Dental Implants – Grand Island, NE

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

As you start your implant journey, the first thing you’ll do is consult our dentists. In particular, we’ll talk to you about your smile goals, medical history, oral health, and so on.

The main goal of this consult is to confirm implant candidacy. In other words, we use its findings to see if treatment would help. Should it not, though, we’ll work with you on preliminary procedures like gum disease therapy, tooth extractions, or bone grafting.

Of course, the visit also tells you how implant placement works. If our team decides to go forward, we’ll walk you through its steps – the timeline, the cost, and more.

Dental Implant Surgery

Since our office does implant surgery in-house, you won’t need to see an expensive outside specialist. Therefore, you won’t face major treatment delays after the initial consult. Plus, getting implants with us means the dentist can reference your dental records. (We likely already have them on file.)

The surgery itself will involve four simple steps:

1. Mouth Numbing – Before surgery even begins, our team will numb the treatment area. Doing so ensures you won’t feel pain during the implant placement. (If you’d like, we could apply dental sedation at this point too.)
2. Gum Incision – Once you’ve been numbed, we’ll make an incision in your gums. This action will create room for the future implant.
3. Implant Placement – The dentist will use precise tools to place the implant in your jaw socket.
4. Closure of Gums – With the implant placed, we’ll close your incision and put a cap over the post.

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment

You aren’t out of the woods when implant surgery ends. From there, you’ll need to wait for your new tooth (or teeth) to fuse with your jaw. This fusion, known as osseointegration, lasts 4-6 months and helps the restoration(s) become secure. Needless to say, you’ll have to be careful with the treatment site as it happens.

After the fusion, we’ll place an abutment on the post. This counts as minor surgery, meaning you’ll need a few weeks to recover. As you do so, your final restoration will be crafted from impressions taken of your mouth.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s)

Lastly, you’ll come back to our office for the final restoration. Depending on how many teeth were lost, this prosthetic could be a crown, bridge, or denture. Regardless, we’ll fit it effectively and ensure the resulting bite is comfortable. You’ll then be ready to enjoy a new-and-improved smile!

Day-to-Day Benefits

One of the many reasons patients are drawn to dental implants is because of the countless ways they can improve your overall quality of life, including:

• Easier Maintenance: While other tooth-replacement options require special cleaning products, dental implants can be maintained with the same best practices you use to care for your natural teeth, like brushing and flossing consistently.
• Increased Confidence: Dental implants look just like natural teeth and don’t have obvious metal or acrylic attachments. Plus, they are self-supporting, so they won’t slip or move while you’re talking, laughing, or eating.
• Ability to Eat Most Foods: For patients with partial and full dentures, dental implants can increase their chewing strength from 20% to 70%. This means they’re able to consume a wider range of nutritious foods.

Health Benefits

In addition to making day-to-day things like chewing and brushing your teeth easy, dental implants offer several health benefits. Here are a few:

• Jawbone Preservation: Because the roots of missing teeth are replaced, implant-supported restorations provide stimulation to maintain jawbone density and gum tissue volume. In other words, dental implants help prevent bone loss!
• Protection for Natural Teeth: Dental bridges require the teeth surrounding the gap to be altered, even if they are healthy. Dental implants do not. Instead, they are inserted directly into the jawbone, preserving your natural teeth and preventing dental drift in the process.
• Better Overall Health: Extensive research has linked tooth loss to several health conditions. Fortunately, dental implants can help prevent that from happening while also expanding your diet and improving your bite strength.

Long-Term Benefits

Initially, you might think that dental implants are costly. However, they offer several long-term benefits that often make them the best choice for your wallet too! Here are some examples:

• High Success Rate: Dental implants have a 95% success rate, and it’s even higher among patients who don’t smoke. That’s largely due to the extensive vetting process and the cutting-edge technology and tools used.
• Youthful Appearance: In addition to completing your smile, dental implants stimulate your jawbone to preserve your youthful face shape.
• Long-Lasting Results: Traditional replacement teeth need to be replaced every five to ten years, but implant-supported restorations can last for thirty years or longer. The key is taking good care of them by adopting healthy habits, like brushing each morning and evening and coming in for a checkup and cleaning twice a year.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

Generally speaking, only adults who have lost at least one tooth may be considered for dental implants. Other essential prerequisites for being a good candidate for this treatment include:

• Great Oral Health: Any oral health issues like gum disease, decay, or infection will have to be properly addressed before moving forward with the dental implant process.
• Good Overall Health: The rest of your body will need to be in good condition to ensure proper recovery from oral surgery as well as increase the rate of treatment success.
• Adequate Jawbone Mass: In most cases, any jawbone deterioration due to tooth loss will need to be corrected before your jaw can support the metal posts.

Even if you aren’t eligible right now, our team can work with you so that you can undergo the necessary preliminary services to get you on track with dental implants, such as gum disease treatment, bone grafting, or tooth extractions.

Missing One Tooth

One titanium post is placed in the gap; we’ll use a CT scanner to make sure it’s placed in the ideal spot. It will take several weeks for the bone to fully integrate with the post. Once an abutment is attached, you’ll need to wait for your gums to heal before a custom-made crown can be anchored to the implant.

Missing Multiple Teeth

If you have lost at least three teeth in a row, it only takes two implants to replace them at the same time. The posts can support the crowns of a dental bridge, allowing you to fill in the space without making any changes to your remaining healthy teeth.

Missing All Teeth

Patients with dentures may be able to get dental implants, providing their teeth with better stability. This also eliminates the slipping and discomfort associated with traditional dentures. And since implants improve the chewing strength of prosthetic teeth, patients can eat virtually anything with their new smile.

Mini Implants

As the name suggests, mini implants are smaller versions of the traditional titanium posts. These implants are ideal for patients with naturally smaller teeth, those who need to replace just the front teeth, and patients who have diminished jawbone density that could reduce their chances of successful traditional implant placement.

Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery

You may need some preliminary work before you can get dental implants. Such services may include bone grafts, periodontal therapy, tooth extractions, etc. If you do require such services, they’ll add to your overall treatment cost. However, most dental plans do partially cover them.

 

At the same time, note that dental implant surgery has its own price. This particular expense can rise or fall based on anesthesia, the final implant location, and so on. Luckily, our office performs the entire dental implant treatment in-house. You won’t have to worry about paying an outside surgeon.

 

The Parts of Your Dental Implant

Your dental implants’ varied features also impact their price. These elements include:

 

• Implant Material – Labs can use different materials to craft dental implants at distinct prices. For example, zirconia implants cost more than titanium ones.
• Implant Number – Certainly, the number of dental implants also affects your treatment price. One implant post will cost less than four to six for an implant denture. That said, an implant denture is more cost-effective than replacing each tooth separately.
• Implant Brand – Your treatment price partly depends on the brand of your dental implants. Different providers cater to differing needs, so they tend to charge varying amounts.
• Restoration Type – Dental bridges, crowns, and dentures have different prices. The smaller your final restoration, the less it’ll cost.

 

How Dental Implants Pay for Themselves

Compared to dental implants, both dentures and dental bridges may seem less costly to you. That’s an understandable view – the two options have lower upfront prices. However, the fact remains that dental implants can (and likely will) save you more money over the years.

 

You see, dental implants can last a lifetime in the right cases. These long lifespans of 30 years (or more) mean the posts rarely need repairs. They also don’t require accessories like adhesives, pastes, etc., and they improve patient oral health. Such facts ensure implants pay off over time and require costly follow-ups.

 

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

Sadly, dental insurance doesn’t usually cover dental implants. Patients almost always have to pay out of pocket for them.

 

That said, there are occasional cases to the contrary. Perhaps your dental plan does include partial coverage. So, make sure to review your policy’s benefits before treatment. Our dental team will even help you do so if you’d like.

 

Making Dental Implants Affordable

Even without insurance, dental implants can be affordable. Just rely on our office’s other payment options to make treatment more budget-friendly. Key among these is our flexible financing program that works with CareCredit. By using it, you could pay for dental implants in six or 12-month installments. Your care would then be much easier to cover!

 

Here at Stec & Stines Cosmetic & Family Dentistry, we want your dental implants to work well and fit your budget. Learn how to finance them by visiting our office!

Make Oral Hygiene a Priority

Once your dental implants have successfully integrated with the jawbone, you’ll need to be diligent about practicing good oral hygiene. Just because implants can’t get cavities doesn’t mean you can slack off on taking proper care of your new smile. A solid at-home dental care routine is essential to ward off oral health issues (like gum disease) that can lead to dental implant failure. Brushing twice a day, flossing daily, and rinsing with an ADA-approved mouthwash are necessary to keep your implants in optimal condition.

Eat a Healthy Diet

Although you can eat almost any food with dental implants, it’s best to stick to a nutritious diet. Overconsumption of sugary, starchy, and acidic foods can be problematic to your new smile. Instead, you should follow a healthy diet full of nutrient-rich foods (i.e., fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, dairy products). Not only are they great for your oral health, but your waistline as well. Foods that are rich in calcium and vitamin C are excellent for keeping your jawbone strong and gum tissues healthy.  

Break Bad Habits

Do you smoke, bite your fingernails, chew on pens or pencils, use your teeth as tools, or munch on ice cubes? These poor habits can easily cause your dental implants to break or fail. To protect your investment, you should kick these habits to the curb. It’s a good idea to keep some sugar-free gum in your pocket for times when you feel tempted to chew on a non-food item. If you’re trying to quit using tobacco, ask a medical or dental professional for assistance. They’ll provide you with the resources, support, and guidance you need to make the feat as easy as can be.

Protect Your Dental Implants

If you regularly play sports or grind your teeth at night, you should ask your dentist about a custom-made oral device. An athletic mouthguard can protect your teeth, gums, and implants against injuries if you sustain a blow to the face. Meanwhile, a nightguard will prevent serious damage to your enamel and implants.

Schedule Regular Dental Checkups

Aside from brushing and flossing, you should see a dentist regularly to keep your implants in their very best shape. These preventive visits allow them to monitor your new smile, ensuring no problems develop along the way. Early detection of oral health issues is a great way to avoid more timely and costly problems down the line. Plus, it’ll allow you to enjoy your new and improved smile for life!