Dental Implants – Moorestown, NJ
The Next Best Thing to Natural Teeth
While traditional dental bridges and dentures let you fill the space in your smile, they lack roots to anchor them in place or stimulate your jawbone. If you want a tooth replacement that functions like natural teeth, dental implants are your best option. At Dr. Suzanne Land & Associates, we’re able to perform the entire dental implant process in-house so that you don’t have to worry about visiting a separate specialist. Call us today to learn more about dental implants in Moorestown and whether they’re right for your smile.
Why Choose Dr. Suzanne Land & Associates for Dental Implants?
- Entire Dental Implant Procedure Performed In-House
- Dental Team That Cares About Forming Relationships with Patients
- Comfortable, Conveniently Located Dental Office
What Are Dental Implants?
A dental implant is a small cylinder-shaped post made to be placed in your jawbone. It’s typically made out of titanium, which is a highly biocompatible metal that can fuse with the bone and effectively become part of your body. With the right number of posts placed in strategic parts of the jaw, dental implants can be used to support dental crowns, bridges, and dentures to replace any number of missing teeth, and they provide chewing strength and stability that is comparable to that of natural tooth roots.
The 4-Step Dental Implant Process
Unlike dentures and dental bridges, the process of getting dental implants in Moorestown involves a multi-step approach that extends over several months. While it may appear time-consuming, the long-lasting benefits more than justify the wait! Dr. Suzanne Land & Associates streamlines the entire treatment process, managing it entirely in-house. Our skilled team places dental implants at our practice, eliminating the need for outside specialists. While every patient's treatment plan varies, there are four primary steps that you can anticipate. Click the button below to find out what they are!
Initial Dental Implant Consultation
The first step is the initial consultation, which is when we carefully examine your mouth to determine your candidacy for dental implants in Moorestown. Depending on the current state of your oral health, we may determine that bone grafting and other preliminary procedures are needed before moving forward with the dental implant process. Once these steps are complete and your smile is ready, we can schedule the next part of your treatment – dental implant surgery.
Dental Implant Surgery
Since we handle the entire dental implant procedure on-site, you don’t have to worry about involving a local specialist for this specific phase of your treatment. We’ll initiate the process by administering a local anesthetic to ensure you experience no discomfort.
The first thing we’ll do is numb your mouth to ensure your comfort. Then, we’ll make a precise incision in the gum tissue and insert the implant posts at specific locations in the jawbone at carefully chosen angles. Following this, your gums are sutured closed, and protective caps are attached over the posts for added protection.
Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment Placement
In the next three to six months, your dental implants will fuse with the jawbone through a process known as "osseointegration." Once this is complete, tiny metal connectors known as "abutments" are attached to the implants, creating a strong foundation for your replacement teeth. We’ll carefully take impressions of your mouth to ensure the precise crafting of your crown, bridge, or denture. This way, we can ensure a perfect fit and seamless match with the rest of your natural teeth.
Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations
Finally, you’ll return to our office to receive your replacement teeth (i.e., crown, bridge, denture). During this appointment, we’ll ensure your bite is properly aligned and make sure you feel entirely comfortable. Now, you can enjoy the incredible benefits of your fully restored and radiant smile!
Benefits of Dental Implants
Today, there are multiple tooth-replacement solutions to choose from. So, why do roughly 500,000 patients each year choose dental implants? Well, there are several reasons. With this in mind, here are a few of the many advantages to consider:
Day-to-Day Benefits
If you’re struggling with tooth loss, then you know all too well how difficult it can be to chew, speak, and smile. Fortunately, dental implants improve all of these while also providing the following benefits:
- Easier Maintenance: You won’t have to make significant changes to your daily oral care routine. Dental implants can be brushed and flossed similarly to natural teeth.
- Increased Confidence: Since the implants will be embedded in your jaw, they will feel very natural. Plus, you won’t have to worry about them slipping while you chew, talk, or laugh!
- Ability to Eat Most Foods: There are no diet limitations with dental implants; your new teeth will be able to handle virtually any food.
Health Benefits
Not only do dental implants make your day-to-day life easier, but they also improve your oral and overall health. Some examples include:
- Jawbone Preservation: Since the implant posts are inserted directly into your jawbone, they prevent the bone loss that typically occurs when teeth are missing.
- Protection for Natural Teeth: Although it’s not talked about as much, one of the biggest perks of dental implants is that they are self-supporting. That means that your surrounding teeth don’t need to be altered in any way during the treatment process.
- Better Overall Health: Unfortunately, tooth loss has been linked to several diseases as well as malnutrition and indigestion. The good news is that dental implants can replace one, a few, or an entire arch of missing teeth!
Long-Term Benefits
Although dental implants are unique in several ways, one of the key differences is their longevity. Here are a few long-term benefits to consider:
- High Success Rate: Dental implants have an impressive success rate of 95%, and it’s even higher among non-smoking patients. Prior to the procedure, we will give you helpful tips on how to prevent dental implant failure as well.
- Youthful Appearance: By preserving your jawbone and filling out your cheeks, dental implants help prevent a sunken, aged appearance. Instead, they help keep you looking and feeling young!
- Long-Lasting Results: Dental implants can last for decades with the right maintenance. That means they have the potential to last a lifetime!
Who Dental Implants Can Help
Almost any adult with missing teeth and good oral health can be considered a candidate for dental implants. We’ll need to confirm that you don’t have gum disease or another issue that might lead to dental implant failure; we’ll also need to make sure that there’s enough bone in the jaw to support the implant posts. Remember, even if you’re not currently a candidate for implants, you may still be able to have them placed after certain preliminary treatments. Keep reading to learn who may be eligible for this tooth-replacement solution and what to expect from your options.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?
Nearly all fully grown adults might be good candidates for dental implants. Still, we’ll need to verify that you meet certain prerequisites before moving forward with the procedure, including:
- Great Oral Health: Your mouth will need to be completely free of any underlying problems like tooth decay and gum disease, as these can raise the risk of implant failure.
- Good Overall Health: Since dental implants involve minor oral surgery, you’ll need to be healthy enough to undergo the procedure itself as well as to recover properly.
- Sufficient Jawbone Density: Your jawbone will be the structure to support your titanium posts, meaning we’ll need to ensure that the density of your bone tissue is adequate. Otherwise, your implants might not fuse properly during osseointegration.
Even if you’re not currently eligible for the treatment, our team can work with you to prepare your mouth. This could involve performing preliminary services like gum disease treatment, tooth extractions, or bone grafting. After we’ve confirmed that you’re in great shape, we can go forth with your surgery.
Missing One Tooth
When there’s just one tooth missing, a single dental implant post is placed where it used to be. After it has joined with the jawbone, we can attach a customized dental crown to complete your smile. The crown will fill the space in your mouth to prevent the remaining natural teeth from drifting out of alignment.
Missing Multiple Teeth
We can replace multiple teeth in a row with a dental bridge attached to a pair of dental implants. By anchoring the prosthetic to implant posts, we can avoid the need to make any changes to your remaining teeth. Your implant bridge will be held firmly in place at all times, making it easy to eat and speak on a daily basis.
Missing All Teeth
An entire row of missing teeth can be replaced with four to eight implant posts and a customized full denture. While traditional dentures need to be removed for cleanings, implant dentures can be brushed and flossed as if they were natural teeth, making them very easy to take care of.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants
The amount you can expect to pay for dental implants will vary significantly depending on your situation. The number of teeth missing, the kind of restoration required, and the need for preliminary treatments will all be taken into account. That said, dental implants tend to pay for themselves in the long term because they don’t have to be replaced as often as traditional dentures and dental bridges. We can answer any questions you might have about the cost of dental implants at your initial consultation.