At Magnolia Dental in Louisville, we specialize in the restoration of damaged dental implants, ensuring you can confidently share your complete smile once more. Tooth decay, accidents, and sports-related injuries often lead to tooth loss, but with modern dentistry, living with a gap in your smile is no longer necessary. Dental implants stand out as one of the most effective solutions, also serving as anchors for implant-retained dentures and partials.
Dental Implants vs. False Teeth
While dentures, whether partial or full, have been a traditional solution for missing teeth, they come with their share of drawbacks. Poorly fitted or unsecured dentures may frequently slip or fall out, causing discomfort in the gums and jaw. Additionally, dentures fail to stimulate the jawbones, resulting in gradual bone loss.
In contrast, dental implants are surgically placed beneath the gums, serving as new roots for replacement teeth that closely resemble and function like natural teeth. Although dentures may be more budget-friendly, implants offer advantages such as preventing bone loss, stability during activities like speaking and eating, and ease of maintenance, allowing you to brush them just like your natural teeth.
Types of Dental Implants
Depending on the health of the patient’s jawbone, we may recommend either endosteal or subperiosteal implants. Endosteal implants, suitable for those with a healthy jawbone, involve titanium posts surgically placed into the jaw, followed by the attachment of crowns in a subsequent surgery. For patients with insufficient jawbone support, subperiosteal implants utilize metal frames placed between the jawbone and gum tissue, with protruding posts for crown attachment.
Even if dental implants aren’t necessary, artificial crowns can provide significant benefits:
Should Implants Come Before or After Braces?
In cases where orthodontic treatment and dental implants are both needed, braces typically precede implant placement. This sequencing ensures implants remain stable in the jaw, preventing movement. However, in some instances, implants can be placed before or during orthodontic treatment, serving as anchors to facilitate the proper movement of natural teeth.
Taking Care of Your Dental Implant
Maintaining excellent daily oral hygiene habits is crucial to ensure the longevity of your implant once it has been expertly restored by us. While an implant cannot develop cavities like a natural tooth, the lack of a periodontal ligament between the gum and implant makes the surrounding tissue susceptible to infection. Diligent brushing and flossing are encouraged to avoid issues like peri-implantitis.
The Dental Implant Timeline: From Consultation to Confident Smile
Embarking on the journey to a restored and confident smile through dental implants involves a well-structured timeline. The process typically begins with a comprehensive consultation, where our prosthodontic experts at Magnolia Dental assess your oral health and discuss your specific needs and expectations. Following this, the surgical phase unfolds, during which titanium posts are precisely placed into the jawbone.
During a healing period, the implants integrate with the bone — a critical step for stability. Once the integration is complete, a second surgery may be scheduled to attach abutments, which serve as connectors for the replacement teeth. Custom-crafted crowns are then affixed to the abutments, resulting in a natural-looking and functional smile.
Throughout the process, our team ensures personalized care, guiding you every step of the way. The result is a transformative dental implant experience, offering unparalleled stability and aesthetics for a lifetime of confident smiles.
Talk to Us About Implants
With over three million people in the U.S. alone benefiting from at least one dental implant, you’ll be in excellent company by choosing this option to complete your smile. If you have a missing tooth and seek to fill that gap, don’t hesitate to give us a call and schedule an appointment. Our expert team at Magnolia Dental is here to help you regain your confident and radiant smile.
To learn more about us, check out our business site, and follow this link to see where your Louisville dentist is located. We’ll evaluate the health of your jawbone and see what type of implant will be best for you.
