Dental Implants – Kingwood, TX

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

You’ll first need to schedule an initial consultation with our team. During this time, we’ll review your medical history, discuss your smile goals, and assess your oral health to determine if dental implants are the best way to replace your missing teeth. Sometimes patients will need to undergo preliminary procedures before they can continue the implant process, such as bone grafting or gum disease therapy. After we’ve addressed any dental concerns, we’ll develop the rest of your treatment plan and refer you to one of our trusted specialists.

Dental Implant Surgery

Getting dental implants placed involves a minor surgical procedure. Firstly, your implant surgeon will completely numb your mouth with a local anesthetic to make sure you’re as comfortable as possible during your appointment. They’ll then make an incision in your gums so that they can access your jawbone. Your implant will be embedded in the proper position and location before your gums are closed around it. A dental cap will then be fitted over the metal post to shield it and preserve the natural form of your gums, and then you’ll be able to head home so that you can recover.

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment

Over the following months, your dental implants will go through osseointegration. Your metal posts will be constructed out of biocompatible titanium, allowing them to gradually bond with your jawbone and become part of it. This is the process that will give your new pearly whites the strong, reliable, and natural-feeling foundation they need to restore your bite. Osseointegration normally takes about three to six months to complete. Afterward, you’ll be called into our office so that we can attach a small connector piece atop your implant. Your new restorations will be fabricated as you recover from this step over the next several weeks.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s)

The final step will be to place your restorations on your dental implants. Our team will fit your custom-designed crown, bridge, or denture to the metal posts via the abutment we placed in the previous appointment. After they’re secured in place, we’ll begin to test your bite to make sure it feels natural and comfortable for you. We’ll also be happy to answer any further questions you may have about your brand-new smile before sending you on your way to enjoy your renewed pearly whites!

Day-to-Day Benefits

While many people feel that traditional dentures prevent them from living life to the fullest, dental implants can help you get the most out of your lifestyle.

• Better Diet – Because dental implants replace the entire structure of the tooth, they are much more stable than dentures or bridges. This gives them improved strength so that they can be used to chew virtually any food.
• Improved Confidence – The prosthetic or prosthetics that your implants support will be designed to match the natural appearance of the rest of your face. You also won’t have to worry about your teeth slipping at awkward moments. As such, you can be fully confident in your new grin.
• Clearer Speech – When dentures slip, they can cause you to slur your words or mutter. Dental implants prevent this from happening, making it easy to have lengthier chats.
• Easy Oral Hygiene – Dental implants don’t require any particularly special care routine; you can brush and floss them in a similar manner compared to your other teeth.

Health Benefits

Dental implants tend to benefit your health in ways that dentures and bridges cannot.

• Jawbone Preservation – Dental implants prevent the bone loss that often occurs after teeth are lost, thus helping maintain the shape and strength of the jaw.
• Protection for Natural Teeth – By filling in the gaps in your smile with dental implants, you can ensure that your remaining natural teeth will stay in place – no need to worry about them drifting and causing your smile to become crooked.
• Overall Health – Tooth loss has been linked to a number of systemic diseases. As dental implants closely match the functions of real teeth, they may help lower the risk of such health issues.

Long-Term Benefits

As time goes by, it will be easier to see the overall impact that dental implants can have compared to other tooth replacements.

• Longevity – Dental implants have been known to last for 30 years or longer without needing to be replaced. You can enjoy the peace of mind that comes from knowing that you’ll be able to rely on your smile for a long time to come.
• Reliability – The success rate of dental implants after 10 years is as high as 90 to 95 percent, making it a reliable investment for the long term.
• Cost-Effective Solution – A long lifespan for dental implants means it’s less likely that you’ll have to pay for replacements. You also don’t have to worry about some of the costs associated with traditional forms of tooth replacement, such as cleaning solution for dentures.

Missing One Tooth

An all-porcelain crown can be connected to a single dental implant root via a small screw called an abutment, and this can be positioned between two healthy teeth without disturbing them at all.

Missing Multiple Teeth

Rather than using individual implants to restore multiple teeth, prosthetics like bridges and partial dentures can be secured to the jawbone using a small number of roots. These prosthetics are fixed and tend to have a more natural appearance compared to traditional ones.

Missing All of Your Teeth

Even patients missing all of their teeth can benefit from dental implants. If you have a denture that just won’t stay in place, four to six implants can be used to anchor it to your jawbone. We can even create a brand-new denture if needed, and it will help you have a bite just as strong as when you had your real teeth.

<Learn More About Implant Dentures>

All-on-Four

With All-on-4 dental implants, we’re able to place four posts into a patient’s mouth and immediately connect them to a full denture to restore an entire row of missing teeth in a single appointment. The posts are positioned in specific locations along the jawbone where it is naturally thicker so they can provide supreme stability.

Learn More About All-on-4

Types of Dental Implants

There are several different types of implant-supported restorations that can impact the cost of your treatment. These include:

• Single Implant with a Crown – For one missing tooth, we can place a single dental implant below the gums to secure a customized dental crown. This will fill the gap and reduce your risk of developing oral health problems and misalignment issues down the road.
• Implant Bridge – Instead of having to alter your existing teeth like you would need to with a traditional dental bridge, we can place two dental implants below the gums on either side of the gap in your smile. These will hold your customized dental bridge securely in place without affecting the health of surrounding teeth.
• Implant Denture – To restore an entire arch of teeth, we can place anywhere from four to eight dental implants along it. These will anchor the customized denture, eliminating the need for denture adhesive and preventing slipping and shifting restorations.

The Stages of Dental Implant Treatment

There are different steps of the dental implant process that take place over the course of several months. You won’t have to pay for them all up-front, instead, you can easily budget for each separate stage that incurs a fee, including:

• The initial consultation
• The implant placement surgery
• Abutment placement
• Crafting and placing the restoration

Does Dental Insurance Cover the Cost of Dental Implants?

Unfortunately, dental insurance providers typically don’t cover the cost of the implant procedure due to the fact that they consider it a “cosmetic” treatment still. However, this is beginning to change, so it’s a good idea to still reach out and find out if your benefits extend to cover a portion of the process. If not, we also offer easy additional financing through CareCredit.

Making Oral Hygiene a Priority

One of the quickest ways to watch your dental implants fail is to neglect your oral hygiene routine. Brushing, flossing, and rinsing are effective ways to rid your smile of bacteria, plaque, and harmful acids that can cause decay, gum disease, and bad breath. While your implants cannot develop cavities, your natural, healthy teeth can. Not to mention, your gums are a vital component to the success of your smile in its entirety. Reducing your risk for common oral dental problems will ensure the longevity of both your real teeth and dental implants, allowing you to maintain a healthier, more beautiful smile.

Eating a Healthy Diet

Everyone enjoys a piece of candy or cookie now and then, but if these become a prominent staple in your diet, you could be looking at the potential for implant failure. Too much sugar and starch can attack your tooth enamel and soft oral tissues, resulting in cavities for your real teeth and gum disease that can cause bone and tooth loss as well as loosening implants. To avoid this problem, make sure your diet is full of nutritious foods, including leafy greens, fruit and vegetables, low-fat dairy, and lean proteins.

Breaking Bad Habits

Nail-biting, eating ice, using your teeth as tools, chewing on pens and pencils, and smoking are all bad habits that can spell disaster for your dental implants in Kingwood. Choosing to not give them up can not only cause damage to your healthy teeth but also lead to gum recession and potential implant breakage. Not only will this end up requiring more time spent in the dentist’s chair, but you’ll be forced to spend more money to fix a preventable problem. If you are tempted by your bad habits, try chewing on sugar-free gum or attending a cessation support group to help you quit smoking.

Protecting Your Dental Implants

A customized mouthguard can be a great way to protect your new dental implants. Whether you enjoy playing contact sports or are prone to grinding your teeth while you sleep, this customized oral device can safeguard your real and artificial pearly whites from any potential damage caused by a hard hit or your adjacent teeth. They are also designed to fit comfortably in your mouth, unlike a “one-size-fits-all” solution you might find at your local drugstore.

Scheduling Regular Dental Checkups

Continuing to see your implant dentist in Kingwood is one of the most helpful ways to extend the lifespan of your dental implants. No matter how many regular teeth remain, these visits will be beneficial in making sure there are no signs of tooth decay or gum disease developing, and you have no breaks, chips, or cracks in your dental implants. By making sure your prosthetics and restorations are working correctly and providing you with the best possible outcome, you can continue to live your best life with a new and improved smile.

Does Dental Implant Surgery Hurt and Will I Need Sedation?

Many people assume that getting dental implants is painful, but the procedure is easier than you would expect. In fact, if you’ve ever had a tooth extracted, you can expect a similar level of discomfort. And, just like an extraction, the first step is fully numbing the area to be worked on.

Also, while many people do just fine without sedation, it’s always an option! Dr. Mosby offers three different types of sedation to fit everyone’s needs, including nitrous oxide, oral conscious sedation and IV sedation (for which he partners with a licensed anesthesiologist). His goal is to make sure every patient can get the dental work they need as comfortably as possible. 

What Is the Recovery Process Like After Getting Dental Implants?

We often recommend taking one or two days off work because, while the procedure is only a minor surgery, some discomfort afterward is to be expected. Fortunately, however, it’s fairly mild and gets better with each passing day (typically lasting a total of several days to a week). Also, over-the-counter pain medication is usually all that’s necessary to manage any swelling and tenderness.

Can I Wait to Get a Dental Implant After Losing a Tooth?

When you get a dental implant is always up to you. However, just be aware that you’ll begin losing bone density in your jaw over time in the area where your tooth once was. This doesn’t mean you won’t be a candidate for implants, but you may need a bone graft to strengthen your jaw before having an implant placed down the road.

Can Dental Implants Fail?

The long-term success rate for dental implants in non-smokers is over 95% (that drops to 85% in smokers, so it’s always recommended to quit using tobacco beforehand). To reduce the risk of failure even further, use the following tips to maintain your implants:

• Keep up with your oral hygiene – Implants can’t get cavities, but they can fail if the surrounding gum tissue doesn’t stay clean and healthy. To prevent inflammation, it’s crucial to do well with your brushing and flossing habits. Brush at least twice a day, making sure to gently work the bristles in around the implant, and floss once.
• Get regular checkups and cleanings – See Dr. Mosby for regular checkups so he can find and treat any problems before they lead to failure. And, along with good habits at home, professional cleanings are also important to keep the gum tissue healthy.
• If necessary, wear a nightguard – Clenching and grinding is very common. Over time, the chronic pressure and force puts your natural teeth and dental implants at risk. To protect everything, wear a custom-made nightguard as needed.