Specialists in dental implants and other complex surgeries look forward to precisely rebuilding your smile.
Formerly, patients with gaps where teeth used to be were limited in options to complete their smiles. Fortunately, today’s patients can benefit from replacement teeth that are designed like natural teeth – from the “root upward.” Dental implants, as this sought-after option is known, actually represent just one part of the tooth. After all, implant-supported teeth are designed like natural teeth, and natural teeth are not merely made up of the crown or the portion of the tooth that is visible when you smile.
WHAT ARE DENTAL IMPLANTS?
Dental implants consist of a small post made of a biocompatible metal, like titanium, that is surgically implanted into your jaw. Once you have healed, a piece called an abutment is then attached to the implant, and the part that everyone sees, the crown, is attached to the abutment. This complete system creates a lifelike artificial tooth that is permanently imbedded in the jaw.
WHY ARE DENTAL IMPLANTS SO POPULAR?
People who come to our office prefer dental implants for several reasons:
- They look incredibly natural.
- They feel just like your own teeth.
- There’s no worry of slipping or sliding that happens with dentures.
- They don’t require extra care beyond your regular brushing and flossing routine.
- They can last a lifetime and longer than any other options.
- They don’t require altering additional healthy teeth.
- They preserve bone and facial support preventing premature aging.
WHAT DO DENTAL IMPLANTS HAVE TO DO WITH BONE STRUCTURE?
When you lose a tooth, an important process that’s been happening in your jaw bone comes to a stop. Your tooth roots serve another important function in addition to keeping your teeth stable. They also stimulate the bone in your jaw to constantly restore and maintain itself. When you lose a tooth, your bone no longer continues this process, and over time, it resorbs, becoming thinner and smaller. As the bone deteriorates support for the lip, cheeks, and face decreases until you look much older than your age. Dental implants are an incredible breakthrough because the metal post actually works like a natural tooth root, allowing the bone renewal process to continue and helping keep your face young and supported and other teeth healthy.
AM I A CANDIDATE FOR DENTAL IMPLANTS?
To determine whether dental implants are right for you, call our office and schedule your evaluation with oral surgeon Dr. McLelland. He’ll perform a thorough examination, including using state of the art imaging (radiographs) and other imaging techniques to determine the current quality of your bone. Dental implants do require sufficient bone to hold them in place. If your bone isn’t currently dense enough to maintain dental implants, don’t despair. Other techniques, like bone grafting, can be used to build up your bone and make you a good candidate for implants. If you are missing several teeth, you may be deterred by the cost of dental implants. Implants can be combined with other tooth replacement options, like bridges and dentures, to replace several teeth, giving you the stability and permanence of implants in a more cost-effective option. We also have financing options that are unique and allow almost anyone to afford dental implants. Our goal is to assist you to find an acceptable way of getting the care you want and need because you are worth it.
You have come to the right place for information on implants that you can trust. As specialists in oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS), our surgeon Dr Bryan McLelland, is also equipped to place dental implants expertly, strategically, and precisely. Our Liberty Oral and Facial Surgery team in Spokane Valley, Washington, and Post Falls, Idaho, combines advanced training in complex surgeries, such as dental implants placement and related implant procedures, with sophisticated technologies. These technologies aid in visualizing each patient’s oral (mouth) and maxillofacial (jaws and face) tissues and structures. Accurate, detailed imaging informs treatment planning, exactly where and how each implant is placed.
SURGICAL SKILL MATTERS
Such expertise and tools are critical to the success of the dental implant. “Early implant failures,” as they’re called, are rare (dental implants have a high success rate exceeding 93%). However, such failures may be attributed to the lack of supporting bone in the jaw and the inability for the implant to properly “heal” or integrate into the bone that surrounds it. To better understand this process, consider how the dental implant is a cylindrical-shaped post. It is shaped and designed to function as a tooth root. The implant is made from a biocompatible material, which is another way of saying that the material is formulated to naturally and safely “osseointegrate” or fuse to the surrounding bone. All implants must be positioned precisely to support predictable integration and healing following placement.
Patients who lack sufficient bone in the jaw can also benefit from our oral and maxillofacial surgeons’ skills and experience with procedures designed to augment or build up bony tissue. In this manner, the built-up treatment site is in the best position to support the implant. When the implant is adequately supported in the jaw and becomes a part of the surrounding bone, it optimally supports the replacement tooth. And a single implant may be placed to retain one new tooth or crown, or a few strategically-placed implants can be used to stabilize several new teeth or dentures.
WARM, PERSONALIZED CARE FOR OUR VALUED PATIENTS
Our OMS team, Dr McLelland, also partner with patients to avoid “late-implant failures.” These failures may arise due to conditions such as peri-implantitis, which is similar to gum disease. While dental crowns and other restorations do not decay like natural teeth, the implant can be vulnerable to harmful bacteria and plaque build-up. When this happens, the health of the implant and the tooth it retains is threatened. We can advise on (and demonstrate) techniques and oral care products to aid in proper cleaning. We will also monitor healing closely with follow-up appointments. It is incredibly rewarding for us to roll out the welcome mat and make patients feel like “family.”
Are you a dentist in the Inland Northwest? We welcome your questions and are privileged to have earned your referral! Are you a prospective patient seeking a second opinion or holding on to painful teeth? Do not delay reaching out to us.
We look forward to meeting you. Call Liberty Oral & Facial Surgery’s Post Falls practice at (208) 264-4665 or our Spokane Valley practice at (509) 822-2774.
