Dental Implants

What are Dental Implants?

Dental implants provide a comfortable, long-term solution if you have missing or failing teeth or chronic dental issues. 

Dental implants are advanced artificial tooth roots made up of three parts–the implant, abutment, and crown (i.e., replacement tooth) that serve as a permanent and secure base for prosthetic teeth. 

Dental implants live beneath the gum, while the prosthetic tooth sits on top. Because of this, they look, feel, and function just like natural teeth, which is why they are considered the gold standard for tooth replacement. 

The Benefits of Dental Implants

1. Optimal Performance
   Dental implants behave like real teeth to restore full chewing power and performance.
2. Long-Lasting Solution
   Since dental implants are biocompatible and integrate with the jawbone, they can last a lifetime with proper care.
3. Natural Appearance
   Dental implants are designed to match the color of your surrounding teeth and fit perfectly in the gap.
4. Improved Facial Structure
   Dental implants provide necessary facial and bone support, which helps to prevent bone loss.
5. Stabilizes Adjacent Teeth
   Dental implants provide stability to prevent gaps from causing adjacent teeth to shift and become crooked.
6. High Success Rate
   If you are a good candidate for dental implants, there is a high success rate and satisfaction.
7. Enhanced Speech Capabilities
   Dental implants feel and function like real teeth, allowing you to talk easily and naturally.
8. Reduces the Risk of Cavities
   Dental implants are not prone to decay, so you do not have to worry about cavities.
9. Elevated Confidence
   Dental implants restore your smile, contributing to more confidence and a better quality of life.

Denture Replacement with Dental Implants

Dentures and implants are dental prosthetics dentists use to replace missing teeth. Dental implants are ideal if you already have dentures and are considering replacing them with a more permanent alternative.  Dental implants are also more secure and functional than dentures, which can shift and slide throughout the day, and are more cost-effective in the long run.  Though dental implants have a higher upfront cost, dentures have to be replaced far more often and may require additional dental treatments, resulting in a lower price tag overall. Dental implants are also more durable and require less maintenance, further contributing to their cost-effectiveness. 

Getting Started with Dental Implants

The first step to restoring your smile with dental implants is scheduling a consultation with the experienced doctors at Carolinas Centers For Oral & facial surgery.

During your consultation, your doctor will learn more about your goals and medical history, set up a comprehensive dental exam, and build a personalized treatment plan. You may require a bone graft or tooth extraction based on your specific needs.

Additionally, your doctor will discuss what happens during your dental implant procedure. Generally, the surgery takes anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours, depending on how many dental implants you need. Your doctor will discuss local anesthesia, sedation, or general anesthesia to determine which is best for you.

In preparation for your procedure, your doctor will provide preoperative and postoperative instructions, including whether or not you can eat or drink before the surgery. Ensure you follow these instructions for a smooth surgery and recovery.

How Are Dental Implants Placed and Restored? 

At Carolinas Centers For Oral & Facial Surgery, our doctors specialize in dental implant placement and restoration. They use industry-leading surgical techniques with high precision and skill to deliver outstanding results. 

The initial dental implant procedure involves making a small incision in the gum to expose the jawbone. Then, your surgeon uses a specially-designed tool to drill a hole into the bone, which creates space for the implant. Next, they gently insert the implant screw into the bone according to your treatment specifications. The gums are then closed, and the healing process begins. 

Once the dental implants have fully fused to the bone (a process referred to as osseointegration), the restoration process can occur, which involves opening the gum again and attaching the abutment. Once your mouth has healed from this minor procedure, your surgeon will secure the prosthetic tooth to the abutment, restoring your smile. 

It’s important to note that dental implant and tooth restoration can take several months, sometimes up to a year, ensuring enough time for healing and the growth of new bone in your jaw. 

Implant Placement – Your surgeon makes a small incision in the gum to expose the jawbone and then drills a hole using a special tool. Next, the dental implant is gently screwed into the jawbone until it is secure. 

Abutment Attachment – Once the dental implant has optimally osseointegrated with the jawbone, your surgeon will reopen the gum to expose the implant and attach the abutment. 

Replacement Teeth – After securing the abutment to the dental implant, your doctor places the replacement tooth onto the abutment. The results are a complete, natural-looking smile you can enjoy for a long time.

Dental Implants Post-Op and Recovery Timeline

To better prepare for your dental implant procedure at Carolinas Centers For Oral & Facial Surgery, here is what you can expect regarding your postoperative and recovery phase. 

1. Initial Consultation – The first step is an initial consultation and full dental evaluation with your surgeon. They will take images, evaluate your candidacy for dental implants, and build you a personalized treatment plan. 
2. Oral Development  – If necessary, your surgeon will perform a tooth extraction or bone graft to prepare for successful dental implantation. These preparation surgeries will be a part of your treatment plan, and your doctor will discuss how this affects your overall dental implant timeline. 
3. Implant Placement – Once your mouth is ready to have dental implants placed, your surgeon will make a small incision in your gum to surgically insert the dental implant into the jawbone. Your surgeon will also add a healing cap during this time.
4. Osseointegration –​​ Once your doctor places the dental implant, the next 3-6 months involve healing and osseointegration. At this time, you’ll be temporarily placed on a soft foods diet to foster optimal healing.  
5. Tooth Restoration – After your mouth has fully healed and the dental implant has osseointegrated, your surgeon will make another small incision in the gum, attach the final abutment, and affix your prosthetic tooth to the implant. This phase is the last part of the restoration process. 

Frequently Asked Questions: About Dental Implants

What Can I Eat While the Implants Heal?

Depending on how quickly your mouth heals, you will be on a soft foods diet for three to six months. This diet fosters optimal healing, as any pressure or excess strain on implants during the healing process can cause them to shift or heal crookedly, which may impact your final results.

For the first 24-48 hours after your dental implant placement, we recommend sticking to liquids or very soft foods, such as water, broth, fruit or vegetable juices, pureed soups, mashed potatoes, smoothies, pudding, applesauce, cottage cheese, or oatmeal.

During the first week after your procedure, your mouth will likely still feel tender and sore as the area continues to heal. At this point, you can add more soft foods to your diet, such as eggs, bananas, avocados, nut butters, yogurt, and cheese (in addition to the foods mentioned above). We still recommend eating and drinking lots of liquids, especially water, to stimulate ideal healing.

In the weeks following your procedure, slowly reintroduce more solid foods into your diet. Remember, to further your body’s healing capabilities, eat a balanced, nutrient-rich diet and focus on getting adequate amounts of protein, ample calcium, and lots of fruits and vegetables.

What are the Risks Associated with Dental Implant Surgery?

Similar to other surgeries, dental implant surgery poses some risks, including infection at the implant site, injury or damage to surrounding tissue and structures, nerve damage, and sinus problems.

While it is perfectly normal to be concerned about these risks, most patients do not experience severe or significant side effects following a dental implant procedure at our surgery center.

You can rest assured that our surgeons are highly skilled and know how to achieve outstanding results with dental implant surgery, while mitigating the risks associated with the procedure.

How Long Will the Implants Last?

Many factors determine the lifespan of dental implants, such as bone health and oral hygiene post-procedure. Generally, you can expect that your dental implants will last a very long time, though the longevity of dental implants varies from patient to patient.

Large-scale studies have reported that the long-term survival rates of dental implants are between 93.3% and 98%, indicating that they are an effective and reliable way to replace missing or damaged teeth.

Dental Implants & Bone Grafting Explained

If you suffer from a missing tooth or chronic dental issues, it’s not just your smile that is affected—your entire health can be impacted. This includes your speech, diet, and lifestyle. You might experience pain, fatigue, or even the potential for increased wear and damage to other teeth. But the problem can often go even deeper. When a tooth is missing and not replaced, the loss does not stop there, 25% of people lose their supporting jawbone structure within the first year after tooth loss. That’s why many people turn to dental implants and bone grafting for help. But how can they help you live a healthier, fuller life after tooth loss? To start, let’s talk about what bone grafting and dental implants are, and how they work together.  

What Is Bone Grafting? 

When a tooth is lost, the area in the jawbone is often compromised. As time passes and the bone continues to atrophy, you’ll notice negative side effects such as changes to your appearance or difficulty speaking and eating. Bone grafting is the answer to this problem. 

Bone grafting helps rebuild the damaged jawbone while simultaneously promoting new growth. Taken from either organic or synthetic material, bone grafting is a common first step for many dental implant surgeries. There are several different types of oral bone grafting surgery, and which type you need depends on the location of the new bone, the severity of the bone loss, and the structure of your face.  

Different Types of Bone Grafting Procedures:  

• Socket Preservation — this procedure is performed immediately after tooth extraction and involves the placement of grafting material into the socket.  
• Sinus Lift—If a tooth loss occurs near the thin, bony area near the sinuses, a lift might be necessary to create a thicker and sturdier base for an implant to be eventually placed.  
• Ridge Augmentation — may be performed in one area after a tooth extraction or the entire ridge may require more height/width. 
• Nerve Repositioning—This procedure involves repositioning the inferior alveolar nerve and is usually a last resort. 

What Is A Dental Implant? 

Dental implants are advanced artificial tooth roots that serve as a permanent and secure base for prosthetic teeth. Think of them as a foundation meant to improve the quality of your jawbone and offer you a lifetime of improved oral health.  

Dental implants are made up of three parts—the implant, abutment, and crown. They live beneath the gum and support the prosthetic tooth on top. This design allows them to look, feel, and act like natural teeth, making them the go-to for patients facing tooth loss. Here are even more benefits to dental implants:  

• Optimal Performance 
• Long-Lasting Solution 
• Natural Appearance 
• Improved Facial Structure 
• Stabilizes Adjacent Teeth 
• High Success Rate 
• Enhanced Speech Capabilities 
• Reduces the Risk of Cavities 
• Elevated Confidence 

Dental Implant Procedure Steps: 

Like all other medical procedures and surgeries, an initial consultation is necessary to determine if you are the right candidate for an implant. Your oral and maxillofacial surgeon will do a complete oral exam, take X-rays, and talk about your goals. The actual procedure will take about 30-60 minutes and include small incisions in your jaw and the use of anesthesia. 

After the surgery, the following 3-6 months are the most crucial. This healing phase is known as osseointegration. During this time, the implant fuses to the bone permanently. You’ll have to be placed on a soft foods diet and avoid any activity that could damage or shift the implant. The final stage in the implant procedure is tooth restoration. This occurs after the mouth has fully healed and a prosthetic tooth is attached to the implant. You can expect to wait anywhere from 6 months to a year for this step.

Dental Implants, Your Oral Surgeon, & You 

For patients experiencing tooth loss, one popular treatment option is dental implants. Advances in biomedical technology – including the discovery of titanium osseointegration – have improved these implants significantly over the last several decades. By working closely with your oral-maxillofacial surgeon (OMS), you can find a long-lasting, effective solution that will improve your oral health and even give you more confidence in your appearance. Advantages of modern dental implants include: 

• Natural appearance that mimics the look of surrounding teeth. 
• Reduced risk of cavities, since titanium implants do not decay. 
• Enhanced stabilization of adjacent teeth. 
• Long-lasting solution, able to last a lifetime if correctly cared for. 

Dental Implant Process 

While highly effective, receiving dental implants is also a complex procedure requiring consultation with a skilled, experienced medical team. An OMS is an indispensable part of that process. Thanks to their training in dentistry, surgery, and internal medicine – including 4-6 years in a surgical residency program – an OMS has the specialized knowledge of the jaw and face to determine if implants are the right choice for you. 

The first step when considering implants is a comprehensive exam, including X-rays and even 3D images of your jaw. This way, an OMS working together with other dental professionals can evaluate whether implants are needed and if your jaw will support them. At this point, assuming that the OMS believes implants are the right path forward, they will work with you to create a specialized treatment plan, considering your medical history and specific needs. Since it is the future of your oral health that is being considered, your medical team must keep you well-informed throughout this process. A good OMS will make sure that you are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about every key decision about your implants. 

Once the decision is made, the implant process can begin. This is a multi-step procedure that will require multiple appointments. The steps are as follows: 

• Implant Placement – Your surgeon makes a small incision in the gum to expose the jawbone and then drills a hole using a special tool. Next, the dental implant is gently screwed into the jawbone until it is secure.  

• Abutment Attachment – Once the dental implant has optimally osseointegrated with the jawbone, your surgeon will reopen the gum to expose the implant and attach the abutment.  

• Replacement Teeth – After securing the abutment to the dental implant, the replacement tooth is placed onto the abutment. The result is a complete, natural-looking smile you can enjoy for a long time 

This process involves numerous procedures requiring an OMS expert knowledge of facial and cranial structure. In most cases, it also necessitates general or localized anesthesia, another area where the extra training of an OMS is a huge advantage. In addition, an OMS can let you know about the potential (but uncommon) risks associated with the procedure, such as infection at the implant site. By following the advice of the OMS and practicing good oral hygiene, such risks can be avoided or easily mitigated. 

Your Next Steps 

By consulting closely with an oral surgeon, you could be on your way to a healthier, brighter smile in a matter of months. This is possible thanks to the specialized training that an oral and maxillofacial surgeon undergoes.