Dental Implants Bartlesville
Regain Your Best Smile
Losing one or more teeth doesn’t just damage your appearance – it can also have severe repercussions for your oral health and your overall well-being. At Dentistry by Design, we offer multiple tooth replacement solutions for patients to choose from, but Dr. Luke Lumpkin is likely to recommend dental implants in most cases because of their comprehensive structure and impressive function. We want your newly completed smile to be just as beautiful as it once was! Don’t hesitate to contact our Bartlesville, OK office today if you’re ready to schedule your tooth replacement consultation appointment. Dr. Lumpkin and his team will evaluate your mouth and help you find the best tooth replacement option to restore your smile’s appearance and dental function.
Why Choose Dentistry by Design for Dental Implants?
- Partnered with Knowledgeable Local Specialists
- Beautiful Crowns, Bridges, and Dentures
- A Dentist That You Can Trust
What Are Dental Implants?
While traditional reconstructive options tend to only bother with recreating the crown (the white portion visible above the gum line) of a natural tooth, dental implants take a necessary step further by also providing a new “root” for your tooth. The implant post is inserted into the jaw so that it can bond with the bone. It will ultimately act as a stable foundation for a customized crown, bridge, or denture. By replicating the entire tooth structure with dental implants, patients are able to reap valuable benefits for both their oral health and their sense of self-confidence.
The 4-Step Dental Implant Process
Since their placement is complex, dental implants take longer to get than dentures or dental bridges. The treatment process often lasts several months or more before it fully wraps up. With that said, you needn’t worry; these posts’ benefits are worth the time and effort! Dentistry by Design works with local specialists to place implants, ensuring your results look and feel amazing. This effort takes the form of four key treatment phases: consultation, surgery, osseointegration, and delivery of the final restoration.
Initial Dental Implant Consultation
Before anything else, you’ll visit our own Dr. Lumpkin for a consultation visit. This session lets him learn your smile goals, oral health background, and other crucial factors. He’ll use those details to see if dental implants suit you and adjust your final treatment plan.
Please don’t worry if we initially decide you don’t qualify for care. In fact, you can become a good dental implant candidate through extra dental work – gum disease therapy, tooth extraction, etc. These procedures would strengthen your mouth enough to support implant posts.
Dental Implant Surgery
If we approve your care, we’ll refer you to local specialists for dental implant surgery. These trained surgeons have the expert skills and experience to place implant posts. Given that fact, you can expect amazing results from their work.
The implant surgery itself will feature the following:
- Anesthesia – The specialists will first numb the treatment site with anesthesia. By doing so before surgery, they’ll keep you from feeling pain during care. The most you’ll sense from their efforts is a slight pressure.
- A Minor Incision – With the anesthesia applied, the specialists will make an incision in your gums. This opening creates space in your mouth for the implant post.
- Implant Placement – The specialists will place your implant by using advanced methods and tools.
- Gum Closure – After the placement, the specialists will close your gum incision. They’ll then set a cap over your new implant to wrap things up.
Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment
Your dental implant will start fusing with your jaw once placed. This process (i.e., osseointegration) takes roughly 4-6 months, and it ensures the post is rooted to your jawbone. That means implant fusion leads to a new “tooth” that’s a permanent part of your mouth.
Soon after the implant fusion ends, you’ll undergo a follow-up surgery. This procedure places an abutment – a metal connector – on your implant to secure its restoration. This latter part will be crafted while you recover from the abutment work.
Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s)
We’ll deliver your implant’s final restoration during the last treatment phase. At that time, we’ll set a dental prosthetic that “matches up” with how many teeth you’ve lost. This device could be a dental crown, dental bridge, or implant denture; its nature will depend on your case.
All in all, actually fitting your final restoration won’t take long. It simply requires that we apply dental cement to your abutment. We can then ensure your restoration is secure, make last-minute changes, etc. From there, you’ll get to enjoy your restored smile!
Benefits of Dental Implants
Dental implants are often seen as the next best thing to natural teeth. They provide enough chewing power for you to enjoy all of your favorite foods again, they can put a stop to bone loss in your jaw, and they can stop your new teeth from slipping or shifting. On top of that, while other tooth replacement options typically have to be replaced after a decade, well-cared-for dental implants can last for life.
Who Dental Implants Can Help
You could be a candidate for dental implants if you are missing one tooth, multiple teeth, or an entire arch. The number of implants used and the type of prosthesis needed can vary based on how many teeth were lost.
Missing One Tooth
An individual implant can be covered with a dental crown that has been designed to blend in with the rest of your smile. Implant crowns can be an excellent option for replacing a single tooth no matter where it was located in your mouth.
Missing Multiple Teeth
A gap left by three or more teeth in a row can be filled with an implant bridge. This is similar to a traditional bridge with one significant difference: the prosthesis is securely attached to two implant posts with one at each end, providing a stable foundation for your new teeth.
Missing All Teeth
Using three to six strategically placed dental implant posts, we can anchor partial or full dentures. Traditional dentures only restore about 20% of chewing ability, but implant dentures can replace as much as 70% of your dental function, allowing you to eat a wider variety of foods.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants
How many dental implants need to be placed in your jaw? What kind of prosthesis will they support? Will you need to have bone grafting performed first? It’s necessary to determine the answers to these and other questions before you can get an idea of how much your dental implants will cost. When comparing your tooth replacement options, remember that dental implants can be a wise investment in the long term due to having lifespans that can span decades.
Dental Implant FAQs
How Successful Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants have over a 95% success rate, which is quite impressive. There are two key factors that impact the lifespan: the skill of the dentist placing them and your commitment to proper care. Fortunately, Dr. Lumpkin is a highly trained dentist with nearly two decades of experience, and he partners with local specialists to ensure the entire treatment process is smooth. Plus, our team is always just a phone call away if you have any questions about maintaining your results – from which toothpaste you should use to how to floss properly.
What Can Cause Dental Implants to Fail?
Although dental implant failure is rare, it is possible. The two most common reasons are peri-implantitis (a form of gum disease) and failed osseointegration (when the implant and jawbone don’t fuse properly). Fortunately, there are a few ways you can prevent either from happening, starting with following the aftercare instructions we provide you with and extending to committing to a solid oral hygiene regimen in the years following the procedure.
Am I Too Young to Get Dental Implants?
Although dental implants are suitable for many adults, they aren’t for everyone since the jawbone needs to be fully developed. In other words, if you are in your late teens or early 20s, you may be too young for this tooth-replacement solution. Fortunately, there are others that are equally as lifelike, so we can still fill the gaps in your smile in the meantime.
Will I Have to Take Off Work for Dental Implant Surgery?
If you schedule your procedure on a Friday afternoon, and you only need Saturday and Sunday to recover, then you may not need to take any time off of work. Of course, there are some cases where additional time is needed to heal, like if you had several dental implants placed. Rest assured, we will cover all of this information with you during your initial consultation, including what you should and shouldn’t do during the recovery period to heal.
Can I Get Dental Implants If I Smoke?
The use of tobacco products can prevent you from being a candidate for dental implants. That said, it’s ultimately a decision that you and your dentist will make together. If you decide to move forward with the procedure, then certain precautions will need to be taken. For example, you will need to quit smoking for at least two weeks prior to the procedure as well as two months afterward.
Important note: If you’ve had trouble quitting smoking in the past, don’t hesitate to share that with our team. Remember, we’re not here to judge. Rather, we want to help you so the entire treatment process is as smooth and pain-free as possible.
Do Dental Implants Decay?
No, dental implants do not decay. The reason it’s still so important to commit to good dental care habits is because any remaining teeth you have still can, and it’s possible for your gums to develop an infection. So, make sure that you’re doing your best to brush, floss, and rinse with mouthwash consistently as well as visiting our office every six months for a checkup and cleaning.