Dental Implants in DeSoto, TX

Tooth loss affects every aspect of your life, from your health and quality of life to your self-confidence. The earlier you seek tooth-replacement treatment, the better. As cosmetic dentistry experts, we recommend dental implants to minimize the risk of teeth shifting to close the gap, and restore the functionality of your smile! Schedule an appointment with us and get the smile you deserve.

What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants consist of two parts: the implant and the crown. The implants work like artificial tooth roots. They’re typically made out of titanium, but also sometimes ceramics. If a tooth is extracted for whatever reason, the root of that tooth leaves behind a void in the jaw. This can lead to bone loss in the jawbone. The dental implant fills this void and can then be fitted with a restoration. The crown is the part of the dental implant that looks like your natural tooth. They are usually made of porcelain and attach to root-like implants.

Dental implants can be used to restore a single missing tooth or can be used to support a bridge to restore multiple teeth. Several implants used in careful coordination can even be used to support a full arch denture, providing unparalleled stability and function for full-mouth rehabilitation.

Why Choose Dental Implants?

Dental Implants are a natural-looking, natural-acting, and natural-feeling teeth replacement option, perfect for candidates who need to replace missing teeth. Here are some benefits of dental implants:

• With regular dental checkups and cleanings, dental implants can last a lifetime
• They behave like natural teeth
• They prevent bone loss
• They keep adjacent teeth stable
• Dental implants can keep your gums disease-free
• They can prevent facial sagging and premature aging

Dental implants are the gold standard in the treatment of missing teeth. If you want to restore the looks and functionality of your smile and boost your self-confidence, dental implants may be the best option for you. They provide strength and structure to your jawbone, and they are a permanent tooth-replacement option. Perhaps one of the best advantages of an implant is that they are cared for just like your natural teeth – through normal preventive dentistry!

Since their development, dental implants have been helping millions of people across the globe restore their mouths both esthetically and functionally. It’s the next best thing to a real tooth: No other dental treatment comes close to mimicking the look, feel, and function of an actual tooth, like dental implants. 

More Benefits of Dental Implants

Our DeSoto, TX, dentist recommends dental implants over alternative tooth-replacement treatments. Dental implants offer several advantages over dentures, bridges, or removable partial dentures:

• Look and feel more natural
• If well cared for can last a lifetime
• Easier to maintain – just brush and floss like regular teeth
• Do not damage surrounding teeth
• Can improve health by broadening the diet
• Prevent further bone loss and even strengthen the jawbone

Why Should Missing Teeth be Replaced?

Anyone with a missing tooth should consider getting a dental implant. Likewise, anyone who thinks they might need a tooth extracted — due to damage or disease, for example — should ask their dentist about dental implants. When left untreated, missing teeth cause bone loss, facial sagging, and other problems.

When a tooth is removed, it leaves a gap, as we said. If this gap isn’t filled, it will slowly collapse. Our bodies are constantly growing, shifting, and changing. New cells die and are replaced every second. Without anything to support the jaw bone from within, it will close down over that hole.

What this means is a jaw that doesn’t function as well. Teeth on either side of the gap can “tip” to cover the hole, affecting your ability to eat and chew. This puts extra pressure on the opposite side of the mouth, which can lead to chips, cracks, and even breaks in the teeth there.

What’s the Process for Dental Implants?

A dental implant is composed of three parts – Implant, Abutment, and Crown.

1. The first thing that needs to happen for a dental implant procedure is for your cosmetic dentist to extract the tooth. This might be done as part of the procedure, or sometimes the tooth has been missing for a while already.

2. Once the tooth is extracted, the dental implant is placed. This is a surgical procedure that requires precise placement of the implant for maximum effect. The gum is sewn shut over the implant site, and the jaw bone is allowed to heal and fuse around the implant. Once this is secure, the gum is reopened to allow the restoration to be placed.

3. The implant itself is a small titanium post that is placed into the bone in the area(s) of missing teeth. Once the teeth implant is placed in the bone, it needs to heal. During healing, bone surrounds and attaches to the titanium post, recreating a stable structure to which a crown will be attached.

4. The abutment is the transition between the implant and the crown. Most abutments are screwed into the implant and provide a surface for the final crown to be cemented onto.

5. Finally, the crown (cap) is placed. The crown is the tooth portion of the implant system that will be visible in the mouth. Once healing is complete, the next step is to place the “abutment” and take an impression. This allows a laboratory to recreate the missing tooth. After the laboratory is finished, the patient returns to have the crown permanently cemented in place. Once cemented, the dental implant can be treated like a natural tooth. Daily brushing can begin at this point, and regular treatment (dental cleanings & evaluations) can be scheduled as needed.

How Long Do Dental Implants Last?

Dental implants are designed to be a permanent solution for tooth loss. They can last between 20 to 30 years, but their lifespan depends entirely on how well you look after your teeth and your daily oral hygiene habits.

If you care well for your dental implants at home and visit us here in DeSoto, TX, for your regular teeth cleanings and exams, your dental implants should last for a long period. 

What Is the Success Rate of Dental Implants?

Various studies have shown that dental implants have a success rate of over 95%. They’re the only tooth-replacement option that helps stimulate bone growth as well as prevent bone loss. 

Getting dental implants as soon as possible after losing a tooth helps prevent bone loss at the site. 

Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

Dental implants are not generally covered by medical insurance. Occasionally a small percentage of the cost will be covered by certain insurance plans. 

Give our dental office in DeSoto, TX, today to find out if you qualify for dental implants under your dental insurance provider. 

Can Dental Implants Be Done in One Day?

In many cases, a temporary replacement tooth can be attached to the implant immediately after it is placed. You will wear your temporaries while your jaw bone heals, anywhere from a few weeks to about six months. You will then come in to have your permanent teeth placed. 

Our Dental Implant Technology

At DeSoto Family Dentistry, we implement the top technology to ensure the best outcome for our patients and their smile. For our dental implants, we use a Cone Beam CT Scanner to measure accurately and plan out the procedures. 

CBCT scanners give us the precision we need to ensure we’re placing the implant in the optimal space to not only restore your missing teeth but ensure it lasts for many decades to come.

3D imaging (Cone Beam Imaging System)

Physicians have relied on computerized axial tomography scans (CAT) for many years. 

CAT scans are an X-ray procedure that uses many different X-ray images with the help of computers to generate cross-sectional or even 3D views of internal organs and structures within the body. A knee replacement surgery, for example, would never be performed without first examining 3D imaging.

Using 3D Imaging in Dentistry

Dentists have begun to depend on 3D imaging scans to provide a detailed view of the mouth and skull. The advantage that 3D imaging holds over regular dental x-rays is that bone structure, bone density, tissues, and nerves can be viewed clearly. This is very important for the surgeon to plan out the procedure beforehand.

Fast, Comfortable, and Precise

Dr. Varkey, here in DeSoto, TX, uses an in-office Cone Beam Imaging system, making detailed planning of your dental implant fast and convenient. 

The scans can be completed in less than half a minute. This means that far less radiation enters the body than if a regular set of bitewing X-rays were taken. 

The imaging takes place in an open environment, eliminating any claustrophobic tendencies and you remain seated at all times.

• Sinus lift augmentation:

Often, the sinuses will enlarge following the loss of the upper back teeth. This can impede the placement of dental implants in the upper back areas of the mouth since the sinus is an air-filled space and dental implants need to be surrounded by solid bone. A sinus lift augmentation/graft is a surgical procedure that restores the sinus cavity to its original position and replaces the bone lost as a result of the enlarged sinus. This new bone graft typically takes nine to 12 months to heal before the dental implants can be placed into the grafted bone.

• Autogenous bone grafting:

Occasionally, the areas in the jaw where the dental implants need to be inserted do not have a sufficient bone quantity to anchor in securely. In these cases, it is often necessary to “borrow” bone from another area of your mouth and graft it into the deficient area. The area of choice is usually from the chin or the back of the jaw, where your wisdom teeth used to be.

• Implant site development:

When a tooth needs to be removed due to infection, it is not uncommon to have lost bone from around the infected area. In these cases, various types of bone grafting can be done at the same time the tooth is removed to facilitate the placement of a dental implant at a later date.

• Computer-enhanced treatment planning:

We have special software on our computer that allows us to evaluate your dental CT scan in three dimensions for bone quality, bone quantity, and bone location. This allows the best possible placement of your dental implants. It also allows us to work closely and smoothly with your restorative dentist to ensure an ideal result where your dental implants are concerned.

• Implant maintenance:

Once your dental implant restoration is completed, it is important to keep the area clean and infection-free. Dental implants can accumulate plaque and tartar just as teeth can. Whether you have just one tooth replaced by an implant or several, a professional cleaning schedule will be necessary to keep your implants healthy. The time interval for these professional cleanings will be determined by your individual needs. Schedule a professional cleaning with our cosmetic dentist in DeSoto, TX, today!

Restore Your Smile With Dental Implants in Desoto, TX

If you’re curious about what dental implants can do for your smile, we invite you to schedule a consultation with us. We look forward to going on this journey together!