Dental Implants Middletown
A Durable Solution for Missing Teeth
Missing teeth can make it difficult to get the most out of life, which is why our caring dentists at Chapel Hill Dental Arts recommend having them replaced as quickly as possible. In many cases, the best way to fill in the gaps in your smile is with sturdy dental implants; this state-of-the-art tooth replacement option can mimic the functions of natural tooth roots, giving your new smile improved stability and chewing power! Call us today if you’re interested in learning more about getting dental implants in Middletown.
What Are Dental Implants?
A dental implant is a small post that is shaped like a screw. It is normally made out of titanium, which is a highly biocompatible metal. When an implant post is inserted into your jaw, it will gradually fuse with the bone around it. This allows it to act as a firm foundation for a natural-looking prosthesis such as a dental crown, a bridge, or a denture. The chosen prosthesis is attached to the posts with the help of connector pieces called abutments.
The 4-Step Dental Implant Process
First, you’ll need to visit our office for an initial consultation. We’ll confirm whether dental implants are a good choice for you, and we’ll check to see whether bone grafting or other preparatory treatments are necessary.
The next step is dental implant placement. Our implant dentist in Middletown will carefully insert the implant posts into your jaw via surgery. After the posts have finished forming a lasting bond with the bone tissue (which can take around three to six months), abutments are attached, and impressions are taken for the final prosthesis. Once your replacement teeth have been secured to the implant posts, your new smile will be complete.
Benefits of Dental Implants
There are several benefits that set dental implants apart from the rest. That’s why they continue to be one of the most sought-after tooth-replacement options! If you are currently in the process of deciding the best way to restore your complete, confident smile, then read on to learn a few of the many reasons dental implants are loved by patients and dentists alike.
Day-to-Day Benefits
Once you’ve healed from the procedure, you’ll notice that dental implants in Red Bank:
- Look Extremely Natural – Whether we’re replacing one, a few, or an entire arch of teeth, you won’t have to worry about unwanted attention being drawn to your smile. We can say this with complete confidence because we will tailor your restoration to suit your face shape, dental needs, and aesthetic goals perfectly. That way, the final result looks and feels very natural.
- Don’t Move Unexpectedly – While traditional dentures rest against the gums, dental implants are anchored to the jawbone. As a result, they do not carry the risk of slipping at inopportune moments! So, you’ll be able to speak, laugh, and chew with complete confidence and comfort.
- Restore Your Normal Speaking Patterns – Following tooth loss, have you found that it’s difficult to enunciate certain words? If so, you’ll be happy to hear that we can fill the gaps in your smile with dental implants. In addition to improving your self-esteem and chewing power, this will help restore your normal speaking patterns!
Health Benefits
Another reason that our implant dentists in Red Bank love dental implants is that they can have a positive impact on your oral and overall health in the following ways:
- They Prevent Dental Drift – If the teeth surrounding the gap shift into the open space, several issues can arise, including premature wear. Fortunately, we can prevent that from happening with either a single implant, an implant bridge, or a partial implant denture.
- They Are Easy to Maintain – Some tooth-replacement options, like dentures, require special cleaning products. Dental implants, on the other hand, can be maintained with all of the same best practices that you use for your natural teeth, like brushing twice a day.
- They Allow You to Eat a Variety of Healthy Foods – Since dental implants get their strength from your jawbone and are topped with durable restorations, they can restore your ability to enjoy a wide range of foods. This makes it considerably easier to get all of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that your body needs!
Long-Term Benefits
Of course, there are long-term benefits that come with dental implants, including:
- They Prevent Bone Loss – While dental bridges are secured to the surrounding teeth and dentures rest against the gums, dental implants are anchored to the jawbone. The continuous stimulation that they provide helps prevent bone loss as well as maintain a youthful face shape.
- They Have a High Success Rate – In short, dental implants have an extremely high success rate (over 95% for non-smoking patients).
- They Are Long-Lasting – Typically, traditional dental bridges and dentures last for 5-15 years. Dental implants, however, can last for decades or even a lifetime with the right habits in place (i.e., wearing a mouthguard during sports, eating healthy meals, scheduling a dental cleaning every six months).
Who Dental Implants Can Help
You’ll need to visit our office for an initial consultation in order to find out whether you’re a viable candidate for dental implants. That said, if you’re in good oral and overall health, dental implants could potentially be an excellent option for you in the following tooth loss situations:
Missing One Tooth
If a single tooth has fallen out of your mouth, a dental implant post can be inserted into the gap where it used to be. The implant post will eventually support a dental crown, which will be expertly personalized to look like a natural part of your smile.
Missing Multiple Teeth
A pair of dental implants combined with a dental bridge can be a great way to fill in the gap left by three or more consecutive teeth. One advantage of choosing an implant bridge over a traditional bridge is that there’s no need to remove enamel from any of your remaining healthy teeth.
Missing All Teeth
It’s possible to replace an entire arch of teeth with just a few well-placed dental implants. In many cases, four to six implant posts are all that are needed to support a comfortable, natural-looking full denture.
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Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants
At Chapel Hill Dental Arts, we want you to be completely satisfied with your smile- including the cost of restoring it. With dental implants in Red Bank, you won’t need to worry about re-purchasing the same prosthetics over and over again every five to seven years like you do with dentures and dental crowns. Instead, you’ll invest a little more in a treatment that will create permanent, beautiful results that will pay for themselves with time!
While we understand that dental implants are more expensive than temporary restorations, most patients agree that the time and money you’ll save by upgrading is worth every penny! In fact, when you do the math, dental implants in Red Bank may just be the most affordable option overall!
Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery
To ensure your dental implants are successful, you’ll need to have a healthy mouth first. In some cases, you may need preliminary treatments such as gum disease therapy, tooth extractions, or bone grafting to achieve this. Although these procedures are not included in the cost of your dental implants, they are still extremely important. The good news is that many of them are at least partially covered by dental insurance.
Dental implant surgery is a separate cost from the prosthetics themselves, and prices for the surgical procedure can vary depending on where in the jaw your implants will be placed, as well as what kind of sedation or anesthesia is needed.
At Chapel Hill Dental Arts, we proudly provide the entire dental implant treatment right here in-house. This eliminates the need to work with an outside surgeon or implant dentist in Red Bank or having to pay multiple parties for treatment.
The Parts of Your Dental Implant
There are several parts to each dental implant, all of which incur their own separate costs. These include:
- The number of dental implants you need - One single implant for one missing tooth is less expensive than four to six implants necessary for an implant denture; however, an implant denture will be much more affordable than replacing each tooth individually.
- The size or material of the dental implant post - Dental implant posts can be made of either titanium or zirconia, depending on the needs of the patient. They also vary in size and can be longer or shorter depending on where they’ll be going in the jawbone.
- The size of the restoration – The teeth of your dental implant are available in three sizes – crowns, bridges, and dentures, each of which cost different amounts (the smaller the part, the less expensive).
- The brand of dental implants - There are several different manufacturers that make dental implants depending on the needs of the patient, and each brand has its own pricing.
How Dental Implants Can Save You Money
Because of their lower upfront costs, many patients choose temporary restorations like dental bridges or dentures instead of dental implants. Unfortunately, however, although these options usually are less money upfront, they can end up costing a lot more over time. That’s because they typically require either adjustment or replacement every five to seven years. Worse yet, they often need special adhesives, cleansing solutions, or tools for proper care, and they don’t do anything to prevent future tooth loss which can cost even more time and money to address.
With dental implants, you can care for your new smile the same way you would your real teeth, and because they won’t wear down your remaining teeth or cause painful infections or mouth sores, they’ll even help reduce your risk of developing things like gum disease, tooth decay, and bone loss, as well as their associated treatment costs. In fact, studies have shown that excellent oral health can help prevent dangerous systemic problems and their associated treatment costs, too!
Will My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?
While most traditional dental insurance plans won’t cover dental implants, there are sometimes exceptions. At Chapel Hill Dental Arts, our team is well versed in maximizing dental insurance benefits and can easily determine if any portions of your treatment could be covered by your plan, such as a final percentage of the restoration or any preliminary treatments.
Making Dental Implants Affordable
At Chapel Hill Dental Arts, we want to make dental implants in Red Bank as affordable as possible. That’s why we’re pleased to welcome the following payment options for your new smile:
- CareCredit – These plans are provided through a trusted third-party lender and can break up the cost of your dental implants into multiple, low-to-no interest monthly payments that may be more suitable to your budget. You can apply for the program or learn more about it by visiting our website.
- Our Smile Protection Plan – This is an excellent option for patients who don’t have traditional dental insurance and can be used to save money on a variety of dental procedures that may be necessary during your dental implant treatment. Please call our office for more details.
To learn more about dental implants in Red Bank, including how we can help make your treatment fit your budget, contact us today to schedule a consultation.
Maintaining & Caring for Your Dental Implants
Like many other patients, you may be interested in rebuilding your smile with dental implants in Middletown because they can last for 30+ years. If that’s the case, then you might find it helpful to learn what you should do (and what you should NOT do) to keep them in tip-top shape. Fortunately, that’s what this section is dedicated to!
Make Oral Hygiene a Priority
All too often, patients assume that their at-home oral hygiene regimen can fall to the back burner, especially if their smile is comprised entirely of dental implants. That’s not the case! After all, a form of gum disease known as peri-implantitis is one of the leading causes of dental implant failure. So, it’s crucial that you continue to brush your teeth each morning and evening and rinse with mouthwash daily.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet is beneficial for several reasons, starting with the fact that it will help keep your immune system strong and your gums infection-free. Just make sure to avoid extremely crunchy and sticky foods, like hard pretzels, taffy, tortilla chips, and caramel-filled candies. That way, the restoration secured on top of your dental implant doesn’t break or get pulled out of place.
Break Bad Habits
We mentioned above that there are a few things you should NOT do. The first is smoking because it has been linked to an increased risk of dental implant failure. You also shouldn’t chew on ice cubes, bite your nails, or use your teeth as tools. Although habits like these may seem harmless, they can quickly lead to a serious chip or crack, shortening the lifespan of your dental implants in the process.
Protect Your Dental Implants
Whether you like to start your morning with a run or play tennis with your friends in the evening, you need to wear a mouthguard. After all, one bad fall or rogue ball can result in serious dental damage. A mouthguard will help prevent that from happening! If you don’t have one already, let us know. Our team at Chapel Hill Dental Arts can have a custom one made for you.
Schedule Regular Dental Checkups
Routine dental checkups and cleanings are important for several reasons. To start, they ensure that we catch oral cancer, gum disease, and similar health problems in the early stages. They also allow us to remove plaque and tartar that have built up, which helps keep your gums and any remaining teeth you have healthy. So, if it has been more than six months since your last visit, it’s time to get your next one on the calendar!