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When it comes to tooth replacement, nothing can fully replicate your natural tooth exactly. However, the incredible durability of titanium combined with natural and long-lasting porcelain makes dental implants feel nearly indistinguishable from natural teeth. Once your dental implant is placed, Dr. Arakelian can restore it with a custom-made crown or similar restoration that truly feels as natural as it looks. To learn more about this revolutionary treatment and its many benefits, give our office a call!
Dr. Arakelian works with some of the finest oral surgeons in Haverhill in order to ensure that the long-term success of your dental implant treatment is set in stone. After having a consultation at his office, you’ll be referred to a trusted specialist to have the actual implants placed. Upon completion, you’ll come back to our office where we will examine your implants and confirm that they are healing properly. This includes taking digital X-rays to monitor how the implant is integrating with your bone tissue.
Dentures and dental bridges can be completed relatively quickly. However, dental implants require a longer multistep process that spans several months. This is to ensure that your tooth replacement is strong and successful. This may seem like a long wait, but it is worth it for the incredible benefits that you can expect. We want to ensure that you have the best possible results, so we work with local specialists to complete the dental implant process. Everyone’s dental implant journey looks a little bit different, but this is what you can generally expect.
The first step in getting dental implants is your dental implant consultation. During this time, we will review your oral health and medical history to determine if you are a good candidate. If needed, we can work with you to complete preliminary procedures, like gum disease therapy, tooth extractions, or bone grafting. Then, we can move on to plan the rest of your dental implant treatment. We will discuss what you can expect, including the timeline and cost of your treatment.
To ensure that your dental implant procedure goes as smoothly as possible, we work with a local specialist. First, you will be given a local anesthetic to numb the area. Next, an incision is made in the gum tissue so that implants can be placed in the jawbone. Your gums are then closed, and protective caps are placed over the posts to protect them as the area heals.
For the next few months after your surgery, your dental implants will fuse to your jaw in a process known as “osseointegration.” This is what keeps your dental implants anchored in place so they don’t shift around or fall out. When the fusion process is complete, metal abutments are placed on the end of your implants.
Lastly, you will return to our office to have your new restoration attached to your dental implants. This can be a crown, bridge, or denture depending on how many teeth you are missing. During this visit, we will check to ensure that your bite is aligned and comfortable so you can enjoy your new and improved smile!
Dental implants consist of three components. These include the titanium implant post, the porcelain crown that sits on top, and the abutment that connects the two components together. Because the titanium post integrates with existing bone tissue, much like other medical implantations, it effectively becomes part of your jaw and oral structures. Thanks to this integration, your replacement tooth feels almost identical to your previous tooth, making it easy to enjoy the foods you love without worry of your tooth shifting out of place, loosening, or affecting your diet.
Furthermore, dental implants are clinically proven to last longer than any other tooth replacement when practicing proper care at home. Even after 10 years of use, their success rate reaches between 95 and 98%! They can easily last a lifetime with only minimal maintenance from a dentist, which cannot be said for bridges or dentures.
When it comes to versatility, dental implants offer a wide range of options for every type of patient. Whether you’ve just lost a tooth or you’ve been relying on an uncomfortable denture for too long, dental implants can restore your confidence in smiling and eating with friends and family.
Single teeth are replaced via a single titanium implant and one porcelain crown. After carefully monitoring the implant’s healing, we’ll attach an abutment to the implant, allow additional healing, then place the restoration.
If you have multiple consecutive missing teeth, a dental bridge can be custom-made to attach to dental implants. Instead of removing existing tooth enamel to hold the bridge, two implants are placed on either end to hold the three or four-crown restoration.
Whether you need a full or partial, fixed, or removable denture, implants can be used to hold it in place. By placing a series of implants (generally four to six) throughout the jaw, we can effectively replace an entire row of teeth seamlessly!
Since dental implants can be customized in a number of ways and patients all have their own unique needs, the cost of your treatment may vary dramatically compared to someone else. For example, if you need preparatory treatments like bone grafts, periodontal therapy, sinus lifts, or similar treatments to make implants feasible, these will increase your total cost. Furthermore, bigger restorations like 3-unit implant-retained bridges will always be more expensive than single, implant-retained crowns.
With that said, dental implants are considered a long-term investment, which is why dentists often recommend them for replacing teeth. They do not require the routine maintenance that bridges and dentures do, even though these traditional options don’t offer the same benefits. This is important to consider when factoring in long-term costs.
Dental implants can completely restore your smile and change your life for the better, but you’re likely to still have some reservations about the process. We want to make replacing your missing teeth as straightforward as possible, so if you have any concerns, we want to know! Below, we’ve given our responses to a few of the dental implant questions that we’ve frequently heard from our patients. Feel free to reach out if there’s something that you’d rather ask our team directly.
Dental implants typically last far longer than other tooth replacement options. In fact, they’re known to have lifespans exceeding 30 years, and some patients even keep the same implant posts for life. To help your dental implants last as long as possible, you need to be diligent about brushing and flossing every day. Also, try to stay away from habits that could lead to problems with your dental implants, such as crunching on ice, biting your fingernails, or smoking.
Dental implant failure isn’t very common; the procedure has a 95% success rate, and many precautions are taken before the surgery to avoid complications. But when dental implants do fail, more often than not it’s due to one of two culprits: peri-implantitis or failed osseointegration.
Peri-implantitis is a type of gum disease that weakens the gum and bone tissue that holds your implant in place, eventually causing your new teeth to come loose. Failed osseointegration means that the implant post is unable to join with the jawbone; this can be a result of teeth grinding, certain medications, and other issues.
One reason why some people hesitate to have dental implants placed is that they’re not sure what the final results will look like. Rest assured that the implant posts will be completely hidden by your gums, so the casual observer won’t be able to tell that you have them.
Meanwhile, dental implant restorations are customized so that they match your missing teeth, right down to their shade and overall shape. As such, once the dental implant process is complete, you’ll have a lifelike new smile to show off. And since implant restorations don’t slip the way traditional dentures do, there’s no need to worry about your teeth moving at the wrong moment.
No. Dental implants may resemble natural teeth in many different ways, but they are still artificial. Since they aren’t made out of enamel, they aren’t susceptible to cavities like your natural teeth are. That being said, the gums around your dental implants might still become infected, putting your new teeth at risk. In other words, even though dental implants can’t decay, you still need to keep them clean with a solid oral hygiene regimen that includes brushing at least two times every day (or, if possible, once after every meal).
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