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.