Dental Implants – Cambria, CA
Say Goodbye to Gaps
Are you ready to have your missing teeth back? With dental implants, the team at Cambria Smiles can give you the next best thing to nature whether you are missing a single, multiple, or all of your teeth. Dental implants are the premier solution for rebuilding smiles available today, and they can easily last for 30 years or more. We’ve already helped hundreds of patients reclaim their oral health and confidence with dental implants, and we can do the exact same for you.
Why Choose Cambria Smiles for Dental Implants
Both placement & restoration performed in-house
Only use the most advanced technology, techniques, & materials
Highly-experienced team with hundreds of successful cases
Start to Finish Convenience
At Cambria Smiles, we’re proud to say that our team is capable of handling the entire implant procedure, both placement and restoration, all under one roof. Most other offices have to refer their patients to an outside specialist to have their implants placed, which slows down the process and often adds a lot of expense as well. Here, however, patients are able to work with the same dentist and team that they trust from beginning to end, ensuring a smooth journey to their renewed smile.
The 4-Step Dental Implant Process
Dental implants are a preferred tooth replacement option by dentists and patients alike thanks to their numerous benefits. To achieve these benefits, dental implants require a multi-step process that spans over several months – a small price to pay for permanent, beautiful results! Everyone’s treatment will look a little bit different, but here are the four main steps that everyone can expect.
Initial Dental Implant Consultation
The first step when getting dental implants is your initial consultation. During this time, we will closely examine your smile to see if you are a good candidate for dental implants. Some patients need preliminary procedures before they are able to move forward with the implant process. This can include gum disease treatment, bone grafting, and other treatments. If this is the case for you, we can help you schedule these services. Once your jawbone and gum tissue are in good shape, we can discuss the rest of your treatment, including the timeline and the cost.
Dental Implant Surgery
At Cambria Smiles, we are proud to complete the entire dental implant process, including the surgical procedure, at our practice. This way, you don’t need to work with an outside specialist at a separate location. After numbing the area with a local anesthetic, a small incision is made in the gum tissue. The dental implant is placed into the jawbone and the gums are closed up. Lastly, a protective cap is placed over the implant to keep it safe throughout the healing process.
Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment
Over the next three to six months, the healing will take place. This is when “osseointegration” happens. Osseointegration is the process in which the titanium dental implant fuses with the jawbone. Thanks to this fusion process, you can enjoy the stability and longevity of your replacement tooth. Once the healing has been completed, you will need to undergo another small procedure in which abutments are placed on the end of the implants. This is what will secure your restoration to your implants.
Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s)
Now that you have your abutments, impressions are taken so your restoration can be custom-made just for you at the dental lab. Once these are ready, you can return to the practice so we can secure your restoration to your implants. If everything looks and feels great, you can leave the office showing off your new and improved grin!
Benefits of Dental Implants
More than half a million dental implants are placed every year, making them one of the most popular ways to restore missing teeth. Since these titanium posts are placed directly into and naturally fused with the patient’s jawbone, they offer a range of significant benefits for your oral health and quality of life that traditional restorations like dentures and bridges cannot provide. Here’s a brief guide to how dental implants from our Cambria office may be able to considerably enhance your life.
Day-to-Day Benefits
Dental implants can vastly improve a patient’s daily life with important benefits such as:
- Allowing patients to easily and thoroughly chew all the foods that dentures and dental bridges can have trouble with.
- Giving patients the confidence to speak without worrying that their teeth will not cause them to slur their words when they slip out of place or fall out of their mouth mid-sentence.
- Being easy to brush and floss, meaning that patients won’t need to keep up with any special hygiene rituals to keep them clean and healthy.
- Restoring a patient’s smile so they can proudly flash their grin at friends, family, and strangers.
Health Benefits
Dental implants can also significantly improve a patient’s health in ways like:
- Giving patients the power to enjoy the rich and varied diet the human body needs to stay healthy and strong.
- Helping patients chew thoroughly and avoid issues like indigestion.
- Supporting the surrounding teeth so that they are less likely to shift out of position as time goes on.
- Not causing dental sensitivity or sores on soft tissues due to the implants sliding around in the mouth as an ill-fitting pair of dentures might.
- Eliminating the possibility of infection-causing plaque and food debris accumulating underneath the restoration as can happen with bridges or dentures.
Long-Term Benefits
The benefits of dental implants can last for many decades, leading to positive long-term results like:
- Preserving the patient’s jawbone by restoring the exercise that was lost with the tooth, preventing bone loss, tooth loss, and the remaining teeth shifting out of alignment.
- Helping the patient maintain a youthful appearance by preventing jawbone recession, sagging cheeks, and wrinkled lips.
- Boasting a 95% success rate even ten years after being placed, making dental implants a sound investment in a patient’s oral and overall health.
- Lasting for up to three decades or more with excellent care.
- Potentially saving the patient thousands of dollars by eliminating the need for expensive replacement dentures or dental bridges.
Indications for Dental Implants
Fortunately, most patients with missing teeth are good candidates for dental implants despite how many teeth they might be missing. Implants are quite versatile and capable of supporting a variety of different restorations:
Missing One Tooth
After the prosthetic root has been placed, we can attach a custom-made, all-porcelain crown to it using a small metal connector called an abutment. The porcelain will be shaded to perfectly match a patient’s enamel, and the new tooth will be indistinguishable from those around it thanks to its two-part structure.
Missing Multiple Teeth
If a patient is missing more than one tooth in a row, implant crowns can actually be used to support a bridge as well. Two implant crowns are placed on either side of the missing ones, and these are bonded to additional prosthetic teeth to close the gap, restoring the appearance and function of the smile at the same time.
Missing All of Your Teeth
Implant-dentures are secured directly to the jawbone, and they offer a stability and longevity traditional removable dentures simply can’t match. Implant dentures have also been shown to restore much more of a patient’s bite strength, enabling them to enjoy a wider variety of foods with ease. And, with the patented All-on-4 procedure, we can even replace an entire row of teeth in just one well-planned visit.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants
As we touched on above, the implant procedure is usually broken down into two distinct phases: placement, where the new roots are positioned within the jawbone, and restoration, where the new teeth are attached to the roots. The cost of these procedures can vary quite a bit from patient to patient depending on a few determining factors, such as how many teeth they want to be replaced, where they are located, and if they require any procedures beforehand (such as a bone graft or tooth extraction).
While dental implants do tend to be more expensive than traditional bridges and dentures up front, they are usually the most cost-effective option overall. Why? In addition to their unmatched natural appearance and functionality, they also have tremendous longevity. Regular bridges and dentures usually need to be completely redone every 7-10 years, compounding their cost, while dental implants can easily last for 30 years or more. Over the long term, they can easily save a patient thousands in dental treatment.
Maintaining & Caring for Your Dental Implants
Dental implants are quickly becoming the treatment of choice by many patients because they have the potential to keep your smile strong and healthy for a lifetime. However, that’s only the case if you protect them against damage or infection. At Cambria Smiles, we want you to enjoy your fully functioning grin, which is why we’ve compiled a list of ways you can maintain your implants. To learn more, continue reading or give our office a call today!
Make Oral Hygiene a Priority
Once your new smile is all healed up, you’ll need to take proper care of it by practicing good oral hygiene. Just because your implants can’t get cavities doesn’t mean you can slack off on taking care of your teeth and gums. You must continue brushing twice a day, flossing daily, and rinsing daily with an ADA-approved mouthwash to prevent harmful oral bacteria from attacking your dental implants.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Even though you can eat almost anything you want with dental implants, you should avoid overindulging in starchy, sugary, and acidic foods. They can wreak havoc on your smile, increasing your risk of dental implant failure. Instead, it’s best to maintain a healthy diet full of nutritious foods, such as whole grains, lean proteins, dairy products, fresh fruits, and vegetables. Eating foods rich in calcium and vitamin C will
Break Bad Habits
Are you guilty of any poor habits? Smoking, biting your fingernails, using your teeth as tools, and chewing on pens or pencils can be detrimental to your dental implants. Do your smile a favor and kick these habits to the curb as soon as possible. If you need help, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team at Cambria Smiles for resources, support, and guidance.
Protect Your Dental Implants
Dental implants are certainly strong, but they’re not indestructible. If you regularly play sports or grind your teeth at night, you should ask our dental team about a custom-made oral device. An athletic mouthguard can keep your mouth safe against any impact should you sustain a blow to the face. Meanwhile, a nightguard will keep your enamel safe from the force of grinding your teeth at night.
Schedule Regular Dental Checkups
Aside from practicing good oral hygiene, you must visit your dentist every six months to keep your mouth in optimal condition. We’ll review your prosthetics and monitor your oral health to ensure no problems are developing. By addressing issues early on, you can avoid needing complex and expensive procedures down the line.
Dental Implant FAQs
Dental implants are a preferred tooth replacement option thanks to their numerous benefits. However, they are quite an investment, so it pays to be well-informed about the procedure. The good news is that we are here to help! Here are the answers to some of the most common questions we receive about dental implants in Cambria. If you don’t see that information that you’re looking for below, don’t worry. Give us a call and we’d be happy to answer your questions and get you started with an initial consultation where you can learn more.
How Long Do Dental Implants Last?
The lifespan of dental implants typically depends on the health and lifestyle choices of the patient. To ensure that implants last, it’s important to brush, floss, and rinse with a mouthwash daily. Attend regular checkups and cleanings, and avoid chewing of foods that are particularly hard or sticky. With proper maintenance, dental implants can last upwards of 30 years. This is several times longer than traditional bridges or dentures.
Does Getting Dental Implants Hurt?
The jawbone doesn’t have very many nerve endings, and your mouth will be numbed with a local anesthetic before the procedure begins. You will also most likely be sedated, lowering your body’s ability to register pain. While you shouldn’t feel any pain during the surgery, your mouth may feel sore for a few days following the placement. To reduce this, take recommended over-the-counter and prescribed pain relievers as directed by your dentist. Cold compresses can also help. If discomfort worsens instead of improving after two or three days, give us a call!
Am I Too Young to Get Dental Implants?
Most dental professionals won’t place dental implants in patients younger than 18. This is because when implants are placed before the jaw has finished growing, it could interfere with further bone development and potentially result in complications. Most people’s jaws aren’t fully developed until young adulthood. Some people’s take until their mid-20s to have a completely developed jawbone.
Can I Get Dental Implants If I’m Diabetic?
If your diabetes is under control, your odds of dental implant success are generally comparable to those of nondiabetic patients. Uncontrolled diabetes can slow down the healing process, making it more difficult for your implants to integrate with your jawbone. If you’re interested in getting dental implants but are diabetic, talk to your endocrinologist or primary care physician about getting your blood sugar levels under control beforehand.