Dental Implants Fort Worth

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

The first step of getting dental implants is attending an initial consultation. During this time, Dr. Morales will examine your smile and go over your dental and medical history with you to ensure that you are a good candidate. Some patients require preliminary procedures, like gum disease treatment or bone grafting, before they can get dental implants. If this applies to you, we will help you get them scheduled. Once your gums and jawbone are in optimal condition, we can move forward with the rest of the dental implant process.

Dental Implant Surgery

Getting dental implants requires a surgical procedure. We want to make sure you get the best possible treatment, so we will work closely with your oral surgeon or periodontist, who will place the dental implant(s) in your jawbone. The dental implants are placed in specific locations at strategic angles to ensure maximum strength and stability. Protective caps are then placed over the ends of the dental implants to keep them safe throughout the healing process.

Dental implant Osseointegration & Abutment

Over the next three to six months, the dental implants will fuse to your jawbone in a process called “osseointegration.” This is what makes your dental implants so stable, like natural teeth. Once the implants have fully fused to the jawbone, you will need to undergo another small procedure in which abutments at attached to the ends of the implants. Impressions are also taken so your restoration(s) can be customized for you at the dental lab.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s)

Once we receive your restoration(s) from the dental lab, you will need to return to our office. We will attach the restoration(s) to your dental implant(s) via the abutments. If everything looks and feels great, you will be free to show off your new and complete smile to the world!

Day-to-Day Benefits

Let’s start with the benefits of dental implants in Fort Worth that you’ll likely notice first:

• Lifelike Appearance: Dental implants are unique because they are inserted directly into the jawbone. Not only that, but the size, shape, and shade of each restoration is custom-made. As a result, this tooth-replacement solution looks and feels extremely natural.
• Improved Bite Strength: Another benefit of having dental implants securely anchored into your jawbone is improved bite strength. So, once you’ve healed from the procedure and the restoration is securely in place, you’ll be able to enjoy a varied, well-balanced diet again!
• Clearer Communication: Oftentimes, patients who are struggling with tooth loss experience difficulty enunciating certain words. The good news is that dental implants can replace any number of missing teeth, restoring your speaking patterns in the process.

Health Benefits

Dental implants can also have a positive impact on your oral and overall health by:

• Preserving More of Your Natural Tooth Structure: Although they can effectively replace several teeth in a row, traditional bridges require the adjacent teeth to be altered. Since that’s not the case with dental implants, they allow us to preserve your healthy tooth structure.
• Preventing Bone Loss: Dental implants are the only restorations that are inserted into your jawbone. This helps stimulate bone growth, prevent bone loss over time, and maintain the integrity of your jawbone.
• Making It Easy to Maintain a Healthy Smile: With dental implants, you don’t need any special or expensive products. Just use the same best practices you use with your natural teeth, like brushing twice a day and visiting our team every six months for a checkup and cleaning.

Long-Term Benefits

As for the long-term benefits, dental implants:

• Renew Your Appearance: Since dental implants support your facial structure, they help maintain a youthful contour and prevent a sunken-in, aged look.
• Have a High Success Rate: For non-smoking patients, dental implants have an impressive success rate of over 95%.
• Long-Lasting Solution: With proper care (i.e., brushing twice a day, limiting your intake of added sugar, wearing a mouthguard during sports), your dental implants can last a lifetime, making them a long-term solution for replacing missing teeth.

Are you considering dental implants for yourself now that you’ve read through all of the ways they can positively impact your quality of life? If so, take the next step: schedule a consultation with our team at Everlasting Dentistry.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

Typically, good candidates for dental implants:

• Have a jawbone that’s strong enough to support the restoration
• Are committed to healthy habits, like brushing twice a day
• Have good oral and overall health
• Are willing to break harmful habits, like smoking

With that said, there are some cases where patients don’t meet these criteria right away. If that’s the case for you, it’s important to know that this doesn’t automatically mean you aren’t a candidate. Rather, it means we need to explore the preliminary treatments that are available, like bone grafts and gum disease therapy.

Missing One Tooth

Previously, patients who were missing one tooth had really only one choice: to fill the open space with a dental bridge. Although this is still an option, patients and dentists alike often prefer dental implants because they don’t require the healthy teeth surrounding the gap to be altered. Instead, the implant post can be placed into the jawbone. Then, after osseointegration has taken place, we can secure a custom dental crown on top with an abutment.

Missing Multiple Teeth

If you are missing several teeth throughout an arch, then you have a few options. The first is a dental bridge, which is ideal if you are missing multiple teeth in a row. The second is a partial implant denture. In this case, we will secure your custom restoration in place with several dental implants. Rest assured, we will discuss each of these options in-depth during your consultation. That way, you can confidently decide how you’d like to proceed.

Missing All Teeth

If you don’t have any of your natural teeth left, then you should consider implant dentures! This requires us to place 4-6 dental implants throughout the arch. Then, we will secure your custom denture on top, effectively restoring the visible portion of your teeth as well. There are several noteworthy benefits that come with this tooth-replacement solution, starting with the fact that they can help preserve your jawbone and youthful face shape.

Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery

Preliminary treatments including gum disease therapy, tooth extractions, and bone grafting will add to the overall cost of dental implants in Fort Worth. Although these procedures will make your total higher, they are vital for the success of your new smile. Thankfully, many are at least partially covered by most dental insurance plans.

Dental implant placement surgery will incur its own cost and can vary depending on where the implants are placed in the jaw and which kind of anesthesia and/or sedation you require.

At Everlasting Dentistry, we proudly work with local specialists to complete your dental implant treatment, so you get the best results possible. We will refer you to our preferred team, and they will happily discuss their portion of the cost with you separately.

The Parts of Your Dental Implant

There are several parts that comprise a dental implant, all of which incur separate costs. These include:

• The number of dental implants: One dental implant to replace a single missing tooth will cost less than four to six dental implants to support an implant denture, but an implant denture is more cost-effective than replacing each tooth separately.

• The type of restoration: Dental crowns, bridges, and dentures each cost separate amounts. The smaller the restoration is, the less expensive it will be.

 

• The size or material of the implant post: Some dental implants are made longer or shorter depending on where they will be placed in the jawbone. Some may be made of zirconia instead of titanium.
• The brand of dental implant: Much like car or smartphones brands, different manufacturers make different dental implants to suit a variety of needs.

How Dental Implants Can Save You Money

When it comes time to replace missing teeth, many patients are tempted to choose temporary restorations like dentures or dental bridges because of their lower initial price. However, many are surprised to learn that the one-time cost of dental implants may actually be the more cost-effective choice overall. That’s because unlike with dentures and dental bridges, you won’t need to invest in special pastes, adhesives, or cleaning solutions, nor will you need to replace them every five to ten years. Better still, because they won’t wear down your teeth or irritate your gums, they’ll help prevent issues like gum disease, tooth decay, and jawbone deterioration and their associated treatment costs. Studies have even shown that good oral health can reduce your risk of systemic issues and the cost of addressing those, too!

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

Unfortunately, dental insurance doesn’t typically cover dental implants, but there are sometimes exceptions. Our team will carefully review the details of your dental insurance plan. We have years of experience maximizing benefits, and portions of your treatment may be covered, such as a percentage of your final restoration or preliminary treatments.

Making Dental Implants Affordable

In addition to welcoming dental insurance, Everlasting Dentistry is proud to accept flexible financing plans through our preferred third-party lenders CareCredit and Cherry. These programs allow you to break up the cost of your treatment into multiple, low-to-no-interest monthly payments that may be better suited to your budget. We are also happy to introduce our in-house membership plan, which for a low monthly fee grants you valuable discounts on a variety of dental services.

Make Oral Hygiene a Priority

One common misconception that patients have is that brushing, flossing, and rinsing with mouthwash consistently are no longer necessary because dental implants cannot decay. However, peri-implantitis (a form of gum disease) is one of the leading causes of dental implant failure. So, if you want yours to last, you need to commit to a solid oral hygiene regimen at home.

Eat a Healthy Diet

Eating healthy, well-balanced meals will ensure that your body has the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients it needs to keep your gums healthy and fight off infection. At the same time, we recommend exercising caution with crunchy snacks, like hard pretzels, and steering clear of caramel-filled candies, taffy, and other sticky sweets.

Break Bad Habits

As we mentioned above, there are a few things you should NOT do in an effort to keep your dental implants in pristine condition. To start, you should quit using tobacco products since smoking has been linked to an increased risk of dental implant failure. You should also avoid biting your nails, chewing on ice cubes, and using your teeth as tools.

Protect Your Dental Implants

Whether you like to stay active by running in the morning, riding your bike in the afternoon, or playing tennis with your friends on the weekend, you need to wear a mouthguard. This is important because you can sustain a serious dental injury, like a cracked restoration, if you accidentally fall or a rogue ball hits you in the face.

Tip: If you don’t have a mouthguard already, don’t buy a one-size-fits-all one online. Instead, come to our office so we can have a custom one made for you. That way, it fits comfortably while also protecting your smile from harm.

Schedule Regular Dental Checkups

Last, but certainly not least, you need to schedule a dental checkup and cleaning every six months. This is an important part of dental implant care in Fort Worth for a few reasons, including that periodic visits allow us to examine the condition of your restoration, screen for oral cancer, and look for warning signs of gum disease. They also ensure that we can periodically remove plaque and tartar, which helps keep your smile healthy between visits.