Having a healthy tooth structure plays a significant role in maintaining good oral hygiene. One of the reasons for disturbance in your oral health can be tooth loss or decay which is preventable if treated early.
Dental implants are a common intervention to replace a lost tooth so that your teeth can function normally again. If you do not replace a lost or damaged tooth, there will be a shift in your healthy oral habits and the consequences of having such teeth can worsen not just the insides of your mouth but the overall quality of your life.
Find out more about why and when dental implants become necessary, how beneficial they are and how you can get safe and risk-free implant surgery at DICC.
What is a Dental Implant?
A dental implant is a surgical technique to preserve, improve and replace damaged, lost, or missing teeth. The artificial tooth, such as a metal or ceramic device, is inserted into the jaw bone where a natural tooth once was. The implant is designed so that the jawbone grows around it to hold it in place. It mimics the natural tooth structure, allowing the new tooth to function normally. An implant acts as an anchor for the crown, or artificial tooth, so that when it is attached properly, it looks and feels natural.
Dental implant surgery is usually performed under local anaesthesia so that patients are comfortable during the procedure. The procedure typically takes between 1-3 hours but may be longer depending on individual needs. Several dental implants are currently in use, including mini dental implants, which are often used to replace single missing teeth or multiple teeth.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Dental implants are an excellent choice for those with missing teeth. When compared to other tooth replacement options, dental implants provide many advantages.
Prevent Bone Loss
When a tooth is missing, the jaw bone in the space deteriorates due to lack of stimulation. If no implant is placed within the first year after losing a tooth, the bone area loses about 25% of its volume, and the bone loss continues.
Moreover, it can cause many complications, including discomfort, lack of appetite, difficulty swallowing, loss of facial shape, and changes in facial appearance. Dental implants replace the tooth and root, restoring chewing and providing natural stimulation to promote bone growth.
Act Like Natural Teeth
Though an implant itself is an artificial device, it comes in various shapes and sizes to choose from. Our prosthodontists at DICC carefully choose the right fit and color that matches your surrounding teeth. Since a dental implant replaces your full chewing power, most people cannot distinguish between an artificial and a natural tooth.
Provide Support To Adjacent Teeth
A missing tooth can cause the adjacent teeth to shift to the gap and cause problems during chewing and biting. It can also affect your appearance and interfere with the function of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). A dental implant will provide stability and support to the adjacent teeth and keep the jaw bone functional.
Last a Long Time
Other tooth replacement options such as bridges and dentures may only last around 10 years. Dental implants are an excellent long-term investment. They can last for up to 20 years and can often be removed if a patient needs additional care.
Easy To Look After
To clean or maintain dental implants, you won’t need to purchase any special products. No cups, cleaning tablets, adhesives, or flossers are necessary. As with your natural teeth, all you have to do is brush and floss.
Provide Better Cosmetic Appeal
Missing or crooked teeth may lead to self-esteem issues and make you conscious about your appearance in front of others. Dental implants at DICC, Denver, revolutionize the way your smile looks. Our carefully chosen implants improve the way you look and restore your ability to eat and speak properly.
Types of Dental Implants at DICC
Different types of dental implants have been developed in order to provide individual solutions.
For example, patients with multiple tooth loss and lowered bone height may need some bone grafting or a shorter length of the implant. A CT scan of the jaw helps us determine that prior to surgery. Based on those results we place implants of different lengths and diameters for maximum stability and stress distribution.
What is an endosteal implant? (within-the-bone implant)
An endosteal implant is a type of dental implant that screws into the upper or lower jawbone and subsequently grafts or ‘bonds’ with the bone over a typical healing period of 3-6 months.
This type of dental implant procedure requires sufficient bone density.
Tooth-supported fixed bridge
The tooth-supported fixed bridge is one of the most common alternative tooth replacement options compared to the dental implant procedure.
The bridge itself will usually consist of at least three conjoined prosthetic teeth – the outer teeth are hollow; the central tooth is solid.
Typically, a bridge is seen as a medium-term solution as some deterioration of the surrounding tissue and jawbone is expected due to the difficulties associated with cleaning a bridge and the risks to the natural teeth.
A partial denture (removable)
A removable partial denture consists of one or more prosthetic teeth attached to a plastic or metal base (normally cobalt chrome) that sits on the roof of the mouth.
Not as expensive as the alternatives, this type of tooth restoration does generally provide a convincing cosmetic result, but lower chewing functionality and overtime can drive frustration to many patients that are looking for a more comfortable teeth-like solution.
Also, due to the exposed nature of the gum, some deterioration of both the soft tissue and the jawbone is expected to develop over time when using dentures.
Complete denture (removable)
A complete removable denture is a cost-effective multiple tooth restoration solution.
The denture fits onto the gum and can be held in place using the gums and musculature. The denture can be supported further with a designed denture adhesive.
Results vary in terms of functionality, with most people experiencing some movement of the denture. This can result in clicking sounds when speaking and some difficulty when eating which can lead to frustration thus seeking a more long-term solution such as implants is advisable for those looking for a teeth-like solution.
A complete denture may last over a decade, but bone deterioration of soft tissue and jawbone may occur.
Resin-bonded bridge
A resin-bonded bridge is a type of bridge that does not require any reduction/shaping of the natural teeth adjacent to the missing tooth.
Instead, the bridge consists of a central solid prosthetic tooth that is attached to thin metal wings. These wings are glued into place on the natural adjacent teeth.
A resin-bonded bridge may be seen by some patients as a more desirable bridge option because the procedure does not involve filing down any teeth.
However, a resin-bonded bridge does not perform to the same standards as a tooth-supported fixed bridge and will likely require a higher degree of maintenance.
Immediate Tooth Replacement
Do you require teeth in a day? If you are about to lose a tooth we can arrange to have it removed and for the placement of a Dental Implant on the same visit so that nobody would ever know what happened. Immediate Dental Implant placement is possible if there is no infection and there is sufficient bone.
Single Tooth Replacement
If only one tooth is missing, a single Dental Implant is the gold standard method of tooth replacement. It will not damage adjacent teeth as with a bridge or denture. It will maintain the positions of the remaining teeth by preventing them from moving into the space.
Single tooth replacement in Denver: will preserve the bone and therefore help to maintain the gum architecture around the teeth and will allow for superior aesthetic results compared to other forms of treatment.
Multiple Teeth Replacements
If more than one tooth has been lost it is possible to have 2 or more Dental Implants adjacent to one another. It is also possible to have Dental Implants joined together with a bridge so that you do not need individual Dental Implants per tooth.
This procedure can be much more cost-effective than individual Dental Implant placements and as the Dental Implants join together as a fixed bridge, less surgery is involved. This means minimal cutting of the gums and quicker healing!
Full Arch Dental Implants and All-on-4 Dental Implants or ‘Same Day Teeth’ in Denver
If you have lost all your teeth we can provide Dental Implants to support or anchor a fixed stable permanent aesthetic bridge. The number of Dental Implants required to support a full arch bridge will depend on the anatomy of the jaw bone, the number of teeth required, the type of bridge required, and the opposing teeth.
A full arch of Dental Implants can be placed when the teeth have been missing for a long time or when the remaining teeth have failed and require removing. In the latter case it can even be arranged to have the remaining teeth removed and Same Day Dental Implants at our Cherry Creek and Boulder clinic.
The All-on-4 treatment is a carefully planned procedure that allows only 4 Dental Implants to be placed on the same day and for them to be immediately loaded with a full arch bridge or prosthesis allowing 10, 12, or 14 teeth.
Two Dental Implants are placed at the front of the mouth and 2 are placed at an angle slightly further back to allow for anchorage as well as avoid important structures such as nerves and sinuses. This can be done on both upper and lower jaws and so allow full mouth rehabilitation in a day.
Implant Retained Dentures or Dental Implant Removable Bridges
Occasionally, for some patients, for example, where there is a history of aggressive gum disease, it may be wise to consider a removable bridge supported by Dental Implants. A removable bridge will be easier to keep clean and also easier for future monitoring and maintenance of the Dental Implants.
Dental Implants vs Dentures in Denver
Dentures are removable prostheses used to replace missing teeth, but they can be cheap and temporary. Your teeth will eventually fall out or need to be repaired with the use of dentures, but implants are more reliable and less likely to cause pain. Consider these factors when weighing out the pros and cons of a tooth replacement option:
- Since dentures are removable, they need to be kept in the mouth and applied with an adhesive. This may cause instability and offer less support to adjacent teeth.
- Dentures offer poor chewing power as compared to implants.
- They require more maintenance and need to be taken out of your mouth to be cleaned.
- Dentures fail to provide the stimulation needed for bone growth, and hence, they can lead to progressive bone loss.
Implants require more care than dentures, but they last longer and offer better value for money. While implants can be expensive, they are more effective and long-lasting than dentures.
Are There Any Risks Associated?
Like any surgery, dental implant surgery poses some health risks. Though the problems are rare, and when they do occur, they’re usually minor and easily treated. Implant surgery can cause infection at the implant site and injury to surrounding structures, such as other teeth or blood vessels. It may also lead to nerve damage, which can cause pain, numbness, or tingling in your natural teeth, gums, lips, or chin. However, these risks can be easily dealt with by taking enough care of your teeth post-surgery for better healing.
The dental implant process at Dental & Implant Centers of Colorado
1. The consultation
Our Prosthodontist, Dr. Dhawan will look at your mouth and your jawbone to make sure that we can fit dental implants, this will occur during your Free Dental Implant Consultation in any of our three Dental Implant Centers in Denver, CO.
If you need a bone graft, you will need to add in some extra time while the bone grafts integrate. During the consultation, we offer an HD 3D Scan to determine the best treatment plan.
Stage 1. Complimentary Initial Discussion & Free Consultation with Dr. Dhawan – Prosthodontist.
Receive a complimentary consultation from our team.
Stage 2. Diagnostic Consultation
CBCT Scan, X-rays, and photographs.
Stage 3. Implant Procedures and Cost
You will receive from your treatment coordinator at Dental & Implant Centers of Colorado
- Single tooth replacement
- Multiple tooth replacement
- All on 4
- Denture replacement
- Other Potential Costs
- Bone grafting
- Temporary bridge
- Sinus Lift
The initial consultation is free of cost and you can schedule by giving us a call at (720) 740-0696.
2. The procedure
People worry that this will be painful, but, with fewer nerves in the jawbone, a local anesthetic is ample to numb the pain. Anxiety is another matter altogether. The procedure takes a while, so you may want oral or intravenous sedation to help you deeply relax.
3. Healing
You need to allow some time for the implants to fuse with your jawbone before you can expect to chew crunchy or chewy foods. This is the case even if you have crowns fitted immediately (same-day teeth). Your individual case will be analyzed by our team of Dental Implant Specialists in Denver alongside Dr. Dhawan our Prosthodontist.
4. Afterward
All you need to do to look after your implants is make sure you don’t get gum disease. Twice-daily brushing for 2 minutes, with daily flossing and regular trips to the hygienist, is enough for this. Additional personalized recommendations will be given to you depending on your particular case.
Why Choose Dental Implants in Denver at DICC?
At Dental and Implant Centres of Colorado, we understand your confusion and fear about the best tooth-replacement option. Our in-house prosthodontist, Dr. Dhawan, takes great care during implant surgery and ensures a safe procedure. Using the most advanced surgical techniques and the best materials, he creates dental implants that look and feel natural and last a lifetime.
Our friendly team at Dental & Implant Centers of Colorado can help you understand if you’re a good candidate for dental implants, as well as how they can improve your oral health. During your consultation at our clinic in Cherry Creek, Boulder, or Broomfield, our expert implant prosthodontists will thoroughly examine your entire mouth, including your teeth, jaws, gums, soft tissues, and occlusion (how your teeth bite together).
We will never leave you with a gap during treatment and will make sure that your smile remains beautiful. Your new tooth will look, feel, and function exactly like a natural tooth at the end of the procedure. Visit our Cherry Creek clinic today to schedule your consultation with Dr. Dhawan for Dental Implants.
