Dental Implants

Dental implants are changing the way people live. They are designed to provide a foundation for replacement teeth that look, feel, and function like natural teeth. The person who has lost teeth regains the ability to eat virtually anything, knowing that the teeth appear natural and that the facial contours will be preserved. Patients with dental implants can smile with confidence.

What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are often the best treatment for replacing missing teeth. Dental implants can replace a single missing tooth, several missing teeth or all of your missing teeth.

The implants themselves are small titanium screws that are inserted into the jawbone and are designed to provide a new root for replacement teeth which look, feel and function like natural teeth. Titanium is a biocompatible metal well accepted by the body, which has been used for prosthetic joint (hip, knee) replacements for decades. Titanium forms a strong bond to the bone and acts as a foundation for your new teeth. Implants come in various lengths and widths to correspond to the equivalent amount of bone present and the jaw size of each individual patient.

A dental implant is composed of three parts: 1) the titanium screw that over time will fuse with your own bone, 2) the abutment which is an above gum post over which a 3) crown is later placed by your restorative dentist.

What Are the Benefits of Dental Implants?

Dental implants have many advantages over alternatives such as bridges, partial or complete dentures to replace teeth:

ESHTHETICS

They look, feel and function the closest to your own natural teeth. Dental implants help preserve facial structure by preventing bone deterioration that occurs when teeth are missing.

FUNCTION

Plain and simple implants will allow you to eat and chew as you once did. You will be able to enjoy the pleasure of food with security and confidence. Speaking deficiencies resulting from missing teeth can also be successfully addressed with implant teeth replacement.

RELIABLE

Studies have shown dental implants to have a high rate of success, and can last for many years when cared for properly. We have been placing implants in our practice for over 25 years with decades of successful use for the vast majority of our patients. Implants can reduce long-term dental costs as opposed to a bridge, which may need to be replaced once or more in a lifetime.

TOOTH and BONE SAVING

With dental implants, neighboring teeth do not need to be ground down as with bridges. The grinding down of good teeth for bridges predisposes those teeth to root canal and periodontal problems. Implants do not decay like teeth supporting a fixed bridge. Placing dental implants in the jawbone helps keep adjacent teeth in position and also prevents bone loss in the area of the missing teeth as well as the adjacent and opposing teeth.

SELF-CONFIDENCE

Implants can eliminate or provide firm anchorage for a removable partial or complete denture. Adhesives will no longer be necessary. This will ensure a healthy and attractive smile and allow you to eat the foods you love without clicks or movements from ‘false’ teeth.

Are you a Candidate for Dental Implants?

You may have lost a tooth/teeth from infection, injury, and gum disease or possibly it was congenitally missing. Dental implant replacement may be the right choice for you.

Are you embarrassed of smiling, speaking or eating in front of others because of an empty space in your mouth?
Is it difficult for you to chew and eat certain foods?

Are you having problems with fixed bridges or removable dentures being loose, not looking or functioning as well as you would like?

If you have answered yes to any of these questions, you may benefit from a consultation to determine if dental implants will help. Each situation is different and treatment must be customized.

Existing Medical Conditions

We treat many individuals with a wide array of health issues. Please advise Dr. Stein, Dr. Caruso and Dr. Levarek fully of your medical conditions and medications. They will communicate with your physician when appropriate. There are only a limited number of situations (i.e. severely immune compromised, renal dialysis etc.) for which implants are contraindicated. If you are able to receive routine dental care then you generally can have a dental implant placed. Together with your physician, we can manage your condition appropriately to ensure a successful outcome.

Bone Loss

Implant success is largely dependent on having adequate bone. If you have a significant bone deficiency which may result from having prior extractions, gum disease or injuries, it is likely that you will still be able to have an implant placed following bone augmentation. We perform a variety of bone grafting procedures that will provide the support and stability for your implant. The vast majority of these graft procedures are simple office procedures. Drs. Stein, Caruso and Levarek have successfully treated many patients who have been told that they are not candidates for implants due to insufficient bone, or whom have had previous implant failures as a result of bony deficiencies.

Already Wearing a Denture or Partials?

If you are a patient who already wears an unstable complete or partial denture, dental implants can be placed to replace your removable with a fixed restoration or allow your denture to be firmly anchored. With a denture that does not move, you can smile and chew virtually all types of food comfortably and confidently.

Smokers

Drs. Stein, Caruso and Levarek routinely treat many smokers. Smoking does somewhat reduce the success rate of graft procedures. However, most smokers do have implants placed with success. Smoking does not eliminate the possibility of implants. An individual assessment and approach based on smoking habits and bone present is necessary.

Periodontal Disease and Problem Teeth

Implants placed on patients who have had gum disease or tooth decay have a very high success rate when replaced with dental implants. Implants are not subject to cavities and are generally more resistant to periodontal disease. Good oral hygiene is necessary for long term maintenance of implants.

Age

Drs. Stein, Caruso and Levarek routinely treat individuals in their 70’s and 80’s. Several 90 year olds and even a few over 100 have received implants successfully. Good nutrition is critical to good long-term health. Quality of life issues relating to enjoyment of food and looking good are stated motivating factors. Dentures, whether partial or complete, are often uncomfortable and unstable. These problems can often be solved with a focused treatment of a couple of implants.

For the young who have congenitally missing teeth or who have lost teeth due to trauma or cavities, implants may be placed after the cessation of growth. Females can usually start implant treatment in their mid usually late teenage years. Males continue to grow later and treatment may need to be deferred until their late teens or early 20’s. Patients are individually evaluated. There are a wide variety of methods used to assess when growth has stopped. Several excellent options exist for temporization to provide the esthetics and function necessary during these critical social and developmental years.

Dental Implants for Patients who wear Dentures

If your upper jaw or lower jaw is “edentulous” meaning all the teeth in that jaw are missing, “bone resorption” will occur in the jaw. The body “resorbs” the jawbone that once surrounded the roots, causing the bone to “shrink”. This frequently causes problems for denture wearers because as the jawbone shrinks, their dentures become loose and don’t fit properly. When dental implants are used to support a denture, patients can wear a more comfortable and secure fitting denture giving them back the confidence and ability to eat more varieties of food. Implants under chewing forces stimulate the bone and can reduce or eliminate progressive bone shrinkage.

The Surgical Procedure

For most patients, the placement of dental implants involves one or two surgical procedures. First, implants are placed within your jawbone. For the first few months following surgery, the implants are beneath the surface of the gums gradually bonding with the jawbone. A temporary bridge or removable denture may be worn during this time. Generally, you never need to be without teeth during treatment.

After the implant has bonded to the jawbone, the second phase begins. Drs. Stein, Caruso and Levarek will uncover the implants and attach small posts that protrude through the gums and will act as anchors for the artificial teeth. When the artificial teeth are placed, these posts will not be seen. The entire procedure usually takes two to eight months. Most patients experience minimal disruption in their daily life.

Surgical Advances

Using the most recent advances in dental implant technology, Drs. Stein, Caruso and Levarek are often able to place single stage implants. These implants do not require a second procedure to uncover them, but do require a minimum of two months of healing time before crowns are placed. There are even situations where the implants can be placed at the same time as a tooth extraction & further minimizing the number of surgical procedures. Advances in dental implant technology have made it possible, in select cases, to extract teeth and place implants with crowns at one visit. This procedure is called “immediate loading”.

Implants are a team effort between an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon and a restorative dentist. While Drs. Stein, Caruso and Levarek perform the actual implant surgery, initial tooth extractions, and bone grafting if necessary, the restorative dentist (your dentist) fits and makes the permanent prosthesis. Your dentist will also make any temporary prosthesis needed during the implant process.

What Types Of Prosthesis Are Available?

A single prosthesis (crown) is used to replace one missing tooth. Each prosthetic tooth attaches to its own implant. A partial prosthesis (fixed bridge) can replace two or more teeth and may require only two or three implants. A complete dental prosthesis (fixed bridge) replaces all the teeth in your upper or lower jaw. The number of implants varies depending upon which type of complete prosthesis (removable or fixed) is recommended. A removable prosthesis (overdenture) attaches to a bar or ball in socket attachments, whereas a fixed prosthesis is permanent and removable only by the dentist. Drs. Stein, Caruso and Levarek perform in-office implant surgery in a hospital-style sterile operating suite.

Why Dental Implants?

When you lose several teeth whether it’s a new situation or something you have lived with for years chances are you never became fully accustomed to losing such a vital part of yourself. Once you learn about dental implants, you finally realize there is a way to improve you life.

Dental implants can be your doorway to renewed self-confidence and peace of mind.

A Swedish scientist and orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Per-Ingvar Branemark, developed this concept for oral rehabilitation more than 35 years ago. With his pioneering research, Dr. Branemark opened the door to a lifetime of renewed comfort and self-confidence for millions of individuals facing the frustration and embarrassment of tooth loss.

Why Select Dental Implants Over More Traditional Types Of Restorations?

There are several reasons: Why sacrifice the structure of surrounding good teeth to bridge a space? In addition, removing a denture or a partial at night may be inconvenient, not to mention that dentures that slip can be uncomfortable and rather embarrassing.

Do Implants Need Special Care?

Once the implants are in place, they will serve you well for many years if you take care of them and keep your mouth healthy. This means taking the time for good oral hygiene (brushing and flossing) and keeping regular appointments with your dentist.

Teeth-In-An-Hour

TEETH-IN-AN-HOUR is a revolutionary concept providing patients with fully functioning teeth on dental implants in one single procedure. This technology was developed by Nobel Biocare and is now available for many types of implants. It allows for collaboration between both the restorative doctor and the surgeon. This merging of knowledge and experience achieves not only increased safety, but also a more precise implant placement. In addition, the fabrication of a prosthesis is completed prior to the surgery. The computer-guided implant surgery is done in an arthroscopic fashion, often without requiring any flap reflection. This benefits the patient in that there is less postoperative discomfort, less swelling and less bruising. Patients can often resume their normal activities the next day.

The process starts when a CAT scan is taken of the patient’s jawbone. This CAT scan allows for the generation of a three-dimensional model of the jawbone that can then be used with virtual reality software to plan the implant placement without the presence of the patient. The results are more accurate implant placement, and less chair time for the patient at the surgery office.