Dental Implants
There are many reasons to consider dental implants, whether you have experienced damage due to an accident, trauma, or tooth decay. Missing a tooth or multiple teeth can really impact your oral health. Implant Dentist Dr. Lincoln Parker trives to provide you with the solutions you need for a restored smile. Gaps from missing teeth, loose dentures, and hopeless teeth are all replacable via dental implants, providing a solid foundation to chew and smile.
Missing teeth can ultimately lead to functional chewing issues, an impact on the bite, a change in the aesthetics of the smile, and self-esteem issues. You deserve to have confidence in your smile and be proud to show off your teeth when laughing or speaking. Dental implants are an excellent option for a long-term solution and tooth replacement, acting like natural teeth. Check out our reviews to see that no one will take care of you quite like Dr. Lincoln Parker!
What Are Dental Implants?
If you are interested in dental implants, our dentists at Facer Hales Parker Dentistry will take the time to speak with you one-on-one for a dental implant consultation, so you can learn how simple a tooth implant is.
A tooth implant is a small piece of titanium that easily replaces the tooth's root. We place the dental implants where the roots of your teeth are and then place tooth crowns on top to create the perfect smile. There are three pieces to dental implants:
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The dental implants themselves
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The abutment, which interfaces with the tooth implant.
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The dental crown, which is placed on top of the abutment.
Dental implants can be used to help snap-in dentures tight, replace multiple missing teeth with a bridge, or simply support a single tooth.
How Long Do Dental Implants Last?
Dental implants function like your natural teeth and require regular brushing and flossing. The implant screw can last a lifetime when taking the correct precautions, such as receiving regular dental check-ups every six months. The dental crown can last about 15 years before needing a replacement due to natural wear and tear. However, maintaining excellent dental hygiene can extend the tooth crown's life past 15 years. Depending on the location of your dental implant, it can also be a factor in predicting its lifetime. Tooth implants in the rear of the mouth are subjected to more frequent chewing and may wear out more quickly than implants in the front of the mouth.
How Much Do Implants Cost?
The cost of a dental implant will vary from patient to patient, depending on your current situation. The dental implant itself may not be very expensive, but all the other aspects of the treatment can add up. Here are some questions to ask Dr. Parker:
1. Do I need my tooth/teeth removed?
2. Do I need bone grafting?
3. How many visits will it take to complete the treatment?
These steps can add to the cost of your dental implant. Many patients understand the "implant" to mean the actual tooth they use to chew but the implant is comprised of 3 parts:
1. The root replacement implant in the bone
2. The abutment that allows for a tooth to attach to the implant
3. The tooth itself
The total cost in average around California will range from $2,000-$7,500 per tooth
What is Surgical Planning?
Dental implants require precision due to the anatomy of the jaw bone, the nerves, the blood vessels, the sinus, and the neighboring teeth. With the modern, advanced technology at Facer Hales Parker Dentistry in Ladera Ranch, we can meticulously plan your implant procedure from start to finish. This ensures that the implant is placed in the ideal position for function, cleansability, and longevity.
Dr. Parker takes the time to sit with his patients so he can understand their hopes and fears for replacing their missing teeth. He then takes the time to plan the dental implant procedure from start to finish. This not only leads to a better surgical experience but also eliminates guesswork. The body heals more effectively due to the precision and efficiency of the procedure. Achieving more predictable and better results is everyone's goal, and surgical planning is crucial to achieving that!
What are Dental Implants Made of?
Dental implants are one of the most miraculous advancements in modern medicine! In the early 20th century, many doctors were experimenting with different materials and designs to replace missing teeth. In 1965, the first pure titanium implant was placed and demonstrated that bone fused to the metal. Remarkably, that very first titanium dental implant lasted until the patient's death 40 years later. Since that pioneering implant, millions of titanium dental implants have been placed in patients' mouths. Due to extensive research, Dr. Parker exclusively uses titanium implants. The risk of allergies or other adverse health effects is extremely low, near zero. While zirconia implants are a newer technique currently being tested, the research does not yet support their widespread use.
What is a Surgical Guide?
With the advanced technology at Facer Hales Parker Dentistry, we can utilize surgical guides to follow our precision planning. After Dr. Parker plans it out on the 3D cone beam x-ray, taking into consideration the placement of the tooth in your bite and its function, he can use the 3D printer to create a guide. This guide fits directly on your teeth and ensures that Dr. Parker places your implant as precisely as possible.
3D printing has advanced many different industries, enabling the fabrication of custom parts and pieces. It is an exciting time in dentistry for you, the patient, as you get to experience all that this technology has to offer here at Facer Hales Parker Dentistry
What Can I Expect?
No other office will take care of you like Facer Hales Parker Dentistry. We warmly welcome you into our comfortable environment and ensure you understand everything concerning the cost, procedure, and long-term care. We have technology that allows our patients to see things in a way they never have before.
This enhanced understanding will boost your confidence as you approach the procedure. After settling the financial arrangements, you may require a tooth extraction or bone grafting to prepare for the implant. Depending on the circumstances, these procedures can be challenging to heal from. In comparison, the implant surgery is relatively simple due to meticulous planning and preparation. Moreover, the body has less to recover from.
Your post-op care is straightforward for the first two weeks; you should avoid the area as much as possible. Some pain medication may be necessary to ease discomfort during the first week. You may experience some swelling and bruising as you heal. After two weeks, you can start cleaning and treating the area more normally. It takes around 3 to 4 months for the implants to fully integrate into the bone, marking the completion of the process.
Dental Implant Alternatives
When faced with a missing tooth or teeth, what are the alternatives? Well, the first alternative is to leave it as it is – this is, of course, the most affordable option at the present moment. However, over time, it can lead to teeth shifting, making the area harder to clean and potentially affecting your bite, which could further damage other teeth.
Another option is a dental bridge. The teeth next to the gap are prepared for crowns, and a bridge with teeth attached to the nearby crowns is placed. This is a quicker option than an implant but involves the adjacent teeth. This poses a long-term risk when the bridge develops decay underneath or possibly breaks. Dental bridges can be aesthetically pleasing and, with practice, easy to clean.
A partial denture or full denture is the next option. These are made of acrylic and can be removed. They attach to existing teeth or the remaining gums to stay in place. However, they can be uncomfortable due to their lack of stability and thickness. The customization process can take anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks. Dentures can look great, but they must be removed each night for cleaning and to allow the mouth tissue to rest.
Dental Implant Benefits
There are four main benefits to having a dental implant replace a missing tooth:
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The replacement of the missing tooth does not affect the other teeth. This prevents trauma to those teeth and reduces the cost of further, more complicated repairs.
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Your bite and jaw's functional health are stabilized. Your ability to chew is balanced again, and the neighboring teeth do not shift into the gap.
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The bone in the area also stabilizes. Currently, bone grafting has limitations. Without a tooth or implant, the unused bone in the jaw will atrophy, limiting your options for restoration later.
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The aesthetics of a missing tooth can impact other aspects of your mental health. Replacing that tooth can restore your confidence!
Why Dr. Lincoln Parker?
Visiting a dentist can be very challenging, especially considering past experiences with dental offices and worries about the necessary treatments for your teeth and gum issues. Few can ease patient anxiety as effectively as Dr. Parker. He genuinely cares about providing you with the best way to comprehend your current situation. He utilizes technology and other resources to educate you in a way that suits your unique understanding. Dr. Parker is also transparent about the financial aspect, reducing the pressure surrounding one of the most challenging aspects of the process to discuss.
Following this, Dr. Parker's extensive training through the American Academy of Implant Dentistry and his years of surgical experience will instill the confidence that you are in the right hands for your procedure.
Dr. Parker's extensive experience in handling even the most complex TMJ pain cases will assure you that he will provide you with the best functioning tooth or teeth available.
Furthermore, Dr. Parker's years of experience in cosmetic dentistry will demonstrate his commitment to handling your aesthetics with the utmost level of detail and care.
These three pillars of Dr. Parker's care are collectively termed 'The Parker Trifecta.'
Dental Implant Safety
Are Dental Implants safe? Yes!
Dental Implants are one of the most predictable and safe medical procedures available today. There are always risks associated with any dental work one can undertake. Surgery in the jawbone carries higher risks for patients who smoke regularly, have diabetes, suffer from osteoporosis, or have poor dental hygiene.
The safety of the procedure depends on your body's response and the skill of the dentist performing the work.
Dental implants have a 60-year track record of proven safety and success.
Can I Get My Teeth In a Day?
It sounds too good to be true, right? But yes, you can get your teeth in a day if your situation qualifies. When 4 or more implants are placed, they can support a bridge of teeth fixed to them on the same day as the surgery. These initial teeth will be a prototype or temporary set while the implants, bone, and tissue heal. After 3-4 months, you can transition to a final set of teeth. The initial set of teeth is digitally designed and then 3D printed right here in our office! The 3D printing provides a cleaner set of teeth that are much more accurate than previous acrylic versions. Your final bridge of teeth is typically made of zirconia porcelain material, ensuring long-term aesthetics and strength that resemble natural teeth and function like them too!
If you are having a single implant or fewer than 4 placed to replace missing teeth, we will need to wait for them to integrate into the bone before placing the final teeth.
Do You Need a CBCT or 3D X-ray?
Dental Implants need to fit precisely within the available bone volume. Traditional x-rays are two-dimensional and can only provide estimates of the jaw's anatomy, making them less precise. A CBCT (Cone Beam Computed Tomography) provides the most accurate estimate and visualization of the available bone. Dr. Parker does not place an implant without first having the 3D visualization that a cone beam x-ray can provide.
For our patients here in Orange County, CA, we provide these X-rays complimentary, ensuring that the precision and planning are top-notch!
Do I Need a Bone Graft?
Dental implants can only be placed in an area with sufficient bone. Natural teeth can have very thin bone around them due to the blood flow around the tooth and the ligaments that hold our teeth to our bone. A dental implant does not have the same natural support system and requires thicker bone to hold it securely. After a careful evaluation of the area by Dr. Parker, our patients in Ladera Ranch and the surrounding areas will visually see how much bone is available. If there is insufficient bone thickness, grafting will be recommended. The graft material is typically processed cadaver or bovine bone. Different areas of the mouth benefit from different types of bone grafts, but they usually come from an external source. These graft materials are processed to remove all biological material, leaving only the mineral component of bone material.
Does It Hurt?
Anytime we undergo a dental procedure, there will be a healing period afterward. Surprisingly, the dental implant procedure, when successful, is one of the least painful procedures to undergo. After extraction and grafting procedures have healed, the body does not need to undergo significant trauma or tissue changes during the implant procedure. Some gum soreness is expected, and typically, there are sutures that can be annoying. However, overall, any discomfort can be easily managed with over-the-counter pain medications.
If there is pain at the site a week or two later, it usually indicates issues with the procedure, and it should be evaluated.
Can I Have All My Teeth Replaced?
Losing your teeth can be a very emotional experience, and we are here to help. In the past, replacing all of your teeth often meant getting dentures that were loose or difficult to chew with. For many years, it seemed like you would have to replace individual teeth with many implants, which added to the cost and made it nearly impossible for many people to afford.
Today, Dr. Parker can place 4-6 implants in the upper or lower arch and attach teeth directly to them. There are two options available: All-on-4 or All-on-6 fixed teeth that do not come out, or a denture that snaps onto the implants but can still be removed by the patient.
Call us today to explore your options and discover the available technology that makes it possible for you to receive the best care!