High-Quality Dental Implants at DiBartola Dental
Your typical, non-implant dental restoration can help your smile look complete and healthy, but it may not address the root issues or adequately protect your oral health. After tooth loss or extensive dental damage takes place, dental implants are usually the best method for replacing these teeth. Implant dentistry protects your oral health and allows you to enjoy a smile that’s fully restored and truly healthy. That’s why your Bridgeville dentists offer dental implant solutions to meet all patient’s needs.
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are custom-made restorations that combine stability and smile restoration. Your custom-made implant will be composed of three parts:
- The titanium ‘root’ or implant post
- The connector piece called the abutment
- The restoration, usually a dental crown
The titanium post is topped with a dental restoration that serves as the replacement for the missing tooth or teeth. The post is surgically inserted into your jawbone where it naturally fuses to the bone through a process called osseointegration. The fusion provides the most stable foundation for your tooth replacement, keeping it in your mouth as you eat, speak, and smile.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Dental implants are highly recommended by dentists because of the many ways they benefit your smile and your oral health.
Some of the top benefits of dental implants include the following:
- Natural-Looking Appearance — Dental implants look, feel, and function like your natural teeth.
- Stability — Thanks to the surgical insertion of the foundation, your implant solution will never slip around or fall out of your mouth.
- Stain & Decay Resistance — Implant treatments will be resistant to staining and decay, helping them last longer and stay beautiful.
- Improved Bite — Dental implants almost completely restore your bite force. This results in better chewing, which also helps prevent indigestion, nutritional deficiency, and even diabetes.
- Prevents Misalignment — Dental implants return support to your remaining teeth, preventing mesial drift, which occurs when teeth shift out of place towards the empty spaces in your mouth.
- Prevents Facial Sagging — Your implant restorations will also restore support to the muscles in your face, preventing premature wrinkles and facial sagging.
- Prevents Loss of Jawbone Density (Resorption) — Implant posts replace the root of a tooth, providing the stimulation your jawbone requires to rebuild and remain strong.
- Lasts a Lifetime — With proper oral hygiene and regular dental exams with our skilled implant dentists, your dental implants can last 20 years to a lifetime.
- Biocompatible Materials — The materials used in dental implants are designed to be readily accepted by the body.
- Versatile — The restorations used for dental implants come in many forms including crowns, bridges, dentures, and full dental arches.
Candidacy For Dental Implants
You may qualify for dental implant placement if the following applies to you:
- You have healthy gums and enough jawbone mass
- You can undergo bone grafting as needed to replace lost jawbone mass
- You practice proper oral hygiene and will continue to do so
- Your jawbone is fully developed
- You’re missing one or more teeth
- You’ll regularly attend your dental exams
The Dental Implant Process
Initial Consultation
Before approving you for dental implant surgery, your Bridgeville implant dentist will have you attend an initial consultation. Your consultation will consist of a thorough exam, where your implant dentist will take X-rays and determine the extent of any dental damage or tooth loss, etc. The information gathered will help your dentist determine if implants are right for you.
Your consultation is a good time to bring up any concerns you may have including questions about your surgery and any dental anxiety you may be feeling. We gladly offer sedation dentistry, which can help you feel calm and make you more resistant to pain and discomfort.
Designing Your Dental Implants
Using advanced dental technology, your dentist will take images and impressions of your smile that will serve as the blueprints for your implants. We may send these blueprints to an offsite lab or craft the restoration in-office with same-day milling technology.
Supplemental Procedures
If you’re missing jawbone density, our implant providers may recommend bone grafting before implant placement. Bone grafting replaces the lost bone in your jaw and encourages future bone regeneration by placing transplanted bone where it’s lacking. This process provides a stable foundation for your implants, increasing your chances of implant success and making you a better fit for the process.
Preparation for Implant Placement
We’ll make sure you’re ready to have your implants placed by applying anesthetic to the soft tissues around the affected teeth. At this point, we can also apply your sedative if you elected to undergo sedation. Your dentist will also perform any necessary tooth extractions for those teeth that can’t be repaired and are being replaced.
Dental Implant Placement
Your dentist will make small
incisions into the gums where the implants will go. Then, they’ll place the implant posts into the incisions. You’ll return to have your chosen restoration secured to your implants once osseointegration is complete. Healing will usually take three to six months.
Placing Your Implant Restoration
When you return to our Bridgeville dental office, your dentist will secure your restoration to the titanium implant posts with an abutment piece. After making certain the restoration is secure, you can begin to enjoy your fully restored, healthy smile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does insurance cover dental implants?
Your insurance provider may cover some or all of the cost of your dental implant placement. Our dentists encourage you to contact them beforehand and ask them which services they can help you with.
If you need additional help covering your implant placement we offer in-house dental financing for dental implants, including third-party financing through CareCredit. We also offer specials on implant consultation as well as abutments and crowns, which can alleviate some of your financial burdens.
How long do dental implants last?
Dental implants can last 20 years to a lifetime. However, the restoration will likely need to be replaced every 10 to 15 years due to normal wear and tear. To get the most out of your implants, you should always practice proper oral hygiene, which includes regular brushing, flossing, and rinsing between meals. You’ll also need to visit your dentist at least once every six months to ensure your implants and your oral health stay optimal.
Are dental implants painful?
Dental implants aren’t painful. During the implant process, we use anesthetic as needed, so you won’t have to worry about pain. We also offer sedation dentistry to combat dental anxiety and provide further resistance to pain and discomfort.
Once your implants are secured, some mild pain and discomfort are normal for up to ten days afterward. However, it should be easy to manage with pain medication, which may be prescribed. If you feel discomfort lasting longer than ten days, call your dental office as soon as possible. Your implant provider will diagnose any issues that may be occurring and determine how to move forward with your treatment.
What is the success rate of dental implants?
Dental implants have an average success rate of 95 to 98 percent with a small risk of complications. Any complications that may occur are often easy to treat, especially by one of our dental professionals. Rest assured that our dentists are some of the best Bridgeville dental implant dentists near you.
Visit Our Dental Implant Providers for Your New, Healthy Smile
Don’t settle for dental work that only makes your teeth appear healthy and strong. Enjoy the best of both oral health and a beautiful smile with our implant dentistry services. Our dental implant providers serve patients from Bridgeville and surrounding areas such as Heidelberg, Carnegie, & Upper Saint Clair, PA.
You can learn more about the benefits of implant dentistry by dialing us at (412) 221-9440. You can also request an appointment online, and one of our friendly team members will get back to you shortly.
The Proof Is In Our Patients
Before & After
“I think the biggest change with having my new teeth will be my self-confidence.”
“I can’t believe how great my teeth look! Let’s pretend this is what my teeth always looked like! lol.”
“I guess I’m a whole new man now lol! I can’t wait to eat a steak!”