Dental Implants FAQ

You may be wondering what exactly a dental implant is. Dental implants provide an answer for tooth loss. When you lose a tooth, it can lessen the aesthetic appeal of your smile. We place a titanium post inside your affected gum in the jawbone. This post is the foundation for your implant.

Soon, the titanium will attach to your bone, providing more structure to your jawbone.

We then will attach the implant to the affected area. Our implants are sturdy and will hold steady in place in your mouth. It will look and feel like a regular tooth!

There are a few different forms of dental implants that we can use.

Firstly, there are single tooth implants. If you only have one lost tooth, we install a single implant and one crown. Alternatively, multiple tooth implants are for people who have more than one missing tooth. We provide an implant and dental crown for each missing tooth.

We also offer full arch replacements. We use this form of implant procedure when a patient needs to replace an entire row of teeth. Our dentists use up to eight implants for full-arch replacements.

Lastly, we offer All-on-4. People looking to replace an entire row of teeth may be subject to a bone graft. However, it may be possible to avoid this with an All-on-4. For patients with weak jaws, we use only four titanium posts to support all of your implants.

When going for your dental implant procedure, we put you under a local anesthetic with sedation. We make it so that you feel the minimum amount of pain possible. During the operation, we cut into your gums to access the jawbone.

We then drill into your jawbone. The hole we make in your gums will be where we input the titanium posts. Once the posts are in place, we stitch up the area. As you heal, the titanium will merge with the surrounding bones in your jaw, providing a solid structure.

The procedure lasts approximately a half hour. Recovery is on a case-to-case basis. Naturally, the more implants you get, the longer the recovery process. Expect at least a month before full recovery.

Most general dental insurance plans don’t cover dental implant operations. However, there is a chance you can get partial coverage with a cosmetic dental plan. Some cosmetic insurance packages cover up to half of all dental implant costs.

There is also a chance that your medical insurance can take care of some cosmetic dental procedures. Also, check if your insurance plan has an annual maximum. If it does, you may be able to apply some of that money towards your implants.

It’s a good idea to call your insurance provider before scheduling a dental implant appointment to see if you have cosmetic coverage.