Dental Implants in Texas
Fill in the Gaps of Your Smile for Good
Dr. Bodapati and our team at Pleasant Dental don’t want you to have to go elsewhere to get the complete dental care you need. Instead of providing referrals, we can complete many complex forms of treatment in-house, including dental implants. As the longest-lasting method of tooth replacement available, these prosthetics can help to fill in the gaps of your smile for good. Our team is ready to discuss your options, so call us today to schedule a consultation for dental implants.
Why Choose Pleasant Dental for Dental Implants?
- Start-to-Finish Dental Implant Placement & Restoration
- Natural Crowns, Bridges, and Dentures to Fill in Gaps
- Highly Skilled & Experienced Dentists and Dental Team
What Are Dental Implants?
Often made of titanium and zirconia, dental implants look similar to screws but work just like natural tooth roots. Delivering continuous stimulation to the jawbone, they help to keep natural teeth in place while also maintaining a more youthful facial structure.
Their stability and durability are much more reliable than traditional tooth replacement options, and their ability to last for decades or even a lifetime are just a few of the reasons so many people continue to choose them when faced with tooth loss.
The 4-Step Dental Implant Process
It takes several months to complete the dental implant process. Every step will be worth it in the end when you have a newly completed smile that looks as natural as it feels. Do you truly fully understand what will happen when you choose to get dental implants? Here’s a look at the four main steps of the process to help give you a clearer picture.
Initial Dental Implant Consultation
Are dental implants really the best option for replacing your missing teeth? Can you have them placed right away, or will you need to have preliminary treatments like bone grafting completed first? We can answer these questions during your initial consultation. A thorough examination of your mouth will be performed, and we’ll consider your needs carefully before giving you our recommendation and working with you to create a treatment plan.
Dental Implant Surgery
Unlike other tooth replacement options, dental implants directly interface with the jawbone. Consequently, they need to be placed via surgery. The procedure will be very carefully planned; our team will use the latest technology to figure out exactly where the implant posts need to go. The gums will need to be opened for this procedure, and they will be sutured shut at the end. Caps will be placed in order to protect the implant posts from damage while also helping the gums keep the right shape as they heal.
Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment
Once the surgery is complete, osseointegration will begin. As time passes, the bone in your jaw will start to fuse with your dental implant posts, thus ensuring that they stay firmly in their intended positions. Osseointegration can take months to complete; until it does, you should avoid putting too much pressure on your implant posts (which means no chewing directly on them).
Eventually, you will be ready to receive the abutments that will help attach the final prosthesis to the implants. A second surgery will be required at this point, but it will be smaller than the one performed to place your implant posts.
Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s)
With your mouth fully healed and your abutments in place, we can capture impressions of your mouth to start the process of designing the final crown, bridge, or denture. The prosthesis will be carefully personalized with your mouth in mind, helping it blend in so well that it becomes virtually indistinguishable from your actual teeth.
Once the restoration is ready, it’s time for the final step: actually attaching your new teeth to your implant posts. Our team will ensure that the prosthesis is securely anchored in place and confirm there aren’t any problems. If everything looks good, then you will have officially completed the dental implant process and can start looking forward to all the benefits that your new smile will bring.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Delivering optimal stability, durability, and a longer lifespan, you can expect dental implants to give you back more than just your appearance. In fact, those are just a few of the reasons the millions of Americans who chose dental implants are enjoying life like never before! Keep reading to discover more about the benefits you’ll soon get to enjoy.
Day-to-Day Benefits
Below, you’ll find some day-to-day benefits you’ll enjoy with dental implants:
- Easier Maintenance: Denture cleaners are just one of the many special oral hygiene products patients need to keep their restoration in pristine condition. Fortunately, dental implants can be maintained with all of the best practices you use to keep your teeth and gums healthy, like brushing and flossing consistently.
- Increased Confidence: If you’re currently struggling with tooth loss, then you know all too well how negatively it can impact your self-esteem. The good news is that dental implants are custom-made, crafted from durable dental materials, and function just like your natural teeth.
- Varied Diet: Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of dental implants is this: they restore the strength of your bite so you can eat a well-balanced and nutrient-dense diet. Not only does this make life more enjoyable, but it also helps prevent issues like malnutrition.
Health Benefits
In addition to improving your overall quality of life, dental implants offer several health benefits, including:
- Jawbone Preservation: Other tooth replacement options can help you to see a full set of teeth, but dental implants are the only solutions capable of rebuilding smiles from the roots up. The post is inserted directly into your jawbone, which restores the strength of your bite while preserving your jawbone.
- Protection for Natural Teeth: Although there are several benefits of dental bridges, there are some drawbacks, including that they sometimes require healthy enamel to be altered. The same cannot be said about dental implants because they are self-supporting!
- Better Overall Health: Simply put, tooth loss can negatively impact your overall health in several ways, including making it difficult to eat a well-balanced, varied diet. Fortunately, dental implants can replace one, a few, or an entire arch of teeth, benefiting your oral and overall health in the process.
Long-Term Benefits
Finally, one of the biggest draws of dental implants is the long-term benefits they come with, including:
- High Success Rate: The process of determining if a patient is a candidate for dental implants is quite extensive, which is partly why this tooth-replacement solution has an impressive 95% success rate (and it’s even higher among non-smoking patients).
- Youthful Appearance: Bone loss and tooth loss can both result in a sunken-in, aged appearance. Fortunately, dental implants can preserve your jawbone and fill in the gaps in your smile, making you look more youthful.
- Long-Lasting Results: Another benefit that is unique to dental implants is the long lifespan. To be more specific, this tooth-replacement solution can last for 30 years or more with proper care!
Who Dental Implants Can Help
If you have lost one or more teeth, there is a good chance you will be able to receive dental implants. These versatile tooth replacements can make life easier and more enjoyable once fully in place, but to receive them, you must first meet with your implant dentist for a consultation. It is during this visit that we will go over the status of your smile and the extent of your tooth loss. We’ll discuss the type of restoration you will need and how we plan to improve your smile through our in-house process.
Missing One Tooth
When only one tooth is missing, we can replace it with one dental implant and custom-made dental crown. Filling in the space with a titanium or zirconia post, we will have a dental crown created and positioned on top so that it not only fills in the gap but also allows for improved oral function and aesthetics.
Missing Multiple Teeth
A dental bridge may be the common choice to treat multiple missing teeth, but an implant bridge can be a longer-lasting option. Using two dental implant posts, they will hold a custom-made bridge in place. There is no need to alter existing teeth when you can enjoy a fully restored smile using dental implants.
Missing All of Your Teeth
An entire row of missing teeth can be easily replaced using four to eight dental implant posts and a fully customized denture. Instead of using messy dental adhesive and natural suction to hold it in place, we will position the implant posts to ensure maximum support once your new artificial teeth are properly secured.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants
While improving the health and look of your smile might seem like a priceless endeavor, the reality is there is a cost associated with dental implants. Although different for each person, our team will work with you and your dental insurance company to help keep your expenses as low as possible. There are many factors our team will need to consider before establishing a firm estimate, but you can expect that we will do our best to improve your smile without emptying your pocket.