Dental Implants — Sugar Land, TX
Replace Missing Teeth with Ease
Missing teeth can be a real burden. They can make you self-conscious about your smile, and in many cases, they can even prevent you from enjoying your favorite foods. In fact, people with missing teeth are also more susceptible to periodontal (gum) disease , which can actually cause even more tooth loss! For people looking for a permanent solution, dental implants are the answer. They provide the best when it comes to strength, durability, AND aesthetics when compared to any other tooth replacement. Dr. Danny Nguyen , Dr. Cindy Hua , and our team are constantly amazed at the results they can achieve with dental implants, and we’re sure you will be too. If you’d like to learn more about this tooth-replacement solution, continue reading or give our office a call today!
Why Choose Eco Dental for Dental Implants?
- State-of-the-Art Dental Technology
- Partnered with Local Specialists
- CareCredit Financing Available
What Are Dental Implants?
A dental implant is a titanium (or zirconia) post that’s surgically inserted into the jawbone to replace the entire structure of a missing tooth, from the root up to the chewing surface. The implant will fuse to the surrounding bone tissue via a natural process known as osseointegration, providing the jawbone with blood flow and stimulation to prevent its deterioration. Once a few months have passed, a small connector piece known as an abutment will be attached to the post. Its sole purpose is to hold a custom-crafted restoration in place (i.e., crown, bridge, denture). This modern tooth loss solution is the only one capable of making your smile look, feel, and function just like new!
The 4 Step Dental Implant Process
Now, you have several options to replace your missing teeth. Besides traditional treatments like bridges or dentures, you may have also heard of dental implants. They are the most successful option to treat tooth loss because of the unique process used to replace both the root and the crown. Your journey to a complete smile will require a multi-step treatment process, but there is no need to worry. Here is what you can expect when rebuilding your smile!
Initial Dental Implant Consultation
Most people with missing teeth are a candidate for dental implants if they have good oral and general health. However, you still need a consultation with your implant dentist to assess your dental health. Besides a visual examination, you need digital x-rays and a CT scan to look for any potential issues that may be brewing beneath the surface, like decreased bone density in your jaw. Your dentist may determine you need additional treatments before placing your implant posts, such as bone grafting or tooth extractions.
Dental Implant Surgery
After your consultation, you’ll schedule your implant placement surgery with one of our trusted local specialists. They’ll typically administer sedation or use anesthesia to ensure you’re comfortable while your gum tissue is opened to expose your jawbone. A small hole is strategically created into it for each post to be placed. Your gum is sutured closed, and the healing process begins.
Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment Placement
The implant posts stimulate your jaw to encourage new bone growth. This allows your jaw to fuse to them over the next several weeks. As a result, they can potentially remain in place forever with the right aftercare.
After your jawbone is healed, special fixtures called abutments are attached to each post using a second minor surgery. Your gum tissue is opened to expose the head of the posts to connect the abutments. These are special attachments that hold your restorations to your posts. Your gum tissue heals around them over the next couple of weeks to create a seal around the posts.
Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations
An impression of your mouth is used to carefully craft your restorations. Depending on how many teeth you are missing, you will need a crown, bridge, or denture. They are made from all-ceramic material to mimic the appearance of your natural teeth. Rest assured – since they are made from high-quality materials, they function much like your real teeth!
Benefits of Dental Implants
Dental implants are one of the latest restorative treatments provided by dentists. The reason they come so highly recommended by professionals and patients alike is because they provide a laundry list of unique benefits. Whether you’re missing a single tooth or all of them, Dr. Nguyen and Dr. Hua can help transform and repair your mouth to make it fully functioning again. To learn more about how dental implants can improve your quality of life, continue reading!
Preserve Jawbone Density
Each of your teeth has roots that are fused with your jawbone, providing it with needed stimulation and blood flow to keep it from eroding. When one or several teeth go missing, your jawbone will begin to deteriorate in the area that isn’t being used. Unlike other traditional restorations that only repair the biting surface of your teeth, such as dentures and bridges, dental implants act to replace the root of your missing teeth. Through a process called osseointegration, they bond with your jawbone, just like your natural roots, preventing it from deteriorating and providing your replacement teeth with a strong and stable foundation to be placed on.
Improve Your Ability to Chew and Speak
Many patients who have traditional restorations suffer from unstable and moving replacement teeth that make it difficult to eat and speak easily. This is because traditional restorations like dentures rely on natural suction and denture adhesive to stay in place, which isn’t 100 percent reliable. Because your dental implants will be bonded with your jawbone, you won’t have to worry about your dentures that’s secured to them failing or moving in your mouth.
A Long Lifespan
One great benefit of dental implants that patients enjoy is that they’re easy to maintain and can last for up to 35 years with the proper care. This is because the titanium implants are biocompatible and create a thin oxide layer around them when they’re placed beneath your gums. This keeps them from eroding, providing your restorations with decade of support.
Easy Maintenance
Dental implants function and look exactly like your home-grown pearly whites. Fortunately, you can also care for them in the same way. That means that you’ll just need to brush twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush and floss at least once a day. Some other ways to extend the lifespan of your replacement teeth include:
- Being mindful of eating sticky, chewy, and hard foods that could damage your teeth.
- Keeping up with semi-annual checkups and cleanings.
- Maintain a nutritious diet.
Who Dental Implants Can Help
The reason dental implants are so special is because they actually replace the entire structure of your tooth, both above AND below the gum line. This is what gives them extra stability, and it also provides your jaw with essential support that will help maintain your facial shape for years to come. We can use several dental implants to replace any number of teeth using a custom-made crown, bridge, or denture.
Missing 1 Tooth
For a single missing tooth, we’ll use an implant retained crown to replace it. This crown will be made of 100% dental porcelain, and this material will make it resemble a natural tooth in every way imaginable. It’ll even feel like real enamel when you run your tongue across it! Plus, since it is firmly rooted in place below the gum line just like a natural tooth, it will blend perfectly with the rest of your smile. We bet the only person who will know that it isn’t a natural tooth will be you!
Missing Multiple Teeth
Now, if you have a row of consecutive missing teeth, a dental implant can also be used to anchor a bridge. For this, two implant retained crowns will be placed into your mouth, and they will be attached to a row of prosthetic teeth to close the gap in your smile. Compared to traditional bridges, implant retained bridges look better, last longer, and help preserve your natural teeth because they don’t need to be filed down to hold the supporting crowns.
Missing All Teeth
Dental implants can also be used to support a full or partial denture. These implant retained prosthetics look just as good as traditional ones, but they come with a variety of additional benefits:
- They won’t ever slip, click, or pop because they are held in place with titanium.
- The implants support your jaw, so your dentures will maintain their fit for much longer.
- They provide a much stronger bite force than traditional dentures. This means patients will be able to eat whatever they want without having to worry.
Learn More About Implant Dentures
All-On-4/ Teeth-in-a-Day
The All-On-4 method often allows for a patient to have their dental implants placed and restored in a single day. Four implant posts will be strategically placed around the jaw and used to support a set of dentures. Two will be located at the front of the jaw, where the bone is naturally thicker, and two more will be placed towards the back of the jaw at an angle to provide maximum support. In many cases, a patient can wake up that day with an entire row of missing teeth, and then leave the office with a complete smile only a few hours later!
Mini Dental Implants
One of the basic requirements a patient needs to get dental implants is a healthy jaw bone. For people who have been missing teeth for a number of years, they often do not have the bone strength to actually support the posts. Fortunately, mini dental implants can now help them. They are much smaller than traditional implants, meaning that even more people now have the option to permanently rebuild their smile.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants
As the most preferred solution for tooth loss, you can rest assured that you are making a wise decision by investing in an option that closely mimics your natural teeth. While you are excited to get started, it is normal to be concerned about the cost of dental implants. There are various factors that influence the amount you can expect to pay for each phase of your treatment. We’ll provide you with a custom estimate and discuss your payment options to ensure nothing stands in your way of a beautiful, functional smile.
Types of Dental Implants
The type of dental implant used impacts the amount you pay. Generally, a single dental implant is cheaper than an implant-retained denture; however, it is more economical to replace several missing teeth with an implant-supported appliance than it is to treat each one individually. The number of posts needed, and the type of restoration can increase the cost. No matter if you are missing one tooth, several teeth, or an entire arch, your implant dentist has a solution for you.
How Dental Implants Pay for Themselves in the Long Run
Dental implants can cost considerably more upfront than traditional treatments, but do not let that deter you from replacing your missing teeth. They are worth every penny because they have over a 95% success rate. As a result, they can last forever with the right care, so you never need to worry about having them replaced like that of conventional dental prosthetics. Implants also improve your oral health to reduce your risk of tooth decay, gum disease, and additional tooth loss. This helps lower your overall long-term dental costs.
Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?
Now, you can get affordable dental implants using your dental insurance. Depending on your specific policy, your coverage may pay for certain aspects of your treatment until you reach your annual limit, such as the restorations. We work on your behalf with the insurance company to maximize the value of your benefits to lower the amount you pay out-of-pocket.
Maintaining & Caring for Your Dental Implants
Even though your dental implant won’t be susceptible to cavities or tooth decay, you still need to keep it clean. If you don’t, plaque and bacteria will build up around it and may begin to damage the gum tissue that holds your dental implant in place. Thankfully, keeping a dental implant healthy, beautiful, and functional for decades to come is as simple as practicing a thorough dental routine. You can care for it and your natural teeth by brushing for two minutes twice a day, flossing daily, and rinsing with mouthwash regularly.
Dental Implant FAQs
Do you want to know more about rebuilding your smile with dental implants? For your convenience, we’ve gathered some of the most frequently asked questions we receive about this state-of-the-art tooth replacement treatment. If you don’t see the answer you’re looking for, feel free to contact your talented dental team at Eco Dental and we’ll be happy to help!
Can a Dental Implant Fail?
Although dental implant failure is rare, it can still happen. If the implant doesn’t fuse with your jawbone or if your jaw is damaged by bacteria years later, your implant may not be able to retain its firm foundation in your smile. Fortunately, there are a variety of ways you can lower the risk of dental implant failure. Excellent oral hygiene, biannual visits to your dentist, eating a calcium-rich diet, and kicking bad habits like smoking or chewing on hard objects will all help your newly rebuilt smile stay healthy and intact.
Can I Get Dental Implants If I’ve Been Missing Teeth for Several Years?
Since dental implants need to fuse with your jaw to stay in place, it’s important to have adequate bone tissue. Unfortunately, your jawbone begins to deteriorate as soon as a tooth is lost, so it may be relatively thin if you’ve been missing teeth for a while. In these cases, we’ll carefully review your oral health and medical history to see if you may be a candidate for mini dental implants. These implants are smaller and require less bone strength to support them, allowing you to comfortably restore your confident smile.
How Long Does It Take to Get Dental Implants?
Typically, rebuilding your smile with dental implants is a multi-step process. After your dental implant is initially placed, your jaw will need to heal for 4-6 months before the restoration (the visible portion of the dental implant) can be placed. However, if you’re in good health and in a rush to get your new smile, you may be a candidate for All-On-4/ Teeth-in-a-Day. This method strategically places dental implants in the thickest parts of your jawbone to firmly hold a set of dentures in place. Within just one day, you can enjoy a fully rebuilt set of pearly whites!
Will My Insurance Cover Dental Implants?
Since every dental insurance policy is different, we’ll be happy to help you review your benefits to see what’s covered. Unfortunately, dental implants are not usually covered by insurance. We’re committed to helping everyone achieve and maintain the happy, healthy smile they deserve, which is why we offer financing options with our partners at CareCredit. With low to no interest financing, you can break up the cost of your treatment to fit into your budget. If you’re interested in learning more about CareCredit, we’ll be happy to help you apply.