Dental Implants – Melbourne, FL
Replacement Teeth That are Lifelike in Every Way
Dental implants in Melbourne are a modern solution for tooth loss that we recommend for patients looking for a longer lasting, more stable treatment option. Utilizing advanced techniques combined with the advantages of traditional restorations, they’re able to restore the entire structure of teeth for a lifelike look and feel. To learn whether you’re a good candidate for this procedure, give our dental office a call to schedule a consultation with Dr. Rowley today!
Why Choose Rowley Family Dentistry for Dental Implants?
- Start-to-Finish Dental Implant Treatment
- Skilled & Trustworthy Dentist & Team
- Modern, Newly Remodeled Dental Office
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are small titanium posts that are surgically placed below the gumline and into the jawbone. Because titanium is a biocompatible material, the implants are able to fuse with the jawbone through a process called osseointegration, providing the structure with blood flow and keeping it from deteriorating over time. Once this has occurred, a customized restoration can be attached to the implants, restoring the missing teeth.
The 4-Step Dental Implant Process
Receiving dental implants looks much different compared to traditional restorations like bridges and dentures. It’s a longer, multi-step process that involves surgery, months of healing, and a thorough commitment to your smile’s health moving forward. That said, the payoff is huge—and you’ll enjoy a fully functional and healthy smile for decades to come. Here’s a closer look at the main steps that make up the dental implant process.
Initial Dental Implant Consultation
The very first step of your dental implant journey is a consultation with Dr. Rowley. He’ll want to conduct an examination of your mouth and capture X-rays and digital imaging to ensure that dental implants are a viable solution for your tooth loss. Patients with insufficient jawbone density, periodontal disease, or other issues may need to undergo preparatory treatments before being cleared for dental implants. A customized treatment plan will be put together, and we’ll begin walking you through each stage before finally scheduling your procedure.
Dental Implant Surgery
Dr. Rowley and our team are able to perform dental implant placement here in our Melbourne office, meaning you won’t have to worry about traveling to a different provider or coordinating with a separate team. As for the surgery itself, small incisions are made in the gumline to access the jawbone, and from there, one or more implant posts can be placed directly into the bone tissue. It takes about one hour to place a single dental implant, and rest assured, your mouth will be appropriately numbed, and you’ll likely be sedated for this stage of the process.
Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment
Your dental implant posts will need time to fuse with your jawbone; this process is called osseointegration, and it can take anywhere from three to six months to wrap up. However, this process is what ensures that the biocompatible dental implant posts are able to successfully fuse with your jaw and become true replacements for your tooth roots. Once this has happened, you’ll return to receive your abutments. These are small connector pieces that rest on top of the implants.
Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s)
After everything has fully healed, you’ll finally be ready to receive your fully-customized permanent restoration. This will come in the form of a dental crown, bridge, or denture, depending on the extent of your tooth loss. It attaches to the abutments and immediately begins receiving support from the underlying dental implant posts. It will also look exactly like your natural teeth! We’ll check to make sure everything feels and functions as it should, and from there, you’ll be ready to enjoy your new smile for life.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Dental implants offer a range of benefits that distinguish them from other traditional restorative dentistry treatments. That’s why they are considered the gold standard! During your consultation, we can help you decide if they are ideal for you. However, if you want to learn more about the advantages that come with this tooth-replacement solution in the meantime, you can read on!
Day-to-Day Benefits
Let’s start with the benefits of dental implants in Melbourne that you’ll notice shortly after you’ve healed:
- They Look Natural – Whether we top your dental implant with a crown or a denture, you’ll notice that yours look and feel extremely natural. That’s because we custom-make each one with the patient’s face shape, dental needs, and smile goals in mind.
- They Restore Your Bite Strength – Following tooth loss, patients often have to resort to eating cottage cheese, plain yogurt, and other extremely soft foods on repeat. If this is currently your reality, then you’ll be happy to hear that dental implants can restore 80% of your bite strength.
- They Reestablish Your Normal Speaking Patterns – Considerable gaps in your smile can negatively impact your self-esteem, your ability to eat certain foods, and your speaking patterns. Fortunately, dental implants can replace any number of missing teeth, helping you to enunciate clearly again.
Health Benefits
Dental implants are also unique because they can have a positive impact on your oral and overall health. Here are a few examples:
- They Keep Your Jawbone Strong – Dental implants are unique because they don’t rest against your gums or the surrounding teeth. Instead, they are inserted into the jawbone, which helps prevent bone loss as well as provide unmatched stability.
- They Are Easy to Maintain – Other tooth-replacement options, like dentures, require special cleaning products. That’s not the case with dental implants! You can maintain a healthy smile with the same best practices you use to care for your natural teeth, like brushing twice a day.
- They Prevent Dental Drift – With single dental implants and implant bridges, we can fill the gaps in your mouth, preventing dental drift in the process. This is important because even relatively minor changes to your bite can lead to chronic jaw pain and other serious issues.
Long-Term Benefits
Finally, dental implants continue to be a sought-after solution because they:
- Can Preserve Your Face Shape – We mentioned above that dental implants are secured to the jawbone. As a result, it gets stimulated each time you chew. This helps prevent bone loss and maintain your youthful face shape.
- Are Cost-Effective – Like many other patients, you might initially assume that dental implants are not a great option for your wallet. However, they have a long lifespan, they prevent bone loss, and they are often partially covered by dental insurance providers. As a result, the opposite is often true!
- Can Last for 30+ Years – Speaking of a long lifespan, dental implants can last for over 30 years with proper care (i.e., brushing twice a day, wearing a mouthguard during sports, scheduling a dental cleaning every six months).
Who Dental Implants Can Help
Some patients who are looking into getting dental implants may not be ready to go into surgery right away and could require preparatory treatment first. This is to ensure the implants fuse with the jawbone, which is crucial to the success of the entire process. During your initial consultation, our team will walk you through your treatment plan and let you know how we plan to restore your smile so you know what to expect.
Missing Single Tooth
If you’re missing a single tooth, we’ll place one dental implant below the gumline and allow it time to fuse with the jawbone. Once it has, we’ll attach a dental crown to the abutment to fill the gap in your arch.
Missing Multiple Teeth
Instead of needing to alter the structure of your natural teeth by securing a traditional bridge to them, we can place two dental implants below the gumline an either side of the gap in your smile. This will provide your restoration with a sturdy and unwavering foundation to be attached to.
Missing All of Your Teeth
To restore an entire arch of missing teeth, we can place anywhere from four to six implant posts along the row. Once fused with the jawbone, we can attach a complete denture to the implants. This will eliminate any slipping or shifting that you might experience with a traditional denture.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants
We personalize every dental implant treatment we do to our patient’s individual needs, which is why there’s no singular cost attached to it. Based on factors like how many implants you need to have placed and whether you need a preparatory treatment, the price of your overall procedure can vary. Our team will provide you with a detailed estimate at your consultation and walk you through all of your payment options.
Dental Implant FAQs
Perhaps you’re now seriously considering dental implants. If so, that’s great news – you can count on these prosthetics to fully restore your grin! Still, you ought to learn more about them before committing. Doing so ensures you know what to expect from treatment. As it happens, though, we at Rowley Family Dentistry can help: listed below are the answers to some oft-asked implant questions. Please give them a read to see how our restorations work. As for other details you need, feel free to book a consultation book a consultation with us to learn more.
Does Getting Dental Implants Hurt?
Luckily, implant placement is painless; we work to make it smooth and comfortable. Dr. Rowley, you see, will numb your mouth before treatment even begins. You’ll likely be sedated as well, thus lowering your body’s ability to register pain. The jawbone has few nerve endings in the first place, so these steps will ensure an easy procedure.
Admittedly, your mouth may feel a tad sore after the surgery. The anesthetic and sedation, after all, will eventually wear off. However, this ache is temporary and fades quite quickly. You can also manage it with over-the-counter pain medication. If your discomfort worsens after two or three days, call us immediately.
Will I Have to Take Off Work for Dental Implant Surgery?
Unless it’s a special circumstance, you should take off some work for implant placement. As for how much, that’ll depend on your unique case.
If your job is largely sedentary, you only need to take off one or two work days. Odds are your daily tasks wouldn’t upset your recovery. Furthermore, you’d be well enough to do said tasks – any disruptive side effects from the surgery will have faded at that point.
Things change, though, if your job is physically demanding. In that case, you should take three or four days off. Heavy exercise could divert blood from the implant site and delay healing. To compensate, you could book your procedure on a Thursday or Friday.
Do Dental Implants Feel Natural?
In the long run, yes – dental implants feel quite natural. It’s to the point where you may forget their presence once enough time passes.
You see, implants are biocompatible. Their titanium bases let them naturally fuse with your jawbone. As such, they act and feel exactly like ordinary tooth roots. They thus don’t stand out from your other natural teeth.
Also, keep in mind that implants have no nerve endings. Any sensations you feel near them – heat, cold, pressure – come from the surrounding gums.
How Long Do Dental Implants Last?
Dental implants are typically the longest-lasting restorations. Unlike dentures or bridges, their average lifespan is 15-20 years. That said, an implant can last for 30 years or more with proper care.
Of course, you must be mindful if you want your implants to last long. To that end, you should brush, floss, and rinse with mouthwash daily. Plus, you’d be wise to attend regular dental checkups and cleanings.