Dental Implants – Itasca, IL

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

You will first meet with your implant dentist to discuss your candidacy for treatment. It is during this visit that you will learn if there are any issues standing between you and your fully restored smile. If you require any preliminary treatments such as bone grafting, periodontal therapy, or tooth extraction before receiving your dental implants, we will help you through the process. Getting necessary prework done beforehand can help ensure the long-term success of your implants.

Dental Implant Surgery

Once you are cleared for surgery, we will refer you to a local dental implant specialist who will perform the minor oral procedure. The specialist may wish to meet with you to answer your questions about the surgery. For the procedure itself, after local anesthesia, small incisions are made in the gums where the dental implants will be put into place. The posts are then inserted into the jawbone.

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment

After the gum tissue is closed and the procedure is complete, you will return home to heal. The gum tissue should heal within a week of the procedure, but the more important process takes longer. For 3-6 months, osseointegration must occur, which involves the fusing of dental implants and bone. After you’ve fully healed, you’ll return to our office to have small abutments attached to the tops of your implants. Abutments are basically the connection piece between the post and your restoration.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s)

The final step in the dental implant process is to receive your customized restoration. This can include a crown, bridge, or denture. First, we’ll take impressions of your upper and lower arches and send this information to our trusted dental lab. Over the course of a few weeks, they will produce your custom restoration(s). We’ll call you when it’s ready, and you’ll come in to have it bonded in place.

Day-to-Day Benefits

As you’d expect, implants’ day-to-day benefits stand out the most. These include:

• A Stunning Smile – Since dental crowns top them, implants blend seamlessly with adjacent teeth. They match your other chompers’ color, size, and shape enough that people won’t even notice they’re artificial.
• A Confident Attitude – Once they’ve restored your smile, implants will naturally boost your confidence. You’ll feel more assured in your looks as you mingle with friends and family.
• Easier Eating – Implants restore your bite force when they fuse with your jaw. From there, you can chew and eat your favorite tough foods again.
• Low-Effort Care – Compared to dentures or bridges, implants are easy to clean. You can just care for them as you would any other teeth. As such, brush them twice daily, floss between them once daily, and rinse with mouthwash.

Health Benefits

Besides their day-to-day benefits, implants also have health-related ones. That means using them will improve your body. For example, implants usually lead to:

• A Cleaner Mouth – If you leave smile gaps untended, they’ll allow harmful bacteria to breed. These microbes could then cause tooth decay, gum disease, etc. Still, implants would fill the gaps and thus improve your oral health.

• A Nutritious Diet – Implants let you eat tougher foods, so they expand your dietary options. This wider range of meal choices leads to better nutritional health.

• A Stronger Jaw – Without fast treatment, tooth loss will erode your jaw. This erosion will then trigger a facial collapse. However, dental implants can prevent and reverse this process. They stimulate your jawbone’s tissues, ensuring your jaw stays full and robust.
• High Tooth Support – If you lack a full grin, your smile gaps will make the remaining teeth tilt and fall out. Luckily, implants excel at filling these spaces. The posts will thus keep your other teeth straight and stable.

Long-term Benefits

As it turns out, implants offer some great long-term advantages. The most common of these are:

• High Success – In the long run, dental implants nearly always succeed. Their ten-year success rate even exceeds 95%!
• Enduring Effects – The average dental implant lasts roughly 15-20 years. Meanwhile, a well-maintained one can reach a lifespan of over 30 years. So, there’s a good chance your implant treatment will last a lifetime.
• Financial Savings – Over time, implants can actually save you money. Their long lives (see above) mean they need few (if any) repairs or replacements. In contrast, a denture or bridge requires plenty of pricey follow-up care. (Either of these options will only last 5-7 years.)

Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery

First of all, it’s common for people to need to have some preliminary work done before their dental implant surgery. For example, it’s common for people who have been without teeth for a long time to have their jaw’s strength degrade, which causes problems when it comes time to place dental implants. You may therefore need a bone graft or sinus lift in order to develop a strong foundation for your dental implants, which you should factor into the overall cost of your services.

Then there’s the cost of the dental implant surgery itself. We partner with excellent local specialists to place our dental implants, so you’ll have to talk to them about the cost of their services before you start.

The Parts of Your Dental Implant

Then there’s the cost of the dental implants themselves. This has to do with a few factors, namely:

• The number of dental implants you’ll need to replace your teeth
• The size of your dental implants
• The material the dental implant is made from
• The type of restoration you’re using for your dental implant. In general, restorations replacing more teeth are more expensive, with implant dentures costing more than an implant crown.
• The brand of dental implant you’re using

We’ll talk you through each of these options when we meet you in person, allowing you to make an informed decision about each of them.

How Dental Implants Pay for Themselves

As you may know, dental implants tend to be a bit more involved than dentures or dental bridges, and are therefore often more expensive. However, the fact is that you’re getting a lot for your money; not only are dental implants incredibly strong and realistic, they also routinely outlast other methods of tooth replacement by a factor of two to one. That being the case, the money you spend on dental implants will save you from having to replace your restoration down the line.

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

For a long time, dental insurance didn’t cover dental implants. However, as the treatment has gained popularity, this has changed. We’ll help you file claims to your insurance company, and will take the time to make sure that you’re getting the most out of your benefits.

Making Dental Implants Affordable

If your insurance company doesn’t cover dental implants, you may need to take an alternative approach to making the care you receive affordable. One option you may want to consider is financing, which can front the cost of your dental care and allow you to pay off the balance later. We frequently work with CareCredit, which offers many low-to-no interest financing services to qualify.

If you have questions about this or any other method of making care affordable, give us a call and we’ll be happy to bring you in for a consultation.

Make Oral Hygiene a Priority

No matter how busy you are, you need to make oral hygiene a priority. That means brushing your teeth for a full two minutes each morning and flossing your teeth every night before bed, even if you’re tired. Outside of that, do your best to rinse with mouthwash consistently, replace your toothbrush before the bristles are frayed and smelly, and remember to clean your toothbrush holder every so often.

Eat a Healthy Diet

While some foods benefit your oral health, others do not. So, to maintain your teeth, your gums, and your dental implants, you need to fill your plate with lean protein, fresh fruits, and seasonal vegetables. Simultaneously, you should limit your intake of sugary and starchy snacks, like ice cream, potato chips, hard pretzels, and lollipops.

Break Bad Habits

Although dental implants are crafted from only the best materials, and they are extremely durable, you still need to do your part to prevent wear. That means not using tobacco products, drinking alcohol excessively, biting your nails, or chewing on ice cubes. You also shouldn’t use your teeth in place of scissors to remove plastic wrapping. Basically, avoid doing anything that could cause yours to chip, crack, or come loose.

Protect Your Dental Implants

Protecting your dental implants from unforeseen force and impact is also a priority. In other words, if you participate in a sport (even a non-contact one), you should wear a mouthguard. If you grind/clench your teeth at night, you should wear a nightguard. If you don’t have one, that’s okay – our team at Hamilton Lakes Dentistry can make one for you! We will also give you helpful tips on how to keep it in pristine condition so it lasts for several years.

Schedule Regular Dental Checkups

Our Itasca dental team isn’t just here to restore your smile; we’re here to help you maintain it as well! That’s why we recommend coming to our office every six months for a dental checkup and cleaning. It’s also of the utmost importance that you contact us sooner if you notice that something is wrong, like there is a pimple-like bump on your gums or your dental implant feels loose. That way, we can intervene right away, reducing the chances of dental implant failure in the process.