• An implant bridgereplaces two or more consecutive teeth and is anchored by two dental implants placed at either end of the gap in your smile.
• An implant denturereplaces an entire arch of teeth and is secured to anywhere from four to eight dental implants.

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

Unfortunately, it’s not common for dental insurance companies to cover the cost of dental implants because they still consider them a “cosmetic treatment.” However, it’s still worthwhile to contact your provider directly and ask, especially if you also require preliminary work like a tooth extraction or gum disease therapy. Often these procedures are covered. At Epic Family Dentistry of Carrollton, we’re more than happy to file claims on your behalf and figure out how to maximize your benefits.

Making Dental Implants Affordable

Our team at Epic Family Dentistry of Carrollton believes that cost shouldn’t stand between you and your restored smile. That’s why we do everything we can to make this advanced treatment as affordable as possible. Not only do we work with your insurance, but we also offer a free implant consultation and accept payment through CareCredit, a trusted financier. At little or even no interest, you could break up the total for implants into easier monthly payments.

Will Insurance Help Pay for Dental Implants?

You’ll have to check your policy to see what is or isn’t covered. Many insurance companies consider implants to be a cosmetic treatment, which often means they won’t provide coverage. However, even in these cases, they might help pay for the restoration (meaning the crown, bridge, or dentures your implants will support) as well as certain related procedures. For example, if your dentist in Carrollton tells you that you need gum disease treatment before your implant surgery, you could receive benefits to help pay for the procedure. We can help you file any necessary claims for your insurance provider.

How Long Does It Take to Get Dental Implants?

The entire dental implant process can take several months. Much of that time comes after the surgery to place the implants in your jaw. You need to wait for your gums to heal and the bone to fuse with the metal post (a process called osseointegration) before you can receive your new prosthetic teeth. This typically takes about six months. Of course, if you need additional procedures such as bone grafting to prepare your mouth for implant surgery, it could affect the timeline. Dr. A will help you figure out how long you can expect the entire process to take and plan accordingly.

How Successful Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants have been used since the 1950’s, and the technology and techniques used to place them have only improved with time. Nowadays, the procedure has a success rate of 95% or better! Of course, even with those odds it’s still possible for implants to fail; common reasons for this include physical trauma damaging the implant post, advanced gum disease destroying the bone in that area, or implant simply failing to integrate with the jaw for whatever reason. Contact our office as soon as you notice a problem with your implants (such as looseness, swelling, or pain); acting quickly will give us the best chance of saving your new tooth.

How Can I Take Care of Dental Implants?

Taking care of dental implants is simple. You can brush and floss like you would normally; pay particular attention to the area under and around the crown. It’s also important to protect your implants the same way you would protect your natural teeth; that means always wearing a mouthguard while playing sports and never biting down on hard objects (which includes peppermints, fingernails, ice, and packages). And of course, don’t forget to visit Dr. A twice a year for routine checkups!

Will People Be Able to Tell That I Have Dental Implants?

Whether you are replacing one missing tooth or an entire arch, the last thing you want is obtrusive and obvious results that call attention to your smile for all the wrong reasons. Fortunately, you won’t have to worry about that with dental implants! Since they are custom-made, they will seamlessly match the size, shape, and shade of your surrounding teeth, ensuring flawless results. Plus, their unmatched durability allows you to speak, laugh, and chew without having to worry about embarrassing movement. Simply put, with dental implants, you can have peace of mind knowing your new and improved smile won’t just look natural, it will feel natural as well.

How Long Do Dental Implants Last?

Unlike other tooth-replacement options, which need to be replaced every five to ten years, dental implants are built to last a lifetime. In fact, they can last for 30+ years with proper care! Luckily, that task is relatively easy since they don’t require special cleaning solutions or frequent adjustment appointments. Instead, you can keep them in pristine condition with the same best practices you use to care for your natural teeth (i.e., brushing twice a day, flossing daily, etc.).

What to Do Directly After Dental Implant Surgery

After surgery, your main priority is to leave the area untouched so the blood clot can form and heal smoothly. To ensure that this can happen, please follow these simple rules:

• Use tissues or swallow saliva – do not spit.
• Do not use straws to drink.
• Refrain from smoking for at least the first day.
• Do your best to avoid touching the area(s) with your fingers or tongue.

Common Side-Effects

While the recovery process is simple, there are some common symptoms you may experience, especially during the first few days. These include:

• Bleeding: Intermittent bleeding may occur, which can be managed with gauze and light pressure. This may happen for multiple days.
• Swelling: Over the first 72 hours, and up to over a week, swelling can occur. You can ease this issue by applying a cold/warm compress.
• General discomfort: Recovery usually only includes some mild discomfort, but any pain can be managed with the medication we prescribe you.

Diet

For your first few days after getting dental implants in Carrollton, we recommend eating softer, non-abrasive foods, including:

• Yogurt
• Mashed potatoes
• Pudding
• Ice cream
• Soup (not super hot)
• Pasta
• Scrambled eggs

As soon as you feel up to it, you can return to your normal diet. However, you should try to limit your consumption of overly crunchy or tough foods and avoid directly chewing on the surgical site to promote healing.

Health & Oral Hygiene

The day after surgery, you can brush your teeth as usual but be mindful of the surgical site(s). Rinse your mouth 2 to 3 times a day, ideally after meals, with salt water. You can also use prescription mouth rinse if you have it. However, avoid mouthwashes that contain high levels of alcohol like Scope or Listerine.

What to Do After Your New Teeth Are Attached

Congrats! The hard part is already over. Once you get your permanent crown, bridge, or denture placed, you may feel some slight sensitivity in your gums. However, this is easy to control with pain medication. There won’t be any swelling, bleeding, or extensive healing. In fact, you’ll be confidently and happily smiling on the same day that you get your final restorations.

Make Oral Hygiene a Priority

While dental implants themselves can’t be affected by decay, it’s still important that you maintain a good oral healthcare routine. Common oral health conditions like gum disease and infection can cause your implants to fail. Be sure to brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes each session, and floss once a day to remove tough plaque and food debris. Pay close attention to your gumline because this is where bacteria love to hide.

Eat a Healthy Diet

Dental implants allow you to eat virtually anything, so you can enjoy a nutritious diet with fruits and veggies. The occasional indulgence is okay, however you should try to avoid hard, sticky, or extra sugary foods. These items can be problematic, increasing your risk of implant failure or damage to your restoration. Instead, try to choose foods that are rich in calcium and vitamin C to keep your jaw strong and gum tissues healthy.

Break Bad Habits

Dental implants in Carrollton have a very high success rate, but they can still fail due to various factors, including bad habits. You should stop smoking or using other tobacco products because these lifestyle habits slow healing and encourage infection. Additionally, avoid using your teeth for anything other than eating and speaking – do not use them as tools to open packages or bottles because you could damage your restoration.

Protect Your Dental Implants

Your new smile is incredibly strong but not completely indestructible. If you play sports, or participate in any physical activity, wear a mouthguard to protect your dental implants from damage. Are you affected by bruxism (teeth grinding)? If so, make sure that you’re wearing a nightguard during sleep to prevent the extra wear and tear that grinding can cause. This will also relieve pressure on the jaw, making your smile more comfortable in general.

Schedule Regular Dental Checkups

When it comes to the health of your dental implants, the best defense is a good offense. Be sure to always visit our implant dentist in Carrollton at least twice a year for routine dental checkups. These important appointments give Dr. Azmoodeh a chance to catch any issues while they’re still small, preventing you from having to deal with more extensive and expensive treatments down the road. These dental visits also allow us to clean away any pesky plaque that you’ve been having trouble with at home.