Dental Tooth Implants

Your oral environment is hostile to healthy healing from the aggressive bacteria periodontal disease harbors. Much scientific research has been done that shows that the excessive and aggressive bacteria involved in gum disease get into the GI tract and the blood, stressing the immune system, damaging organs such as the heart, brain, and liver. Research shows that the amount of bone loss after dental extractions from broken teeth, failed root canals, and infections that are not treated with bone grafts is significantly higher. This makes it a challenge to place a dental implant. Just as placing a signpost in the ground, there needs to be sufficient length integrated into the bone to support the chewing forces of a porcelain crown attached to an implant. Many studies show that bone quality and size are maintained and can even be improved with a bone graft, improving the success of a dental implant. Our dentist regularly recommends bone grafts after she removes teeth. She has been placing bone grafts for over four years and is pleased with the benefits it offers her patients.

Read how we use stem cells and growth factors to enhance healing and bone growth.

Consultation

In our Phoenix dental office, our dentist evaluates each client interested in replacing missing teeth with dental implants. First, she reviews medical history to discover any systemic or metabolic issues that may interfere with the placement and healing of dental implants. We use our top of the line CBCT 3D imaging machine to take a 3-dimensional x-ray of the patient’s jaws for evaluation and later mapping the important anatomy to avoid and virtually plan the safe surgical placement of the implant and replacement tooth to be attached. This will show her and you exactly where the implant will go and an estimate of the size and shape of the crown to fill the space of the missing tooth. This information is used to design a 3D printed template to guide the surgery to make the surgery as error-free as possible. If this sounds like the kind of precision planning your desire for your surgery to place a dental implant, you will like experiencing the technology we’ve invested in at our Phoenix dental office.

Our treatment coordinator will give you an honest price for your whole implant tooth package, from the placement of the dental implant in our phoenix dental office or with one of our talented surgeons to the placement of your final permanent tooth by Dr. Ebner. If you have dental insurance, often part of the cost of your dental implant and crown is covered. Our insurance specialist will contact your insurance and include an estimate of your benefits for the implant surgery and dental crown placement.

Before The Dental Implant Surgery

Our dentist will go over the whole procedure with you before your day of surgery so you know what to expect. She may recommend supplements to boost your immunity and help to heal. You will get a persona call from her the evening of your surgery, if performed by her, from her cell number so you have a direct line of communication for questions and concerns as you heal.

Recovery and Follow Up

Healing from implant surgery can take from 3 to 6 months, on average. Until the implant is solidly healed in the bone, you may be fitted with a tooth-colored temporary tooth, a clear retainer with a tooth to fit over the area or a metal cap to cover the healing surgical site. The type of healing piece will depend on what is appropriate for the type and place of the implant as well as your desires. When the implant is tested and has healed solidly in the bone, our dentist uses a digital scanner to make a 3d scan of the implant site, the opposite teeth, how your teeth come together, and the color and shape of the surrounding teeth. This is sent and received the same day by our talented digital dental lab and your tooth is computer designed and precisions created to fit perfectly and feel comfortable and look natural.

Final Thoughts

While dental implants are costly, the lifetime cost of removing a compromised, damaged tooth and replacing it with a modern, high-quality dental implant and custom computer-assisted design ( CAD CAM) and fabricated crown is far less. There are no root canal treatments that need to be done and retreated. There are no crowns that get damaging cavities under them. Over time, these costly repairs of root canals and crowns on teeth with compromised structures will need replacing. The result will eventually be extraction and replacement with a dental implant. Second, price shopping for the least expensive price when the surgery is complex, technique sensitive, and time-consuming may get you results you don’t like, don’t last, or that damage the bone you have by infection or implant failure. That will cost double because you may have to repeat the process. Also, not all implant companies provide the same purity of titanium. Companies vary the amounts of nickel, copper, and other additions in their titanium implants. This is a factor for patients with metal allergies. ( www.FDA.gov/media/131150/download) We use implant companies with a long history of high-quality materials and success rates in our dental office in Phoenix. Our implant surgeon specialist uses the same companies.

Our dentist also offers metal-free dental implants made of ceramic for certain limited cases. Zirconia dental implants and zirconia dental crowns offer many benefits to patients. There are also limitations to Zirconia dental implants. Please read Dr. Ebner’s blog post on the subject for details.

We strive to provide the safest options for replacing missing teeth in our patient’s mouths in our Phoenix dental office. Our dental office has the cutting-edge technology to assist our dentist in the ideal positioning of the dental implants and our implant surgeons have advanced surgical training. If you would like a consultation to restore your smile and put teeth where they are missing, contact Biltmore Innovative Dentistry. Dr. Ebner will be happy to discuss your options.