Missing teeth are more than just a cosmetic issue; they affect how a person eats, drinks and breathes. Patients with failing or missing teeth have the option to get dental implants which are a permanent solution that look and function just like natural teeth while optimizing your overall health.

Dental implants have been the preferred option to remedy failing or missing teeth. Patients who choose this option, describe a quality of life that is much more comfortable and secure than fixed bridges and removable dentures. With dental implants, the inconvenience of a removable appliance in the mouth and the effect it has on one's taste and sensory experience with food are eliminated.

With a sense of renewed self-confidence, many people re-discover the excitement of an active lifestyle shared with family and friends. It also gives them the chance to speak clearly and comfortably with others. For all these reasons, people with dental implants often say they feel better, look better, and live better.

Years ago, patients had no alternative but a fixed bridge or removable denture to restore their ability to eat, speak clearly and smile. Fixed bridges and removable dentures, however, are not the perfect solution and often bring with them a number of other problems. Removable dentures may slip or cause embarrassing clicking sounds while eating or speaking. Of greater concern is the fact that fixed bridges often affect adjacent healthy teeth, and denture wearers may suffer bone loss in the area where the tooth or teeth are missing. Recurrent decay, gum disease and wear and tear often doom fixed bridgework to early failure. For these reasons, fixed bridges and removable dentures usually need to be replaced every 7 to 15 years.

How Dental Implants Work

Rather than resting on the gum line like removable dentures, or using adjacent teeth as anchors like fixed bridges, dental implants are long-term replacements that Dr. Tebyanian surgically places in the jawbone. Composed of titanium metal that “fuses” with the jawbone through a process called osseointegration, dental implants never slip, or make embarrassing noises or decay like teeth anchoring fixed bridges. Because dental implants integrate into the bone structure, they are very stable and can have the look and feel of one's own natural teeth.

Single Tooth Implant Replacement

When a tooth is missing, and it is not replaced, adjacent teeth can shift or tilt into the gap. This will affect the bite and will cause additional stress on the neighboring teeth and jaw joints.

Missing tooth/teeth can cause:

• Difficulty eating food/chewing
• Change in facial profile
• Bone loss in the area of missing teeth, which can gradually cause bone loss around the adjacent teeth
• Shifting of adjacent teeth
• Change in bite
• Over time the same stress can deteriorate TMJ disk and will further cause painful joints and change in bite.
  
  

A dental implant designed to replace a single tooth is composed of three parts:

• The titanium implant that fuses with the jawbone
• The abutment, which fits over the portion of the implant that protrudes from the gum line
• The crown, which is created by a prosthodontist or restorative dentist and fitted onto the abutment for a natural appearance

Multiple Missing Teeth Replacement

When more than one tooth is missing, implants provide an ideal replacement. Depending on the number of missing teeth, two or more implants can be used as a foundation of an implant supported bridge. Therefore it eliminates the need to replace each missing tooth with dental implants.

Dental Implant Procedure

Dr. Tebyanian at Olney Center For Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery has been extensively trained in Dental Implantology. His training and experience have made him highly qualified to perform surgical placement of dental implants with successful long-term results.

A successful implant requires that everyone involved – the patient, the restorative dentist who makes the crown for the implant, and Dr. Tebyanian, who surgically places the implant – follow a careful plan of treatment. All members of the implant team stay in close contact with each other to make sure everyone clearly understands what needs to be done to meet the patient’s expectations.

The team is organized as soon as the decision for placing a dental implant is reached. Following an evaluation that includes a comprehensive examination, x-rays, CT scan and a consultation with the patient and members of the implant team, Dr. Tebyanian surgically places the posts, or implants, in the patient’s jaw.

When the implants have healed in the jaw bone which takes about 3-4 months, the restorative dentist will prepare the crown for that implant.

The teamwork continues long after the implant and crown have been placed. Follow-up examinations with Dr. Tebyanian and restorative dentist are critical, and progress is carefully charted. Both Dr. Tebyanian and the restorative dentist continue to work together to provide the highest level of aftercare.

Cost of Dental Implants

At Olney Center for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery we will do our best to provide patients with the most accurate estimate of the expenses involved in your dental implant treatment. The exact cost of your dental implants will depend on a few factors, such as the number of implants you will be receiving, and if you will require bone grafting or extractions to prepare for your implant surgery.

Your insurance coverage will also be a factor in estimating your cost. The cost of the crown or restorative parts of the procedure would be given to you separately by your family/restorative dentist. The best way to estimate your dental implant cost is to have a consultation with Dr. Tebyanian, where all of these factors can be evaluated.

While dental implants can seem like an expensive tooth replacement option, it’s important to put into consideration that this treatment is a permanent and potentially lifelong solution to missing teeth that look, feel, and function just like natural teeth. Regaining the ability to eat the foods you love knowing that your teeth appear natural and that the health of your jaw bone is being maintained as with natural teeth, has lifelong value for your budget and your health. Dental implants can last decades if cared for well, unlike other more traditional tooth restorations that must be replaced periodically.

Dental implants truly change lives for the better! Our qualified and experienced team is here to help you transform your confidence and smile! If you are interested in learning more about this long-lasting, cost-effective, and healthy way to replace damaged or missing teeth, please give Olney Center For Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery a call and schedule a consultation with Dr. Tebyanian.