Dental Implants

According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research

If you have permanently lost a single tooth, many teeth, or all of your teeth, dental implants offer an opportunity to completely rebuild your smile. At Fort Bend Dental, we offer a variety of restorations, including crowns, bridges, and dentures, and can tailor your treatment with dental implants to suit your unique needs. 

After your implants are surgically placed into the jaw, it can take about three to six months for osseointegration to occur and the treatment area to heal. During this period, it is essential that you take certain precautions to minimize your risk of complications, including:

• Eating a diet of soft, mild foods until your gums heal
• Brushing carefully around the surgical site
• Avoiding strenuous activity until cleared by your dentist

While it normal to experience some bleeding, swelling, and bruising after the procedure, any excessive side effects should be brought to the attention of your doctor as soon as possible. 

After living with the challenges of an incomplete smile, implant-supported restorations can help you start a new chapter of health, comfort, and confidence in your life. Many patients are embarrassed by the gaps in their smile and their inability to chew and enunciate properly. However, implant-supported restorations complete your smile like nothing else can, looking and functioning just like natural teeth. And while tooth loss can eventually cause changes in your facial features and the shape of your jaw, implants can prevent these effects.

Mini implants are very similar to traditional dental implants, but are about half the size. The titanium post is topped with a ball that snaps into a rubber O-ring in the retaining fixture, allowing your appliance to rest gently along the gum tissue. Because this metal ball is part of the post itself, you will not require a second procedure to receive abutments or connector pieces. Mini implants can support fixed crowns, bridgework, and dentures and can restore full dental form and function. 

Determining Your Candidacy

Candidacy for mini implants depends on many factors, including the number of teeth that need to be replaced and the extent of jawbone atrophy. At Fort Bend Dental, we will use advanced imaging to determine the best type of implants for you. Good candidates for mini implants are often older patients whose jaws have been affected by bone loss caused by osteoporosis or tooth loss. These posts are also ideal for patients who have insufficient jawbone tissue and do not qualify for preparatory surgeries like bone grafts.

Dental insurance typically does not cover the entire cost of dental implant treatment. Depending on your provider, you may receive partial coverage for your procedure. To help you manage out-of-pocket expenses, we accept financing through CareCredit® and offer in-house payment plans.

As a powerful restorative option for missing teeth, dental implants provide a wide variety of cosmetic and functional benefits, including unparalleled oral health, durability, improved aesthetics, and an easier at-home care routine. The dentists at Fort Bend Dental use the latest dental technology, including digital 3-D CT imaging and intraoral cameras, to place dental implants with the highest levels of accuracy. By combining their skill with advanced technology, they can help you fully reap the many benefits of dental implants.

Improving Your Oral Health

While dental implants provide notable cosmetic advantages over other restorative options, their function is still primarily improving your bite. Among the most important effects of doing so are:

• Preventing Worsening Dental Health: Missing teeth throw off the balance of your bite, which can trigger a cascade of oral health problems, including gum recession, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, or even more lost teeth.
• Preserving Jawbone: Dental implants serve the same function as a tooth root. In doing so, they stimulate the jawbone and prevent the bone recession that often accompanies long-term tooth root loss.
• Protecting Natural Teeth: A traditional bridge, which replaces one or more consecutive missing teeth, can only be placed by altering healthy teeth. Because reducing tooth structure can leave them at risk of decay, opting for dental implants can minimize the risk of infection and disease.

Because a dental implant replaces both the lost tooth and its missing root, it often becomes a huge investment in your long-term oral health.

Unmatched Reliability, Durability & Comfort

Dental implants merge with your jawbone in the months following surgery through a process called osseointegration. This fusion gives implants a lifelike functionality, allowing you to eat and speak just as you would with natural teeth. Because the implant posts are backed with strength of your jawbone, they are extremely reliable and stable. In fact, with proper care, dental implants can last decades if not a lifetime.

For dentures in particular, implant-supported options often represent a more comfortable option, as well. Traditional dentures often slide out of place during conversation or meals. Implants secure your restoration so that you can speak and eat comfortably. 

Aesthetics & Quality of Life

A fully-restored smile can go a long way toward boosting your confidence. Many patients are much more willing to share their smiles in the workplace or in social situations when they are not self-conscious about gaps. Your restorations are also customized to match the shade and shape of your teeth to better blend in with your smile.

A fully-restored smile can go a long way toward boosting your confidence. 

Another considerable aesthetic benefit is that in preserving your jawbone, dental implants also maintain your facial appearance. You do not have to worry about sunken cheeks or a weakened jaw.

Easy At-Home Care

Restored dental implants are permanent and are cared for just like your natural teeth. Where dentures must be removed and soaked in a special solution throughout the night and dental bridges may require specific instruments, implants require no new routine. This often makes it much easier for patients to adjust to and keep up with their oral hygiene in the days and weeks after treatment. 

You should undergo treatment with the compassionate and skilled team of dentists at Fort Bend Dental because:

• We provide comprehensive dental treatments to meet all of your needs
• We provide friendly, welcoming service to all patients
• We use the latest technology for the most accurate diagnoses and treatment

For over 30 years, we have been providing the highest level of dental care. To schedule your consultation, contact us online or call us at (281) 499-3541.