Dr. Matthews has restored hundreds of dental implants in more than 25 years of restorative dentistry experience. Dental implants allow us to replace missing teeth with results that look and feel incredibly natural. An alternative to traditional dentures, dental implants often yield permanent results that are so much like your natural teeth you may have a tough time telling the difference!
Dental Implant Procedure
Dental implants and restorations can be a better choice for replacing missing teeth or anchoring loose dentures or partials and can provide a successful and comfortable way to improve a patient’s bite, smile, and confidence. After a thorough examination, we will determine if implants are right for you.
A dental implant is a surgical grade, titanium root form. They are placed approximately where your missing teeth were and then allowed to integrate into the bone before being used to replace teeth or anchor dentures. The placement is usually competed with local anesthetic and the procedure is sometimes done the same time as the extraction.
After the implant has integrated, usually around 3 months, an impression is taken to be sent to the lab. No shots or dills are needed for this proceedure nor to place the crown on the implant a few weeks later.
The result is often a tooth that is as strong and beautiful as the original tooth. Implants typically have over a 95% success rate. Poor hygiene, smoking, certain medical conditions, trauma, grinding, and clenching are some of the factors that may lead to implant failure. Dr. Matthews and his staff will review these factors with you and determine the possible influence in your specific situation.
Dental Implant Expectations
When Implants are properly placed by a specialist, and restored by Dr. Matthews, our patients have a great chance that the restoration will last the rest of their life. It is important that the patient adhere to all of the recommendations given by our staff. Untreated bruxism (grinding), failure to brush and floss as recommended, smoking, all can contribute to implant failure. It is important to continue with routine visits to make sure the implant remains in good condition.