Dental implants are one option for replacing a missing tooth and are designed to function like a natural tooth root. Rather than relying on adjacent teeth to anchor it (as with a bridge or partial denture), an implant replaces the tooth in its entirety as an independent unit.
At Flagsmile Dental, we encourage every suitable patient to consider this option if replacing a tooth is needed. Implants can be used to replace one tooth, or an entire row or arch of teeth. Patients can switch from dentures to implants, and implants can also be used to anchor dentures.
We offer an initial implant consultation to discuss your suitability for the procedure. In this consultation, we discuss your goals, your health history, and medications you are taking. We’ll look at the condition of your teeth and explain preliminary costs. Our goal in this consultation is to assess whether you are suitable for implant treatment.
If you choose to proceed, we will refer you out for a 3-D X-ray of your jaw bone, to evaluate both the quantity and quality of the bone. There has to be enough healthy bone and gum for the implant to sit in. Afterwards, we’ll do another consultation to let you know if you can have implants, or what needs to be done to create more bone first to allow for implants. Synthetic bone and gum grafts are some options, and we will discuss all of the options with you thoroughly.
In some cases, an implant can be done over a short period of time. But to ensure that the implant is successfully integrated in your body long-term, we may have to let the implant heal for a few months before building the final implant crown. We will work with you to discuss suitable treatment options based on your clinical needs.
You pay for each part of the process as it’s undertaken, so payment may be spread out over the course of the overall procedure. We also offer payment plans through ZipMoney.
If you would like to discuss options for improving your oral health and the appearance of your smile, we can help. Contact Flagsmile Dental today to schedule your first appointment with us.