Single Tooth Implants for a Complete, Beautiful Smile
Losing a single tooth may not mean much to you, but it can negatively impact your self-esteem and dental health. Whether you have lost your tooth to injury, decay, or disease, it can affect your confidence. Often, you may find yourself smiling with your lips closed or with your hand over your mouth. The negative effects don’t end there. Edentulism affects your speaking and chewing ability and puts you at a greater risk of tooth decay and gum disease.
If you have a missing tooth, don’t ignore it. Instead, turn to dental implants from Neal Edwards DDS in Riverside, California, to fill in the gap. Once in place, dental implants look and feel so natural you will forget they are a replacement!
Replacing your lost tooth with a dental implant
Dental implants can replace one, several, or all missing teeth anywhere in your mouth. Replacing your tooth with a single implant starts with a consultation with Dr. Neal Edwards. Using digital X-rays, we examine your dental health to ensure you don’t have cavities or gum disease that can compromise your implant treatment. Also, we scrutinize your jawbone to ensure it’s healthy enough to support an implant.
After establishing you are the right candidate for a dental implant, the rest of the steps involve:
- Dental implant surgery: Dental implant placement may sound scary, but it’s an outpatient procedure done right here in our office. After numbing your gums, our dental team inserts a titanium post at a precise location in your jawbone. We then place a healing cap and suture the surgical site for healing
- Healing: Your implant needs about 3-6 months to fuse with the jawbone through osseointegration. Once fusion takes place, your implant becomes stable, just like your natural tooth root
- Abutment placement: This is a minor procedure that involves placing a connector on the implant post. An abutment adds length to your implant and connects it to a dental crown or other dental restoration
- Restoring your tooth: The final step is to install a natural-looking dental crown, denture or bridge to restore your tooth
Replacing your natural teeth requires something equally strong and durable. Dental implants in Riverside, California, are the next best thing to your natural teeth.
They look, feel, and act like the teeth you once had. Please dial (951) 614-0033 to schedule an appointment with Neal Edwards DDS.
FAQs
How does a single-unit dental implant replace your tooth?
A dental implant mimics your natural tooth’s structure from the crown to the root. The dental implant system uses ascrew-like titanium post-surgically placed in the jawbone at the same location where your natural tooth used to be. Titanium is biocompatible, which enables your implant to fuse (osseointegrate) with the jawbone to form a solid biological structure.Â
The titanium fixture remains buried in the jawbone and is only visible on dental X-ray images. The dentist adds height to your implant by attaching an abutment. This small prosthetic tool sticks out of the gum line to link with the prosthetic tooth. The final component of your dental implant is a customized dental crown craftily designed to look and feel like your natural teeth.Â
Why should I replace my missing tooth?
A missing tooth should be replaced immediately to prevent the long-term consequences of tooth loss. When you fail to replace even a single missing tooth, this may result in:
- Diminished aestheticsÂ
- Reduced chewing and speaking ability
- Reduced confidence
- Jawbone loss
- Premature dental wear
- Bite misalignment
The good news is that a dental implant can prevent the consequences of missing teeth. A dental implant replaces the missing tooth, providing benefits similar to those of your natural tooth.Â
Is placing a dental implant painful?
Not at all! We use gentle techniques and powerful dental anesthesia to ensure your treatment is virtually painless. Sedation dentistry is also available for patients anxious about the treatment. You may experience mild pain after treatment, but we’ll give you aftercare tips to ensure a comfortable recovery.Â
Who is a good candidate for a dental implant?
Dental implants involve surgery, so they aren’t a good fit for everyone. If you have insufficient jawbone, you need bone grafting to replenish your jawbone with lost bone tissue. Otherwise, your titanium fixture won’t osseointegrate with the bone, resulting in implant failure. Similarly, potential dental implant candidates must be in good oral health. This means you shouldn’t have cavities or active gum disease. Smoking can make you ineligible for dental implants. However, you can become a candidate by quitting tobacco for about two weeks before surgery and continuing until your gums have fully healed.
How much does a dental implant cost?
A dental implant can cost as much as $4,500 per tooth, especially if supplementary procedures like bone grafting and dental extraction are involved. The good news is that dental insurance covers part of the dental implant cost. If you don’t have insurance, we offer third-party financing to ensure you can afford your treatment without stressing about upfront costs.Â
How long do dental implants last?
Dental implants can last several decades, providing durable function and aesthetics. However, you must take care of your implants to ensure they last many years. Brush and floss your teeth daily and visit a dentist regularly for cleanings and check-ups. Â
Does a dentist near me offer dental implants?
Experience the freedom of a fully functional smile with dental implants in Riverside, California. Call (951) 614-0033 to start your smile transformation at Neal Edwards DDS.Â
