Dental Implants Mesquite

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

The first step in replacing your missing teeth is attending a consultation with Dr. McKnight. During this appointment, we’ll carefully examine your smile, go over your restoration options, and develop a personalized dental implant treatment plan. Before placing implants, we may recommend one or more preparatory procedures, such as bone grafting, to ensure your mouth is able to support as many implants as you need to enjoy a full smile again.

Dental Implant Surgery

Once your smile is ready, you can go ahead and schedule your dental implant placement surgery. Many other dentists have to refer patients to an outside specialist for this step in the process, but as an implant dentist in Mesquite, Dr. McKnight can perform this procedure right here in our office.

The surgery is relatively straightforward. We make an incision in your gums to access your jawbone. Then, we place the implant posts at precise angles and locations. Lastly, a protective cap is placed atop the implants to shield them and maintain the shape of the surrounding tissue until the healing process is complete.

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment Placement

After your implants have been placed, they will gradually fuse to your jawbone. This process is called osseointegration, and it can take anywhere from three to six months. Once osseointegration is complete, we’ll perform another, smaller surgery in which we place abutments. These little metal attachments will allow your dental implants to support your custom-made restoration.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations

Once the abutments are in position, we’ll take impressions of your mouth. The data is then sent to a dental lab, where your crown, bridge, or denture will be designed to our exact specifications. A few weeks later, you’ll return to our office and we’ll permanently cement your restoration into place, instantly completing your smile!

Day-to-Day Benefits

Here are a few noteworthy benefits of dental implants in Mesquite that you’ll notice after healing from the procedure:

• A Lifelike Appearance – Unlike other tooth-replacement options, dental implants can replace the entire structure of a missing tooth. Plus, the restoration secured on top is custom-made with your face shape, dental needs, and aesthetic goals in mind.
• Restored Bite Strength – Since dental implants get their strength from your jawbone and are topped with a restoration that’s crafted from only the best dental materials, you’ll be able to enjoy a variety of healthy, well-balanced meals again.
• Clearer Communication – Like many other patients, you may have noticed a significant change to your speaking patterns following tooth loss. Fortunately, dental implants can fill the gaps in your smile seamlessly, making it much easier to enunciate clearly.

Health Benefits

Dental implants also benefit your oral and overall health in the following ways:

• Easy Maintenance – Just like your natural teeth, your dental implants can be maintained with simple habits like flossing daily, wearing a mouthguard during sports, and scheduling a dental visit twice a year.
• No Damage to the Surrounding Teeth – Previously, replacing one tooth or several teeth consecutively was accomplished with a dental bridge. Although this is still an option, it comes with a notable downside: altering healthy enamel. The good news is that isn’t the case with dental implants!
• Ability to Eat Nutrient-Dense Foods – As we mentioned above, dental implants dramatically improve bite force and chewing capacity. Not only does this prevent you from having to eat the same soft, bland foods on repeat, but it also ensures that you can enjoy foods that are packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.

Long-Term Benefits

Finally, dental implants offer several long-term benefits, including:

• High Success Rate – Simply put, dental implants have a success rate of over 95%. The key to keeping yours in pristine condition is prioritizing healthy habits, like brushing your teeth for two full minutes each morning and evening.
• Prevents Bone Loss – Dental implants are the only option to replace the roots of missing teeth. As a result, they can keep your jawbone strong and help preserve your youthful face shape throughout the years.
• Long-Lasting – If you take good care of your dental implants, they can last for 30+ years. So, don’t be deterred by the upfront cost; they often end up being the most cost-effective due to their long lifespan!

Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

Dental implants are an excellent tooth replacement option for nearly every patient with missing teeth. For example, although smokers can undergo implant placement surgery, the likelihood of failure is much higher for them. Generally, you’ll need to be in good health, no oral health issues, and adequate jawbone density.

If your jawbone isn’t strong enough to support dental implants, you may need to have a bone graft to become a good candidate. Alternatively, you may need to be treated for gum disease before moving forward with dental implants. The only way to know for sure whether you’re a good candidate for dental implants is to schedule a consultation to talk to Dr. McKnight. He will be able to review your specific case and discuss your restoration options with you. 

Missing One Tooth

When it comes to replacing singular missing teeth, patients generally need to decide between fixed traditional bridges and dental implants. However, these options are not created equal. Dental implants do not require neighboring teeth to act as an anchor. Because the titanium implant post is strong enough to hold the tooth on its own, there’s no need to alter the neighboring teeth to support the replacement.

Missing Multiple Teeth

If you have multiple teeth that are missing along the same row, it may be better for you to consider a bridge. By installing two implants, one on either side of the gap, a customized prosthetic will be attached to provide a strong and durable fit that will leave you feeling confident about your smile.

Missing All Teeth

Although dentures are secured with suction or a metal clasp, they can slip or come loose, often at inconvenient times. With dental implants, you never have to worry this happening. You can bite, chew, speak, laugh, and smile with complete confidence.

If we see that you have enough strong bone structure, you can move forward with implant dentures. By placing several implants along the jawbone, it will support your new denture. Depending on your individual needs, it can be permanently fixed or removable.

Since jawbone loss is a natural side-effect of tooth loss, many patients looking to replace an entire arch of missing teeth do not possess adequate bone density. In cases like these, All-On-4 dental implants are an ideal choice! This unique method of placing an implant denture only requires four strategically-placed dental implants, so you can enjoy the stable smile you deserve.

Learn More About All-On-4

Learn More About Implant Dentures

Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery

Patients who are struggling with existing oral health issues will likely need to undergo preliminary services to get them resolved before moving on to dental implant surgery. These treatments may include bone grafting, gum disease therapy, or tooth extractions — whatever is necessary for returning your smile to health. While this can increase the price of your implants, these services will help ensure a higher rate of success for your results. The surgery itself will also have its own cost, but our team can perform the entire process in-house, allowing you to save more money from needing an outside specialist. 

The Parts of Your Dental Implant

The dental implants themselves will also have various factors to consider, such as:

• The number of dental implants needed, as a single post will cost significantly less than if you needed four.
• The kind of restoration required, as a denture or dental bridge will cost more than a crown.
• The type of material used, since implants constructed of zirconia or ceramic will cost less than those made of titanium.
• The brand of dental implants—which can be made differently by various manufacturers. Our team, of course, uses the highest quality for the best results.

How Dental Implants Can Save You Money

Although it may seem at first that traditional prosthetics like dental bridges and dentures are more budget-friendly, they can end up costing more than dental implants later on. This is because you’ll typically have to replace them every few years, and you’ll need to purchase special cleaning products to maintain them. Dental implants, however, are like natural teeth, so you’ll simply need to care for them like your normal pearly whites. Plus, they can often last decades to a lifetime, meaning you can save more money in the long run.

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

There may be some exceptions for dental implants when it comes to insurance. For instance, while your policy might not include coverage for the titanium posts themselves, you might have help when paying for the restoration(s) and/or preliminary treatments. Be sure to consult your provider for more details so that you’re well aware of how you can make the most of your plan. You can also speak with our team so we can help navigate your policy if necessary.

Making Dental Implants Affordable

If you don’t have insurance, we can still provide financing options like CareCredit to help minimize your out-of-pocket expenses. With this third-party financier, you can find plans that can turn your dental treatments into monthly installments, that way you won’t have to pay a costly sum all at once. They also typically come with little to no interest, meaning you won’t have to break the bank to fully rebuild your smile.

Prioritize Your Oral Hygiene

Good oral hygiene is the key to a healthy smile, even with dental implants. The most common cause of implant failure is an infection called per-implantitis, which develops as a result of bacteria accumulation that leads to inflammation of gum tissue and compromises the health of the bone that supports the implant posts. To minimize this risk, brushing twice a day, flossing daily, and regularly rinsing with antimicrobial mouthwash is crucial.

Maintain a Balanced Diet

Oral bacteria love to feed off of sugars and carbohydrates, so it’s important to adjust your diet to make sure it isn’t heavy in processed snacks and foods. Instead, try substituting your go-to chips and sweets for fresh fruits and vegetables. These can naturally help remove debris from between teeth due to their crunchy textures, all while being the better options for your overall health!

Break Bad Oral Habits

If you have bad oral habits, like smoking or using tobacco products, chewing on ice, and biting on pens, pencils, and other hard objects, it could jeopardize your dental implants. Before you restore your smile, try to break these by finding healthier, smile-friendly coping mechanisms to put in their place. For tobacco and alcohol use that could impede on your implants’ ability to fuse with the jawbone, consult with a professional to help you take safe, proper steps towards quitting.

Protect Your Dental Implants

If you grind your teeth or play sports, it’s worthwhile to invest in custom-fitted nightguards or sportsguards to keep your dental implants from becoming loose or compromised. At OS Dental, our implant dentists in Mesquite offer comfortable, personalized oral devices for maximized cushioning and protection.

Schedule Routine Checkups & Cleanings

Just like with your natural teeth, bi-annual checkups and cleanings are an important part of dental implant care. These visits will allow your dentist to evaluate the health of your replacement teeth and address any early signs of issues before they have an opportunity to progress and compromise the health of your new smile.