Reclaim Your Smile
Tooth loss can impact confidence and oral health all in one blow. Additionally, the longer you go without a tooth, the more it can leave long-term effects on your jaw shape and bone density. At Cleopatra Dental in Riverside, we provide dental implants that allow you to replace your tooth, protect your health, and bring out revitalized confidence in your smile.
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are titanium posts that are inserted into the gums where a tooth was extracted, lost, or knocked out. A crown (made to look just like one of your natural teeth) can then be affixed to this post. Even up close, people should not be able to distinguish it from your original teeth.
Try dental implants if you want to:
- Restore one or more missing teeth
- Have a highly durable tooth
- See benefits for years to decades
- Avoid limits to your dietary intake
- Prevent loss of jawbone mass
Dental Implants at a Glance
For your regular teeth, an extraction may be needed in cases of severe damage due to injury or decay. In many cases, we can restore a tooth through a crown, inlay, onlay, or root canal. However, sometimes it may prove best to start fresh. Teeth with significant decay or damage can pose a risk for infection and additional dental issues. Pulling a critically damaged tooth can provide benefits such as:
- Process Duration: 3 to 6 months on average (worth the process)
- Anesthetic: Local numbing for implant insertion
- Treatment Type: Restorative dentistry
- Downtime: None (though some swelling and discomfort after are normal)
- Results Duration: 10 to 25 years on average (up to a lifetime with ideal dental hygiene)
- Material: Titanium (post), porcelain or ceramic (crown)
Are Dental Implants Right for Me?
If you are missing a tooth, then the sooner you find a solution, the sooner you can bring your dental health back on track. While dental implants are ideal for most patients, it is important to see if they are the right option for you. During your consultation, you can have a full evaluation and discuss what path toward replacing a tooth best suits your situation, goals, and health.
Some signs dental implants might be right for you include:
- Sufficient Bone Mass: Prolonged bone loss may lead to changes in jaw bone density. Implants require a certain amount of mass to provide a stable anchoring point.
- No Current Infections: Infections can lead to complications with implant surgery, so those need to be addressed first.
- Not In a Rush: Implants are not a same-day solution, but they are one that can last a lifetime.
- Ready to Invest in the Long-Term: Many patients see their dental implants last for 25 years to a lifetime. If you want a solution that lasts as long as you do, then implants are the right choice.
How Do I Get Dental Implants?
Getting implants might not be the fastest process, but the results are better than any quick fixes out there. Each step ensures a final result that restores your smile for the long run.
- Evaluation: Start with an exam at our office, during which we can evaluate your situation and discuss options.
- Building Up Bone Mass: In the case you have lost jaw bone density due to prolonged tooth loss, you may need a bone grafting procedure. The name sounds intimidating, but this is a low-stress and mild procedure to rebuild bone material in your jaw.
- Placing the Implant: If you have enough bone mass, we can place the implant. The post is surgically inserted into the gum, where it will begin to naturally fuse with your jaw. This fusion process is what gives implants their unmatched stability.
- Impressions: We use several methods to take impressions of your jaw and teeth to ensure your results blend in perfectly with your smile. The impressions are sent to the lab and used to create a custom-made crown.
- Temporary Crown: In some cases, you may receive a temporary crown (tooth part) to wear while waiting for your permanent one.
- Placing the Permanent Crown: Once your jaw is healed, you can come in for your crown placement. It is firmly affixed to the post and abutment, resting naturally in line with your other teeth. No one should be able to tell which teeth are natural and which have been replaced.
How Long Will They Last?
Dental implants and durability are synonymous. However, the amount of time your implants will last can vary and is affected by a few key factors.
- Placement: You need a skilled oral surgeon for placing your dental implants. Even minor errors in placing the post can result in significant drawbacks to your results, including uneven spacing and a tooth out of line with the others.
- Material Quality: We work with a premium laboratory for every implant we provide. From materials to precision-fabricating equipment, they deliver implant materials built to last.
- Dental Hygiene: While implants cannot develop cavities like natural teeth, they still require maintenance to limit daily wear on them. Brush, floss, and attend routine dental visits to keep your oral health at its peak and your implants in good shape.
- Diet: Implants allow patients to eat almost any food. However, if you routinely eat harder foods or ones that promote gum disease, the integrity of your implants can be compromised.
How Much Do Dental Implants Cost?
Dental implant costs can vary. Factors that affect the final price include how many implants are needed, the material of the crown, and any preparatory procedures (e.g., extractions, bone grafting). During your consultation appointment, we can evaluate each factor of your treatment and provide a no-commitment quote for your procedure.
Schedule Your Consultation Visit
Rebuild and reclaim your smile today with dental implants at Cleopatra Dental, dentist Riverside. Call our office or use our online form to set up a consultation appointment to discuss your tooth replacement options.