Dental Implants – Palos Heights, IL
The Closest Alternative to Natural Teeth
Dental implants are a relatively modern restorative dentistry treatment that uses advanced technology and techniques to offer lifelike tooth replacements. They’re also versatile and can replace one, several, or all of your teeth depending on your unique situation. To learn more about dental implants in Palos Heights and whether you’re a candidate for the procedure, schedule a consultation with Dr. Young and our Revival Dentistry team today!
Why Choose Revival Dentistry for Dental Implants?
- Start-to-Finish Dental Implant Treatment
- Can Last 35+ Years with Proper Care
- Kind & Compassionate Dental Team
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are small titanium posts that are surgically inserted below the gumline and into the jawbone to replace the root structure of missing teeth. Due to their biocompatible nature, they’re able to naturally fuse with the jawbone through a process called osseointegration. This provides vital blood flow to the area to keep it from deteriorating over time. Once this has occurred and the gums have healed, restorations can be attached to the implants to restore the visible structure of missing teeth.
The 4-Step Dental Implant Process
Although each dental implant case is unique, the process generally follows the same steps, regardless of how many implants you’re receiving or where they are in your mouth. Understanding these steps can help you know what to expect and help set you up for success. We will take these four phases of treatment: consultation, surgery, osseointegration and abutment, and restoration. If, at any time during the process, you have questions about the implant process, we would be happy to answer questions or clarify what you need to do to get the long-lasting, natural-looking results you want.
Initial Dental Implant Consultation
Scheduling a consultation starts your implant journey. Prior to creating your treatment plan, Dr. Young will capture panoramic and localized X-rays of your mouth and conduct a thorough examination to help determine whether you’re a good candidate for dental implants. If you are, he’ll use his findings to develop a treatment plan that he’ll walk you through, so you know what to expect throughout the process. At this time, we can also share details about the cost and timeline of your treatment.
Dental Implant Surgery
Fortunately, you don’t have to go to an unfamiliar specialist’s office to undergo this minor surgery. To place your implants, Dr. Young will make sure you are completely numb, allowing the procedure to be completely pain free. You may even take advantage of sedation to have an even more pleasant experience. Then, he will make a slight incision in the gums, insert the implant post into the jawbone, and close the gum tissue back up. Afterward, you’ll return home to rest for a couple days to recover.
Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment
After your surgery, your gums should heal within about one week, but the more important process is just beginning. The implants will stimulate new bone growth, and the bone will attach to the posts through a process called osseointegration, which is essential for implant strength and stability. This will take between three and six months. After it’s complete, our team will attach small metal connector pieces called abutments to the implant posts.
Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s)
Following abutment insertion, we can then focus on your restoration(s). Instead of goopy putty impressions, we use a digital impression system, which measures and captures data inside your mouth with a small scanning device. We are able to construct a digital model of your upper and lower arches within minutes, which the lab will use to fabricate your custom restoration. When your permanent restoration has arrived and your gums have healed around the abutments, we’ll call you back in to complete the process by securing your crown, bridge, or denture in your mouth.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Over 500,000 dental implants are placed every year, making them one of the most popular ways to replace lost teeth. While they are virtually indistinguishable from real teeth, they also provide a wealth of oral and overall health benefits. Since they are placed in strategic locations within the jawbone, they are kept in place with a sturdy and long-lasting hold that allows them to handle any food you could want while lasting for a lifetime with excellent care. Here’s how dental implants from our office can dramatically improve your health, confidence, and quality of life.
Day-to-Day Benefits
Dental implants confer a variety of benefits that can help you better enjoy the activities of your daily life. These include:
- A natural look that allows them to go unnoticed by casual observers.
- A strong and stable hold that won’t let your dental restoration slip out of place.
- Allowing you to eat and speak normally, which is a massive plus in all social situations.
- Giving you the confidence you need to smile proudly.
- Dental implants only require the same care as natural teeth, meaning you won’t need any soaking routines or threader floss to clean underneath them.
Health Benefits
Dental implants also offer a range of benefits for the patient’s oral and overall health. These artificial teeth can help you stay healthy by:
- Preventing infection: Since dental implants are placed directly into the jawbone, there’s no way for bacteria to be sheltered underneath them.
- Preserving alignment: After a tooth is lost, the bone structure that supported it begins to atrophy and recede. This can pull the neighboring teeth out of alignment, making them harder to clean, easier to injure, and more vulnerable to infection and loss.
- Improving nutrition: Tooth loss can make it harder to enjoy the varied diet the human body needs to stay healthy. Luckily, dental implants can handle anything from crunchy veggies to a juicy steak, making getting needed nutrition a pleasure.
Long-Term Benefits
Dental implant patients can also look forward to several long-term benefits. A few of these include:
- Dental implants boast an impressive success rate of 95%, making them a sound investment in your oral health.
- Preventing bone loss: As the unstimulated jawbone recedes after extensive tooth loss, the mouth can sink into the face, creating a withered appearance. Dental implants can restore the exercise that was provided by the lost tooth, which can prevent or even reverse bone loss.
- No need for replacements: A dental implant can last for a lifetime with proper care. This means that you won’t have to pay for expensive denture or dental bridge replacements every few years.
Who Dental Implants Can Help
The best way to find out whether you’re a good candidate for dental implants is to schedule a consultation with Dr. Young. We typically recommend this treatment for patients who have good oral health, have sufficient jawbone density, and are either treating or don’t have autoimmune conditions that could impact their healing after surgery. Once we examine your mouth and determine that dental implants are right for you, we’ll be able to walk you through how we can restore your smile with them.
Missing One Tooth
To replace one tooth, we’ll place a single dental implant below the gums in a relatively quick and painless process. Once it has fused with the bone and the gums have healed, we can attach a dental crown to it, filling the gap in your arch.
Missing Multiple Teeth
Instead of relying on your natural teeth to anchor a dental bridge, we can secure one to two dental implants placed on either side of the space in your smile. This way, no preparation of your natural, healthy teeth is necessary.
Missing All of Your Teeth
We can secure a full denture to anywhere from four to eight dental implants situated throughout the arch, below the gumline. The implants will secure the restoration in place, preventing any slipping or shifting whenever you speak or eat.
All-on-4 Dental Implants
If you’ve had missing teeth for a while and lack sufficient jawbone density to undergo traditional dental implant surgery, you may be able to benefit from All-on-4. During this process, we’ll strategically place at least four dental implants in the densest parts of the jawbone to secure a life like restoration.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants
The cost of your dental implant treatment will depend on a variety of factors, like how many implants you need to have placed, the type of restoration you require, and whether you need preparatory procedures like a bone graft or sinus lift. We’ll discuss all of this with you at your initial consultation after we’ve had a chance to examine your smile and craft your treatment plan. We’ll also provide you with a cost estimate and discuss your payment options, and we’re more than happy to help with any questions you might have!
Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery
You may need preliminary treatments such as bone grafting, a sinus lift, tooth extractions, or gum disease therapy before receiving dental implants, and these procedures will be reflected in your final bill. These treatments will be recommended if they are crucial to the success of your dental implants, and many of them may be partially covered by your dental insurance.
Implant surgery is a separate cost that covers the implant, the operation placing it, and any sedation or anesthetic treatments you need. Since we conveniently perform the entire treatment in-house, you won’t have to worry about dealing with an outside surgeon with a different pricing structure.
The Parts of Your Dental Implant
The cost of your implant surgery depends on several factors such as:
- The number of implants: The cost of the surgery increases if you need more than one implant, but implant dentures can be much more cost-effective than replacing each tooth individually.
- The type of restoration: Dental implants can support crowns, bridges, and dentures. Smaller restorations are less expensive.
- Size or material: Larger implants cost more, and their overall price depends on the material used.
- Manufacturer: Different implant brands are often specialized to address the needs of certain patients.
Feel free to ask us if you have any questions about the specific details of your implant.
How Dental Implants Can Save You Money
Dentures and dental bridges are not permanent and will eventually need to be replaced. Dental implants, on the other hand, can last for more than three decades or even a lifetime with excellent care. This means that you won’t have to pay for expensive replacements every few years, which can save you a lot of money in the long run. Since dental implants can be cared for with the same hygiene routine as real teeth, you also won’t have to worry about buying special pastes, cleaning solutions, or adhesives to keep them clean and working properly. They also help prevent gum disease, tooth decay, and jawbone deterioration, making them a sound investment in your oral health.
Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?
While dental insurance plans don’t usually cover dental implants, there are a few exceptions. Even if your plan doesn’t pay for the implant, it may cover aspects of it such as the final restoration or preliminary restorative work. We’ll gladly review the details of your plan to help you get the most out of your benefits so you can receive the care you need.
Making Dental Implants Affordable
While dental implants can seem pricey, they are also a long-term and high-quality investment, and our team is eager to help make the cost manageable for our patients. We work with CareCredit, a third-party financier, to break the overall bill into convenient monthly payments with little to no interest and no surprise fees. This can make it much easier to fit dental implants into your budget so you can enjoy a beautifully complete smile.
Dental Implant FAQs
Is It Safe to Get Dental Implants?
Absolutely! They have been used in dentistry for over 50 years with a proven track record of safety and reliability. Of course, while the results are highly predictable, there can be complications like with any medical intervention.
Before moving forward with dental implants, a thorough oral examination is necessary to identify any potential health issues such as insufficient jawbone or unhealthy gums. Additionally, the success rate of your implants greatly depends on the skill and expertise of the dental professional performing the procedure.
Does Getting Dental Implants Hurt?
Getting dental implants should not be painful during the procedure itself. Your mouth will be numbed with local anesthetic to ensure you don't feel any discomfort. Additionally, the jawbone has few nerve endings, further minimizing the potential for pain during the surgery.
Most patients also receive sedation, which reduces the body's ability to register pain and helps you relax during the procedure.
After the surgery, you may experience some soreness in your mouth for a few days. It's normal to have some discomfort during the healing process. Taking prescribed or over-the-counter pain medication as directed can help manage any discomfort. Using cold compresses on the outside of your mouth can also provide relief. If the discomfort worsens or does not improve after two or three days, contact your dentist for further evaluation.
Am I Too Young to Get Dental Implants?
If you're considering dental implants, you must take into account your age and jaw development. Most people's jaws are not fully developed until young adulthood. Placing dental implants before the jaw has finished growing can interfere with further bone development and potentially lead to complications.
For this reason, most dentists refrain from placing implants in patients younger than 18 years old. Some individuals may need to wait until their mid-20s for their jaws to fully develop. Additionally, it's worth noting that men's jaws typically take longer to develop than women's jaws do.
Ultimately, the timing for dental implant placement depends on individual factors and the guidance of a dental professional. Be sure to consult your dentist or oral surgeon to determine the best course of action based on your specific situation.
Will I Have to Take Off Work for Dental Implant Surgery?
Whether or not you'll need to take time off work for dental implant surgery depends on the nature of your job. If you have an office job, you may only need to take a day or two off. However, if your job is physically demanding, it's recommended to take at least three or four days off to allow for proper recovery.
While it might be challenging to take it easy, especially if you're used to being active, it's crucial to prioritize your recovery during this period. Be sure to follow all post-operative instructions provided by your dentist or oral surgeon, including getting plenty of rest.