Dental Implants – Denison, IA

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

The first step in this process is to attend a consultation with us. During this appointment, we will examine your smile and go over your health and dental history to determine whether or not dental implants are right for you. Some patients need to undergo preliminary procedures before their dental implants can be placed. These may include bone grafting, gum disease treatment, or tooth extractions. Once your jaw and the rest of your smile are in good health, we can move forward to planning the rest of the dental implant process. We will walk you through everything, including the cost and timeline of your treatment.

Dental Implant Surgery

At 32 & You Family Dental & Orthodontic Arts, we partner with the best oral surgeons in the area for your dental implant placement procedure. This way, we can ensure that you get the best quality of care possible. Your procedure will begin with numbing the area with a local anesthetic. A small incision is made into the gums to access your jawbone. Then, the implants are placed at precise locations and angles. Lastly, your gums will be closed, and protective caps will be placed over the dental implant posts to keep them safe while they heal.

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment

For the next few months, the osseointegration process will take place. This is when the titanium implants fuse to the jawbone, giving the implants additional stability – just like your natural teeth! You will need another minor procedure to have abutments placed on the implant posts. Impressions are taken of your smile so that your final restorations can be customized just for you.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s)

Lastly, you will return to the dental office to have your restoration placed. This is your crown, bridge, or denture depending on the number of teeth you are replacing and where they are located in your mouth. We will check to ensure that everything looks and feels as it should. Then, you will be sent on your way to enjoy all of the amazing benefits that your new smile has to offer!

Day-to-Day Benefits

You will find that by choosing dental implants, you will not only eat, speak, and smile easier, but you’ll have the opportunity to embrace a better quality of life. Here’s how:

• Easy Maintenance: All a patient has to do is brush and floss their teeth like normal to keep implants looking and functioning like new.
• Ease of Eating: Food is no longer the enemy now that your implants provide a stronger bite force and greater chewing power. Unlike denture-wearers who should avoid certain foods, you are free to eat a healthy and nutritious diet full of your favorites.
• Improved Confidence: It is believed that 10% of denture-wearers avoid going out to eat and spending time with others because of their prosthetics. Instead of avoiding social situations, you can embrace a better quality of life because your implants will remain firmly in place while eating, speaking, and smiling.

Health Benefits

Apart from their ability to improve your aesthetics, you will find that the health of your smile drastically improves, too. Here are just a few ways dental implants in Denison make it possible to maintain greater oral health as you grow older:

• Jawbone Preservation: The jawbone naturally starts to shrink after tooth loss due to the absence of support from the roots, but dental implants fix this. This helps a patient preserve their facial shape and enjoy a more youthful appearance over time.
• Premier Stability: Dental implants never move out of place, which is not only helpful when eating, but their stability also lowers the possibility of experiencing irritation and oral sores like many denture-wearers do.
• Increased Lifespan: Because tooth loss is often linked to one’s lifespan, your decision to choose dental implants makes it possible to lower your risk of many of the most common health problems (i.e., cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis), which can shorten your lifespan if left untreated.

Long-Term Benefits

As you grow older, you will find that dental implants offer many long-term benefits, some of which include:

• Longevity: A dental implant can be expected to last anywhere from 30 years to life (by comparison, regular bridges and dentures last about 10 years at the most).
• High Success Rate: Upon initial placement by a trusted implant dentist in Denison, your dental implants have a high success rate of 98%. After 10 years, they still possess a 90-95% success rate!
• Cost-Effective: Although more expensive than fixed bridges or dentures when initially placed, dental implants can save you money over time. You will not need dental adhesives to hold them in place, regular adjustments or replacements every few years, or specialized cleaning supplies to maintain your prosthetics.

Who is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

Dental implants are a versatile treatment that can be customized to help nearly any patient regain their smile. However, there are certain criteria you may need to meet before you can undergo implant surgery. To improve your chances of treatment success and make sure that you’re able to get the most out of your dental implants, it’s important that:

• Your gums are healthy and free of infection.
• Any medical conditions that impact your immune system, like diabetes, are currently being treated.
• You don’t suffer from severe jawbone loss, and if you do, you receive a bone graft to rebuild the structure.

The best way to learn whether you’re a good candidate for this procedure is to schedule a consultation with Dr. Bygness, your dental implant dentist in Denison!

Missing One Tooth

An implant root is placed into the jawbone between two healthy teeth and topped with a dental crown. The neighboring teeth don’t have to be reshaped at all to accommodate the prosthetic, and the crown itself can be shaded to perfectly match the rest of the smile.

Missing Multiple Teeth

Rather than using individual implants to bring back multiple teeth, a small number of posts can be used to attach a bridge or partial denture to the jawbone. This gives these prosthetics much more strength and stability compared to traditional removable ones.

Missing All Teeth

Tired of your denture moving whenever you speak or eat? Just four to six implants can be used to anchor a full denture to your jawbone and give you a set of teeth you never have to worry about again. Implant dentures are smaller and fit more comfortably than removable ones, but they also allow for a much stronger bite.

Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery

Some patients may need to undergo preliminary treatments to ensure their dental implants are as successful as possible. Depending on your oral health, you may need to pay for a tooth extraction, bone graft, or periodontal therapy before we begin the dental implant treatment. These procedures will add to the cost of rebuilding your smile, but they are often partially covered by dental insurance.

Once your oral health is on track, we can estimate the cost of your dental implant surgery. However, the final price of your surgery will ultimately be determined by the oral surgeon you visit. We’re proud to partner with some of the best specialists in Denison, so you can rest assured that you’re receiving high-quality dental care at a reasonable price. Typically, the cost will be influenced by factors such as where in the mouth the implants are being placed and the use of sedation or anesthesia.

The Parts of Your Dental Implant

Like with practically every other product in life, the cost of your dental implant will also depend on which manufacturer makes it. Each brand varies slightly on the longevity and functionality of its products, and like with most things, “you get what you pay for.” Some brands are more expensive than others, but this is typically because they offer the best quality. In addition, different brands may use different materials, such as zirconia or titanium, which will also influence the cost. We want you to feel 100% confident in your decision, so feel free to ask Dr. Bygness about where your dental implant is coming from and the quality you can expect.

Final Dental Implant Restoration

The more teeth you’re replacing with dental implants, the higher the final cost will be. This is simply because replacing more teeth requires more materials. For instance, replacing one missing tooth with a single dental implant post and small dental crown will be less expensive than replacing multiple missing teeth with several implant posts and a larger dental bridge. However, if you’re missing all your teeth, it’s much more cost-effective to replace them with a custom denture than multiple individual crowns and implant posts.

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

Unfortunately, most dental insurances don’t cover the entire cost of dental implants. However, many plans will cover parts of your treatment, such as a percentage of your final restoration or preliminary treatments. Our highly experienced team will be happy to review the details of your plan and make the most of your dental insurance. They have years of experience helping patients maximize their benefits and minimizing out-of-pocket expenses.

Making Dental Implants Affordable

We believe that dental implants are the gold standard of tooth replacement, which is why we strive to make it an affordable option for everyone. For patients without dental insurance or adequate coverage, we offer flexible financing options through CareCredit. This third party provides payment plans that help break up the cost of your treatment into portions that easily fit into your monthly budget. To learn more about CareCredit, feel free to give us a call today or apply for one of their payment plans online via our patient resources.