Dental Implants
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are a solution for replacing missing teeth, one that can last for years or even a lifetime with the right care. Implants are placed one by one, with the base of them naturally fusing to your jawbone to provide exceptional stability. With dental implants, you should have no limits on your diet, allowing you to enjoy these prosthetics as though they were your natural teeth.
Caring for them is easy. Just brush and clean them like your regular teeth. With a healthy dental care routine and regular dental checkups, your dental implants can last for years or even decades. If you are missing a tooth (or a few), then Tropic Dental Care is here to help you restore your smile and enjoy all the benefits that come with it.
Benefits of Dental Implants
- Natural look and feel
- Easy to care for
- Stable, durable, and long lasting
- No limits to diet
- Prevent changes in jaw shape
- Reduce the risk of jaw bone deterioration
- Boost confidence in your smile
What Is the Process Like?
Getting dental implants usually requires a few visits to our office to ensure you get tooth replacements that are fully tailored to match your smile. However, like anything worth taking time for, the results reflect the effort.
1. Consultation & Exam
First, we will need to examine your mouth and see if implants are your ideal solution. If you have a tooth that needs to be pulled, we also will need to take care of this before replacing it. We use every ounce of technology at our disposal. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) creates a full visual representation of your jaw, gums, and teeth to guide precision treatment.
2. Impressions
If you are a good candidate for implants, we can take impressions of your jaw and surrounding teeth to ensure your replacement looks and feels like a natural part of your smile. Our lab technicians use these impressions as the model for your new tooth. Using advanced technology, they create a custom crown down to micrometer exactitude.
3. Implant Placement (& Possibly Bone Grafting)
The next step is to place the implant into the gum, where it can fuse with the jawbone for lasting support. However, some patients may first need a bone grafting procedure if they do not have enough jawbone mass to support the implant. Over the next few months, the implant fuses to your jawbone. This natural process creates exceptional stability to hold your new tooth in place.
4. Abutment, Crown, & Final Steps
The next steps involve placing the abutment and then the crown (the “tooth” part) on the implant. Each crown is custom-made in the laboratory to ensure a fully personalized look to it, making it a natural-looking part of your smile. Once your implants are placed, we ensure that they fit and function properly. If you have any questions or concerns about your dental implants at any point, do not hesitate to give Tropic Dental Care a call.
Are Dental Implants Right for Me?
If you have lost a tooth or several, then we recommend looking at your replacement options sooner rather than later. Putting off tooth replacement can lead to lasting changes in your mouth, including jawbone loss and other changes. So if you are missing a tooth, we recommend giving us a call as soon as possible to get started on a plan for replacing the teeth you have lost. And dental implants may very well be the ideal solution for you.
Implants are the longest-lasting option, providing years or even a lifetime of function while looking just like your natural teeth. Caring for them is also easy and almost identical to caring for your real teeth. They can be perfect for patients who need to replace one or a couple of teeth, but the procedure must be done one at a time. So for patients missing several teeth in a row, or an entire row of teeth, then we may recommend dental bridges or dentures. In any case, our dental specialists will work closely with you to find the best solution for your needs, making sure you get your smile back to 100% and looking better than ever.
Tooth loss can be a challenge to deal with, and the longer you let it continue, the more of an impact it can have on your life in multiple ways. That’s why Tropic Dental Care, dentist in Riverside, is here to help you get started on your ideal tooth replacement option as soon as possible. Call us or use our online form to schedule your appointment for dental implants in Riverside today and take the first step toward rebuilding your smile.
FAQ
How long do dental implants last?
This question has two answers. Technically, the implant (post) can last 25 years to a lifetime. Most people actually want to know how long the crown (tooth) will last. The good news is that it can also last for years, with most patients needing a replacement after 10–15 years.
Your oral health, habits, and dental care are the main factors. We have seen patients with excellent lifestyle factors have crowns last for 20+ years. On the other hand, we have also seen crowns last only a few years. Your daily choices will play a central role in how long your results last.
Are dental implants painful?
We use a local anesthetic for each part of the dental implant process. You might still feel some pressure, but it should never escalate to pain. After implant placement, some soreness is normal. However, it should not go beyond a mild discomfort, easily managed with over-the-counter pain relievers. At the dentist’s discretion, we may prescribe other medication to manage discomfort or inflammation.
What are implant-supported dentures?
Most commonly, patients use implants to support individual tooth replacements. But you can also use them for dentures! Implant-supported dentures are specially made to attach to a set of implants in your gums. Most importantly, this gives your dentures more stability. You can choose from two main options. We offer removable dentures that snap on and off your implants. Or you can choose dentures that we permanently affix to your implants. Each option has unique advantages involving ease of cleaning and stability.
How much do dental implants cost?
A single dental implant starts at about $3000, which includes the exam, procedure, and all materials. This might seem like a notable price tag until you factor in the longevity of the investment. If your implant lasts the expected minimum of 25 years, that comes out to $10 a month, which is nowadays roughly the price of a cup of coffee. Keep in mind that prices largely depend on procedure complexity, so your personalized quote could be lower or higher depending on your procedure’s details.
Does insurance cover dental implants?
It largely depends on your plan. Some plans cover certain parts of the process (like the crown), while others might cover each element. Coverage amounts also vary, which can make the out-of-pocket costs differ. Our patient care team has plenty of experience working with all manner of plans and can help you understand what yours entails. At our practice, we accept all PPO plans and Denti-Cal.
Can I finance dental implants?
Absolutely! We know that the cost of implants can make budgeting for them a little tricky. Fortunately, flexible payment plans help you avoid this issue. We partner with CareCredit to offer financing plans, with some options including 0% interest with on-time monthly payments. We aim to make top-tier dental care accessible for anyone who needs it.
Will dental implants look and feel natural?
The first few days or weeks might feel a little strange. Firstly, you have likely already gotten used to not having a tooth. Having one suddenly there might feel a little unusual. Additionally, natural teeth have nerves, which allow them to sense pressure and temperature. Since a dental implant does not have these, it can feel odd at first. Fortunately, we are great at adapting to changes. For most patients, they stop noticing their implant within a few weeks.
As for looks: our custom-made dental implants should look entirely natural. We carefully adjust size and color so that they blend in with your existing teeth and your smile on the whole.
Do dental implants require special care or maintenance?
Dental implants require no more special care than your natural teeth already do. That means brushing, flossing, and routine dental visits. It also means avoiding smoking. For oral hygiene, you may need to make minor changes to your technique. Otherwise, you need not do anything beyond a typical healthy oral care routine.
What is the success rate of dental implants?
On average, dental implants have a 95% success rate (and often as high as 98%). Working with an experienced implant specialist and oral surgeon only increases these odds. Other important factors include oral hygiene, following post-procedure instructions, and overall health.
How long does the dental implant process take from start to finish?
The typical timeline involves 3 to 9 months. Individual factors make all the difference, such as health (oral and bodily), age, and jawbone density. When consulting with you, we provide a clear timeline based on each of your relevant features. If you need bone grafting, you will generally need 3 additional months added to that time frame, so it could be between 6 and 12 months total.
Can smokers get dental implants?
Smoking is often a contributing factor to tooth loss. So it is not uncommon for patients who smoke to need tooth replacement. While patients who use tobacco can get implants, smoking does increase the risk of implant failure. From there onward, it can also be a factor in additional oral health concerns that can shorten your implant’s lifespan. If you use tobacco, we will thoroughly consult with you on the risks/benefits of moving forward with dental implants.
