Dental Implants – Abingdon, VA

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

During your consultation, we will go over your oral health and medical history to see if you are a good candidate for dental implant surgery. Some patients end up requiring bone grafting, gum disease treatment, or other preliminary procedures before they are ready to get dental implants. After this, we can move on to plan the rest of your dental implant treatment. During this appointment, we will discuss the timeline of your treatment and the financial aspects so that you know what to expect.

Dental Implant Surgery

The risk of dental implant failure is extremely low, but you never want to take chances when it comes to your smile’s future. That’s why if we decide that you’re a good candidate for dental implants, Dr. Amburgey will refer you to an implant specialist in the Abingdon area who will plan and execute the procedure with incredible precision. This will involve numbing the area, making an incision in the gums, inserting the implant into the jawbone, closing the gums, and placing a protective cap over the post. Then, the healing process commences.

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment Placement

Over the next few months, osseointegration will take place. This is when the implant fuses to the jawbone. Then, another small procedure will take place where the abutments are placed on the posts. This is where your final restoration will be attached. Impressions are taken of your smile so your replacement teeth can be custom-crafted.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations

The last step is to return to our dental practice. We will place your custom restoration (which could be a crown, bridge, or denture depending on your needs) and make sure your bite is comfortable. Then, you will be left to enjoy your new and improved smile!

Day-to-Day Benefits

Naturally, you’re likely to notice implants’ day-to-day upsides first. The most common of these are:

• Seamless Results – Implants are capped with dental crowns to blend seamlessly with nearby teeth. Their looks are so lifelike that your peers won’t even notice they’re artificial.
• More Confidence – Implants will boost your confidence by restoring your smile. From there, you’ll likely enjoy a calmer mood when seeing your friends and family.
• Easier Eating – By fusing with your jaw, implants restore much of your bite force. This effect means you can eat your favorite tough foods again!
• Low-Effort Care – Unlike dentures or bridges, implants can be cleaned simply. You only need to practice twice-day brushing and once-day flossing. In other words, implants don’t need special creams or solutions.

Health Benefits

Of course, implants don't just have day-to-day perks; they also have health-related ones. Getting the restorations will thus strengthen your body. In particular, implants offer things like:

• Cleaner Mouth – Smile gaps allow harmful bacteria to breed if left unchecked. They’d then (indirectly) cause tooth decay, gum disease, etc. However, implants can fill these spaces and reduce your oral health risks.

• Support for Teeth – When you have gaps in your grin, your remaining teeth will start to tilt and fall out. That said, implants are effective at filling such gaps. So, you could trust them to keep nearby teeth straight and functional.

• Jaw Strength – Unless you act quickly, tooth loss erodes your jawbone. This erosion would then cause a facial collapse. Luckily, dental implants would stimulate your jaw’s bone tissue. This stimulation can then lead to a stronger and fuller jawbone.

• Better Nutrition  – Dental implants expand your dietary options since they help you eat food. That means they lead to a boost in your nutritional health.

Long-term Benefits

If you keep them working, implants will offer many long-term benefits. These include the following:

• High Success – When a qualified dentist does it, implant surgery is often quite successful. In fact, the ten-year success rate of dental implants even exceeds 95%!
• Long-Lasting Effects – On average, a dental implant’s lifespan is 15-20 years. Given proper care, it can keep working for roughly 30 years or more. Either result, then, could restore your smile for a lifetime.
• Cost-Effectiveness – In reality, implants are a good long-term investment. They have long lives and thus don’t need many repairs or replacements. To that extent, they’ll let you save money that you’d otherwise spend on a restoration’s follow-up care.

Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery

Some patients might not initially be good dental implant candidates. Although there are preliminary procedures you can undergo, like bone grafting to strengthen a jawbone that has been weakened after tooth loss, they will increase your overall cost of treatment.

It’s worth mentioning that for the dental implant surgery, Dr. Amburgey will refer you to an expert implant dentist in Abingdon. This procedure will incur its own cost, which will vary based on the type of anesthesia or sedation you receive.

The Parts of Your Dental Implant

The number of implant posts you’ll need will certainly influence the cost, but so will other factors. For example, dental implants from various brands or manufacturers might be ideal for different patients. It’s also important to consider the material your implants are made from, as they all come with their own unique price.

Final Dental Implant Restoration

The type of replacement tooth or teeth you’re receiving will also affect the cost. A dental crown that goes over a single implant post, for instance, will cost less than a dental bridge supported by two implants. In the same vein, a full implant denture will have an even higher price tag.

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

While most dental insurance providers do NOT cover dental implants, there could be exceptions. Many insurance companies offer partial coverage for some portions of the treatment, such as the consultation or your final restoration. Our experienced team members will help you navigate the ins and outs of your plan to ensure you’re maximizing your benefits.

Making Dental Implants Affordable

At Amburgey Dental, we have non-insurance ways of helping patients afford dental implants in Abingdon. One of these is CareCredit. This reliable financing company offers multiple low-interest payment plans to choose from, so there’s sure to be one that can fit within your budget. As an alternative to insurance, our in-house dental membership plan can help you save on most of our services in exchange for a low annual or monthly fee.

Make Oral Hygiene a Priority

Dental implants cannot develop cavities like your natural teeth because they aren’t made from tooth enamel. However, your surrounding teeth are still at risk, and it is still possible for you to develop gum disease. This can be very harmful and diminish the success of your replacement teeth, so it’s important that you keep up an excellent oral hygiene routine. This includes brushing twice, flossing, and rinsing with mouthwash every single day!

Eat a Healthy Diet

One of the exciting benefits of dental implants is that you don’t need to limit your diet. You are fee to enjoy all the nutritious foods you want without having to worry about you smile. That being said, it’s still a good idea to avoid overindulging in items that are especially sticking or hard. Instead, try to incorporate foods that are high in calcium and vitamin C. These nutrients are needed to keep your jawbone and gums in excellent shape.

Break Bad Habits

Bad habits can cause a variety of problems for teeth and dental implants if you aren’t careful. It is best to refrain from smoking and using other tobacco products. These can slow down healing and make it more challenging for your immune system to fight off infections. You should also avoid using your teeth to open bottles, tear through packaging, bite your nails, and complete other tasks. Instead, find a tool to help you complete your task safely.

Protect Your Dental Implants

Dental implants are incredibly strong, but they aren’t completely indestructible. You should always wear a mouthguard when engaging in contact sports. If you grind your teeth at night, ask your dentist about getting a nightguard to protect your teeth from additional wear and tear as you sleep.

Schedule Regular Dental Checkups

You should continue to see your dentist for regular cleanings and checkups every six months. This way, we can monitor your dental implants, natural teeth, gum tissue, and more. By detecting issues early on, we can address them quickly and might even be able to prevent serious problems from occurring later on.

How long do dental implants last?

Dental implants are the most reliable method for treating tooth loss. They are proven to last for 30 years or more, which is decades longer than traditional prosthetics. Various factors will influence the lifespan of your new smile, like your health and lifestyle. Your oral hygiene routine is crucial to safeguard your dental implants against failure. Besides brushing and flossing, add an antimicrobial mouthrinse to your daily routine. Although your new teeth will be durable, they aren’t indestructible, so you’ll want to take care to avoid damaging them. Your implant dentist in Abingdon recommends avoiding hard or sticky foods and breaking any bad oral habits, like using your teeth as tools.

Can I take dental implants out?

Your implant posts are surgically placed into your jaw, where your bone will fuse to them through a process called osseointegration. Therefore, you cannot take your dental implants out. Only a trained dental professional can remove them; however, some types of implant dentures are detachable for easy cleaning. Your dental implants will always remain securely in your jawbone.

Are dental implants safe?

Dental implants are safe for most patients who have good oral and general health. Your implant dentist will perform an examination of your mouth and review your medical history to look for any potential concerns, like bone loss. You may need additional procedures to ensure the success of the treatment, like bone grafting or periodontal therapy. If you have certain pre-existing conditions, like cancer or diabetes, you may still be a candidate for the procedure; however, you may have a higher risk of poor healing. Your dentist will recommend specific precautions to lessen the likeliness of post-operative complications.

How can I tell if my dental implant is failing?

Dental implant failure is rare, but it can occur. Common signs of a complication include pain around the implant or inflamed gums. Some patients report their implant feels loose. If you experience any of these symptoms, don’t ignore them. If you wait too long to see a dentist, they may not be able to save your smile. Quick diagnosis and treatment can help prevent dental implant failure.

Am I too old for dental implants?

There isn’t an age requirement or limit for dental implants if you’ve finished growing. You’re never too old to replace your missing teeth; however, seniors often have underlying medical issues that might make surgery or healing riskier. Your dentist will perform a thorough consultation to determine if dental implants are right for you. They’ll create a personalized strategy to ensure your safety and the success of your treatment, no matter your age.