Today, there are several options available for rebuilding lost teeth, but none are as effective or as lifelike as dental implants. At Sage Dental Care, Dr. Branco and Dr. Kim highly recommend this state-of-the-art service if your smile has been left incomplete by damage or decay. We are happy to provide the entire implant treatment process (including both surgery and restoration) right here in one convenient office location to help you remain at-ease with the team you know and trust. Contact our North Reno or South Reno, NV practice today to schedule your first consultation!
There are two parts to a natural tooth: the visible crown and the roots underneath. Dentures and dental bridges only replace the crowns of missing teeth, leaving much to be desired in terms of comfort and stability without the roots. On the other hand, dental implants are designed to replace missing teeth both above and below the gumline. A small titanium implant post is inserted into the gums to mimic the roots of a missing tooth, where it fuses with the surrounding tissue. This provides a sturdy foundation for the replacement teeth and encourages a stronger, healthier jawbone. On top of the post is a crown, bridge, or denture that has been custom-made to blend in seamlessly with the rest of your smile. Rebuilding your missing teeth from the roots up essentially gives you a smile that looks, feels, and functions just like natural! That’s why dental implants are widely considered by both dentists and patients alike to be the gold standard of tooth replacement.
Now that you know what dental implants are, you’re probably wondering what it’s like to get them. While the dental implant process takes longer than that of dentures or dental bridges, the benefits they provide make them worth the wait! Not to mention, our team can perform every step of the treatment right here in one location, saving you from having to visit an unfamiliar specialist. We’ll go over the details of your treatment process during your consultation, but for now, here is a basic outline of how dental implants work in Reno.
This first visit is primarily about finding out whether you’re a good candidate for dental implants. Our doctors will closely examine your smile, capture X-rays, take impressions, and go over your options for replacing your teeth. If we decide to move forward with dental implants, we’ll create a personalized treatment plan, including an estimated timeline and pricing information. You’ll also have a chance to ask any questions you may have about what to expect.
Many patients require preliminary procedures before they’re ready for dental implants in Reno. For example, a damaged tooth might have to be extracted, or a weakened jawbone will need to be strengthened with bone grafting. These procedures lengthen your overall treatment timeline, but they also increase the chances of your implants being successful.
Once these procedures are taken care of, we can schedule your dental implant placement surgery.
General dentists often have to refer patients to oral surgeons or periodontists for dental implant surgery, but not here at Sage Dental Care. As a Fellow in the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, Dr. Josh Branco is qualified to place your implants right here in our dental office.
The surgery itself is fairly straightforward. After numbing your mouth, Dr. Branco makes small incisions in your gums to access your jawbone. He inserts the implants at predetermined locations and angles in the bone. Then, he places caps over the implants to protect them during the healing period.
Following dental implant surgery, your body’s natural instincts kick in, and the biocompatible implants post encourage your jawbone to grow around them. This process, called osseointegration, is what allows dental implants to be so reliable and durable; they essentially become a part of your body.
Osseointegration usually takes somewhere between three and six months, but the end results are definitely worth waiting for. Once osseointegration is complete, you’ll return to our office. Your implant dentist in Reno will place metal abutments on top of your implants. These fixtures are what allow us to secure your restorations into place.
It takes a couple of weeks to heal from abutment placement, but once that’s finished, you can receive your brand-new teeth! Your dental crown, bridge, or denture will be crafted from impressions taken during your consultation to ensure it looks natural. After we anchor it into place, you’re free to enjoy your new and improved smile!
With over 500,000 dental implants placed every year, this modern tooth loss solution is quickly becoming the most popular way to replace missing teeth! When you compare the benefits of other replacement options with those of dental implants, it’s easy to see why. Thanks to their unique placement in the jawbone, dental implants have the potential to dramatically improve your quality life in several ways that dentures and dental bridges simply can’t!
Keep in mind that dental implants are not exclusively for replacing individual teeth. They can easily be designed to replace multiple teeth at a time, even though they don’t have their own dedicated implant.
The number of dental implants you can have surgically placed depends on several factors. Some teeth have multiple roots and could require larger or more than one implant post per tooth. Also, if you’re considering implant dentures or bridges, you will need more than one dental implant to support it. However, if you need to replace all your teeth, an All-on-4 solution may be your best choice. During your consultation, we will create a personalized treatment plan that clearly delineates the number of dental implants you will need based on the number of teeth you’re missing
In the case of individual tooth replacements, a single implant is used to hold one implant-retained crown.
If you’re missing consecutive teeth, a bridge can be fabricated to replace three or four teeth at time while only using two implants. Instead of relying on buffed down teeth to anchor a restoration, the implants can hold a tooth on either end of the bridge. Their structure is durable enough to hold the entire restoration, therefore filling the gap in your smile.
When a patient has experienced the loss of all the natural teeth along the top or bottom arch of the mouth (or both), their overall quality of life can be dramatically reduced. We can restore a complete set of pearly whites with an implant denture. We’ll use the fewest number of dental implants that will provide optimal stability, which will save you time and money.
Learn More About Implant Dentures
However, some patients suffering from severe tooth loss may not have adequate jawbone density to support traditional dental implants. In these cases, All-On-4 dental implants can help! Like the name implies, All-On-4 requires the placement of just four implants into the jawbone at strategic positions, which eliminates the need for costly, time-consuming grafting procedures in most cases. Better yet, an implant denture can be placed on the very same day, which saves you from having to be without the strong, capable smile you need.
The cost of dental implants always varies from person to person, which is why seeing a dentist for a consultation is a key part of the process. For example, the cost can vary depending on the number of implants being placed, the type of implant used and the preparatory treatments necessary to make implants viable. Furthermore, costs can vary depending on the abutments used, which are connectors for the restoration to the implant itself. The more complex the restoration is, the higher the cost will become as well.
With that being said, dental implants are a long-term investment that is often considered the most cost-efficient solution to tooth loss, especially if you’re missing many teeth. This is because in the long-term, dental implants are easy to maintain and incredibly durable, unlike other options that don’t typically last for life.
When you think about the total cost of dental implants, there are several factors to consider. First, there is the cost of the implant itself and the number needed to secure new teeth in your mouth.
Next, the cost of implant surgery must be calculated, too. Fortunately, your dentist in Reno is able to perform the entire procedure including implant surgery and restoration right here in our office. You won’t need to be referred to an oral surgeon, which could increase your cost.
Lastly, there is the price tag on a new tooth restoration. Depending on how many teeth must be replaced, you’ll either need a dental crown for a single tooth, a fixed bridge for several or a full denture to replace an entire arch. Naturally, these range in price and will affect the total expense.
At Sage Dental Care, we work with most traditional insurance plans. Dental insurance, however, does not usually cover the cost of dental implants, but yours could provide partial coverage for preparatory procedures such as tooth extractions or bone graft surgery, as well as the final tooth restoration. In addition, we’ll be glad to help you apply for financing through CareCredit, a third-party healthcare financier.
At our practice, we can perform the entire dental implant procedure in-house, so you won’t have to think about traveling across town to undergo your treatment. Once you’ve received your new pearly whites, you can expect your results to feel incredibly natural and can last many years or the rest of your life! However, knowing what to do during your recovery is essential for ensuring a successful treatment. Though we’ll provide you with specific dental implant post-op instructions before and after your visit, here are some of the important steps to take while you heal.
One of the crucial parts of your implant procedure is to allow a blood clot to form at the surgical site. To take care of it, you’ll need to avoid disturbing it, meaning you shouldn’t touch it with your fingers or tongue while you heal. If you need to drink water, do NOT use a straw, as the suction can easily interfere with the clot. Also, make sure you don’t use any tobacco products, which can ruin the healing process and increase the risk of dental implant failure.
Those who haven’t undergone oral surgery may feel overwhelmed with what to expect after the procedure, especially concerning which symptoms are normal or strange. In many cases, intermittent bleeding, mild discomfort, and swelling is typical and should be short-lived. However, if you notice any symptoms worsening over time, reach out to us right away for help. In the meantime, you can manage these symptoms in the following ways:
The last thing you want is to ruin or damage the dental implant, gum tissue, or blood clot during your recovery. That’s why you’ll need to stick to a soft-food diet while you heal. These can include:
Although you won’t want to disturb the surgical site, you’ll still have to keep your smile clean of any debris, food particles, and bacteria. This will be necessary for ensuring your implants have a higher chance of successfully integrating with your jawbone. Here are several oral health tips you should follow:
After you’ve successfully recovered and your dental implants are fused to your jawbone, you’ll return to us to receive your new crown, bridge, or denture. Your gums may feel sore or sensitive after we’ve placed your restoration(s), but this can be easily managed with pain relievers and a cold compress. If you notice any changes or issues afterward, give us a call right away for help. Otherwise, enjoy your brand-new smile!
Even though dental implants have an impressive success rate of 90-95% after ten years, they’ll only last that long with proper care and maintenance. If you fail to keep them in good condition, they’ll fail or need to be replaced sooner than expected. Luckily, we’re here to help you enjoy your smile for as long as possible. After your procedure, our team at Sage Dental Care will explain in-depth how to keep your implants firmly in place for a lifetime. To learn what you can do to maintain your new grin, continue reading or reach out to us and make an appointment today!
Dental implants can’t get cavities, but that doesn’t mean you can slack off on your oral hygiene. Once your implants are in place, you’ll need to take proper care of them to keep harmful bacteria from attacking your soft oral tissues and causing potential bone and tooth loss. Brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing daily, and rinsing with an antiseptic mouthwash are excellent practices that’ll help keep your smile in tip-top shape.
With dental implants, you’ll regain the ability to eat almost any food. That means it’ll be easier than ever to stick to a nutritious diet! Overconsumption of hard, sticky, sugary, and highly processed foods can be detrimental to your implants. You should stick to eating fruits, vegetables, dairy, and lean proteins. Make sure to eat foods rich in calcium and vitamin C as they can keep your jawbone strong and gum tissues healthy.
Do you chew on a pen when you’re bored? It may seem harmless, but it can do a lot more damage than you think. Poor habits like smoking, biting your nails, and using your teeth as tools can destroy your enamel as well as your dental implants. To protect your investment, you should kick these habits to the curb. You can keep some sugar-free gum in your pocket just in case you ever feel tempted to chew on a non-food item. If you want to quit smoking, we’ll be more than happy to provide you with the resources, guidance, and support you need.
If you’re active in sports or grind your teeth at night, you should ask about a custom-made oral device. It’ll protect your natural pearly whites and dental implants against damage or injury. Additionally, a mouthguard can help you avoid chronic jaw pain that could potentially lead to temporomandibular joint disorder.
Aside from brushing and flossing, you must visit us every six months to keep your smile in its very best shape. We’ll monitor your dental implants at every checkup to ensure there are no underlying problems or concerns. By treating these issues early on, you can avoid needing more extensive and costly procedures down the line.
At Sage Dental Care, we want you to feel completely confident about the treatment you choose. That’s why we want to answer all your questions and give you as much information as possible about dental implants. Here are just some common questions about this advanced restoration option. If you still have some questions, please feel free to contact our office and schedule a consultation with one of our experienced dentists. We gladly welcome the opportunity to help you make an informed decision about your treatment.
Absolutely! Years of clinical research has proven that dental implants are safe and successful as a restoration option. That’s because dental implants consist of a titanium material, which is biocompatible. This basically means that it doesn’t harm living tissue. In fact, the jawbone and tissue grow around the surgically placed post, just like they would with a natural tooth.
In most instances, dental implants are a success. In fact, over 90% are still successful 10 years after placement. However, some fail either in the short term or the long term. Short-term failure is often due to an existing infection in the bone or soft tissue or the site not healing properly. Also, if you don’t maintain healthy oral practices, your dental implants may not last nearly as long as they could otherwise. At Sage Dental Care, we want to make sure that your dental implants will continue to be successful for years to come.
