Dental Implants — Worcester, MA

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

You will first meet with your dentist for an initial consultation. It is during this visit that they will use advanced dental technology and equipment to examine your smile and determine if your jawbone is dense enough to support your dental implants. If it appears weakened in certain areas, you may need a bone graft or sinus lift depending on the location of your missing teeth. Our team can perform these advanced procedures to ensure your oral cavity and facial structures are better equipped to support your future implants.

Dental Implant Surgery

The dental implant procedure is really quite straightforward. After administering a local anesthetic, your implant dentist in Worcester will make a small incision in your gums. Then, a dental implant is strategically positioned in your jaw to take the most advantage of your jawbone density. Once the gum tissue is closed, a protective cap is placed over the implant to protect it.

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment Placement

As you heal from surgery, the implant and surrounding bone fuse together. This process, called osseointegration, usually takes between two to six months. During this time, you will need to follow proper instructions to ensure your implants do not fail (i.e., giving up bad habits, eating healthy foods). Next, a metal abutment is attached to the implant. The abutment connects the implant to your prosthetic tooth and helps to make sure the implant remains embedded in the bone.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations

The final step in the dental implant process is receiving your customized restoration. To begin enjoying your new dental implants in Worcester, you must have your dental crown, bridge, or denture secured into place. This will create the look of a full, complete smile as well as offer greater stability, functionality, and confidence in your appearance. Using only the highest quality materials to create your restoration, you can expect it to blend in well with the rest of your smile, leaving you eager to show off your new teeth to family and friends.

Day-to-Day Benefits

• No Food Restrictions: Dental implants in Worcester allow you to eat all your favorite foods and consume a nutrient-rich diet that benefits both the mouth and body.
• Natural Appearance: The high-quality materials used to create dental implants and their restorations allow you to embrace a more natural appearance that blends in with the rest of your smile.
• Easy to Maintain: There are no special cleaners needed. Instead, you can brush, floss, and rinse like normal when wearing dental implants.
• Living Your Best Life: Instead of feeling embarrassed by your smile, you can remain confident in the stability of your new teeth, allowing you to smile, eat, and speak without worry when surrounded by others.

Health Benefits

• Healthy Teeth Remain Untouched: Instead of relying on healthy abutment teeth to hold your prosthetics in place, dental implants sit within the jawbone, so your natural teeth remain untouched.
• Better Overall Health: Tooth loss can result in worsening overall health if left untreated. By allowing an implant dentist in Worcester to place dental implants, you reduce your risk for osteoporosis, diabetes, and even heart disease.
• No Jawbone Deterioration: Your jawbone will remain stimulated each time you chew or bite down because of the placement of your dental implants. This keeps you from experiencing facial collapse.

Long-Term Benefits

• Long Lifespan: Dental implants have the ability to remain in place for 30 years or longer if properly maintained. This is vastly different from the regular adjustments and replacements required of dental bridges and dentures.
• High Success Rate: When placed by a skilled implant dentist, your posts have a 95% success rate. After 10 years, if properly cared for, that success rate will remain between 90 and 95%.
• You’ll Save Money: In the long run, you’ll actually save more money by choosing dental implants because you won’t require dental adhesives to hold them in place, cleansing soakers to keep them clean, or replacements.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

There are certain criteria that you need to meet in order to be considered a viable candidate for dental implants:

• Your mouth must be in good health, meaning you do not currently have cavities or gum disease.
• You must be willing and able to undergo a minor surgical procedure.
• You must have a strong jaw that has enough bone to join with and support your dental implant posts.

Remember, preliminary procedures such as bone grafting can be performed to help you meet the requirements for dental implants; as such, even people who are not currently considered good dental implant candidates may still be able to have the procedure performed after the right steps have been taken.

Missing One Tooth

The process of replacing a single tooth with a dental implant is relatively simple. The implant post will be carefully inserted into the gap where the tooth used to be. It will eventually fuse with the jawbone, at which point a dental crown can be attached. The crown will be designed to match the appearance of your natural teeth; that way, the casual observer will not be able to tell which tooth had to be replaced.

Missing Multiple Teeth

In order to replace three or more teeth in a row, you can have a pair of dental implants inserted into the empty space. The implant posts will eventually be used to support a dental bridge. Unlike a traditional bridge, an implant bridge can be placed without making any changes to the teeth that you still have, meaning you can keep more of your natural enamel.

It should be noted that if you are missing teeth in different parts of a single arch, you can have them replaced with a partial denture supported by dental implants. Bear in mind, though, that the number of implants required can vary from patient to patient.

Missing All Teeth

You only need about four to six dental implant posts to support a full denture in order to replace all of your teeth at once. Compared to traditional dentures, implant dentures offer better chewing power, letting you eat all kinds of foods. They are also more stable and will not slip when you don’t want them to.

Many patients elect to get implant dentures that are fixed in place. One of the advantages of this approach is that the dentures can be brushed and flossed as if they were real teeth.

Are Dental Implants Worth the Investment?

Consider this: denture wearers will need to repair dentures over time, and eventually replacement will be necessary. That’s because they rest on top of the gum ridge, which changes shape as you age. Dental implants, however, can last for decades. In fact, dental implants have been known to last a lifetime among patients that maintain good oral hygiene and schedule checkups regularly. Therefore, the cost of dental implants could be less over the long-term when compared to other types of prosthetics that require maintenance and replacement.

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

As dental implants become more common for tooth replacement, dental insurance companies are beginning to offer some coverage. Also, other components of the dental implant process may be covered, such as the cost of the restoration or any preparatory work including tooth extraction or bone grafting.

i-Cat Cone Beam Scanner

Our i-Cat cone beam scanner allows us to create a three-dimensional model of your mouth and jaw. The scanning process involves taking numerous images of your mouth from a variety of angles and then combining them into a comprehensive image.

A cone beam scanner is a step above traditional X-rays. Its most notable advantage is the sheer scope of the information that it is able to capture. Not only will the digital model allow us to examine your teeth and jawbone, but it will also show us the locations of blood vessels and nerve pathways. Knowing where such structures are is essential for keeping the odds of a complication occurring to a minimum.

In addition to helping us plan the dental implant process, the i-Cat cone beam scanner can also be useful after your implant posts are already in place. It allows us to keep an eye on the osseointegration process while the posts are fusing with the jawbone. Furthermore, if your dental implants seem to be causing issues, a cone beam scanner may help us identify the underlying root of the problem.

Digital Impression System

When you have a crown placed on one of your natural teeth, you need to have an impression taken to ensure that the final restoration is the right shape or size. It’s no different with dental implants; regardless of whether the posts will support a crown, bridge, or denture, impressions are necessary to properly customize your final prosthesis.

You may be familiar with traditional impressions taken with putty, but at our office, we can simply use a wand-like device to capture images of your teeth and jaw instead. This allows us to create a digital model of your mouth that will allow us to determine the right specifications for your replacement teeth.

One of the biggest advantages of digital impressions is the level of accuracy that they have to offer. While physical impressions sometimes need to be redone, a digital impression is more likely to yield the right results the first time.

Bone Grafting

Over time, tooth loss can lead to deterioration of the jawbone. When the tooth root is no longer there to provide stimulation, it will weaken and cause additional teeth to loosen and eventually fall out. When looking for dental implants to replace your missing teeth, we may need to recommend bone grafting in Worcester to help strengthen your jaw. This process involves opening the gums to access the underlying, weakened parts of your bone. Placing grafting materials retrieved from your body or that of a donor into these specific areas, we will close up the gum tissue and allow the new and existing bone to integrate and strengthen.

The recovery process for this procedure can take several months, however, it is a necessary and worthwhile investment to ensure future success with your dental implants.

Sinus Lifts

Bone in the upper posterior area of the mouth is often limited due to the sinus. Sinuses are naturally occurring air spaces above the upper teeth.  When these teeth are lost, the sinus frequently expands, preventing the placement of dental implants. A sinus lift in Worcester is often used to increase the amount of bone available for the placement of dental implants.  The sinus floor is gently elevated and bone replacement material is used to allow adequate room for the placement of dental implants. Healing from a sinus lift can take 4-9 months but will allow for the placement of permanent prosthetics once you are fully recovered.

Ridge Expansion

When the jaw is not wide enough to adequately support dental implants in Worcester, a ridge expansion may be required. This process involves dividing the inner and outer areas of the bone and creating a small wedge. Filling the divided areas of the bone with grafting materials, our team can close the gum tissue and allow the materials to help strengthen and widen the ridge so future dental implants can properly sit and fuse with the denser bone. Depending on your case and whether we feel it is possible, we may be able to immediately place your new implants once we’ve completed the ridge expansion.

Socket Preservation

Extraction of a tooth results in some loss of the bone ridge, which anchors the tooth. The loss of bone can be quite dramatic even after only a year. This can cause an unsightly appearance and prevent the future placement of dental implants. Socket preservation can significantly reduce bone loss.  Replacement material is placed in the extraction socket to stimulate bone growth. A membrane may also be used to prevent soft tissue from growing into the extraction socket and keep the bone graft material in place during healing.

Make Oral Hygiene a Priority

Whether you have dental implants in Worcester or not, prioritizing your oral hygiene is a must. But if you are living with dental implants, it’s imperative that you stay on top of your brushing, flossing, and rinsing habits to keep bad bacteria from damaging the soft tissues surrounding your natural teeth and implants. To do this, make sure you:

•   Brush twice a day for two full minutes along the gum line and on all surfaces of your teeth (including the backside).
•   Floss between your teeth and underneath your restoration (if you have a bridge or denture) to remove any bacteria or food particles. It can be helpful to use a floss threader or water irrigator.
•   Rinse with an antimicrobial mouthwash to flush away any remnants left behind from flossing and brushing.
•   Drink plenty of water to keep your salivary glands working at an optimal level.

Protect Your Dental Implants

Physical trauma is a continuous threat to your dental implants. If you’re not careful, you could damage your real and/or artificial teeth, causing additional time and money to be spent trying to fix your smile. To avoid the possibility of an implant becoming loose or damaged, make sure you are mindful of your surroundings, as a simple fall can cause you to break or chip one of your implants. You’ll also want to make sure that you:

•  Talk to your dentist about a nightguard if you grind your teeth at night.
•  Wear a sportsguard while engaging in physical activity (both contact and non-contact sports), as these can protect your oral cavity from serious trauma.

Taking proactive measures to safeguard your smile will ensure your implants remain firmly in place for years to come.

Schedule Regular Dental Checkups

One of the most pivotal steps you can take if you have dental implants is to remember to see your dentist regularly. Unless otherwise noted, make sure to keep your dental appointments every six months. It is during these visits that your dentist will examine your smile and check your implants for any problems. It is also imperative that your gums be checked for any signs of disease, as this can lead to periodontitis and cause your implants to fail. Should there be any cause for concern, our team can quickly work to address your problems and keep your restorations right where they belong.

What to Do Directly After Dental Implant Surgery

Once your periodontist clears you to return home after dental implant surgery, you can expect that you will need to rest for the remainder of the day. The anesthesia you receive will require time to wear off, so it’s best that you do not eat anything hard or spicy during this time to avoid harming your oral tissues. Before any discomfort has a chance to arise, take an over-the-counter pain reliever or prescribed medication as directed. You should also make sure that you do not participate in any physical or strenuous activity or smoke for at least 24 hours after your surgery.

Common Side Effects

It should come as no surprise that the most common side effects that you can expect include soreness, swelling, and some slight bruising. Small implant posts are placed within your jawbone, so do not be alarmed if you experience pain, inflammation, and some discoloration around your mouth. The good news is that these will dissipate within a few days, allowing you to feel better and more confident should you need to be around others.

Diet

Initially, you will be instructed to remain on a soft liquid diet for the first few days. This will allow your surgical sites to heal more thoroughly and avoid any additional pressure being placed on them immediately following surgery. Some common foods include mashed potatoes, yogurt, pasta, oatmeal, and eggs.

As your mouth begins to feel normal again, and you are free of any pain, you can move from a soft food diet to enjoying denser menu items that provide valuable nutrients to your body.

Health & Oral Hygiene

Neglecting your oral health is not an option when recovering after dental implant surgery. You’ll simply need to be mindful when brushing and flossing. The day after your procedure, you will need to start cleaning your teeth as you normally do except that you will need to be careful when brushing around your surgical sites.

Also, do not plan to incorporate mouthwash into your normal oral hygiene routine right away. Instead, swap it for the medicated mouth rinse that was prescribed.

What to Do After Your New Teeth Are Attached

The most exciting part of the dental implant process is receiving your new teeth. By this time, your mouth will feel normal, allowing you to fully enjoy the newness of your smile. Although it is not uncommon to experience some slight sensitivity initially, this will go away quickly so that you can begin to embrace the full benefits of dental implants in Worcester.