Common Questions
November 22, 2024
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Dental Implants are a permanent, long-term solution to missing teeth. In this procedure, your existing tooth is extracted, and a metal post is placed in your jaw. This metal post provides support for artificial teeth (e.g. Crowns, Bridges or Dentures) to be placed later.
This article is a comprehensive guide to Dental Implants, their uses, benefits & risks, cost and much more.
If one loses a tooth due to injury, disease or old age, one can experience complication such as accelerated bone loss, trouble in chewing and speech deterioration alongside general discomfort and pain. For some people, loss of a tooth leads to loss of confidence and inability to smile confidently in public.
There are multiple solutions for missing teeth, and Dental Implants are one of them. A Dental Implant system consists of three things:
The primary use of Dental Implants is to replace missing teeth. Many people also consider dental implants when the existing tooth is beyond saving and tooth extraction is necessary.
While every situation is unique, please consider Dental Implant as an option in the following cases:
The process of placing dental implants takes multiple visits with the dentist, and is done in multiple steps over several months.
First, X-Rays and impressions of the jaw and teeth are taking to make sure you are eligible for an implant. If you are eligible for implants, next steps are taken.
Implants are not for everyone. Implants require a healthy jaw bone, good healing capacity and good oral health to be successful. If it is determined that you are eligible for implants, next steps are taken.
Sometimes a Dental Implant is required to replace a broken or decayed tooth. In such cases a tooth extraction is needed. If the tooth is already missing, this step can be skipped.
If a jaw bone is too thin, too soft or if there is a lot of bone loss in the jaw bone, a bone graft may be needed. A dental implant needs strong jawbone to be successfully placed, and a bone graft helps with that. It may take several weeks for the bone graft to heal and make the bone strong enough to support the dental implant.
Thereafter an implant is surgically placed in the jawbone. During the surgery, you will get sedated or local area will be numbed. Then, the gums will be cut to expose the bone. Finally, a hole is drilled into the bone to make way for the dental implant, and a metal implant post will be placed in the drilled hole.
The implant requires many months to heal and integrate with the bone. This process can take up to 6 months.
The next step is to place an abutment on top of the implant metal post. The abutment is placed only after the implant healing is done. Hence, the abutment is placed a few months after the placement of the implant in the jaw bone.
As mentioned above, this abutment will provide the support to place an artificial tooth (e.g. Crown) on top of it.
When healing is done, an impression is taken of your mouth to build the artificial tooth (e.g. Crown) that will be fixed on top of the implant. This impression is sent to a lab to make high-quality artificial tooth.
Once the artificial tooth is back from the lab, it is fixed on top of the implant. Sometimes multiple visits are necessary for making sure the artificial tooth looks and feels like a natural tooth.
Dental Implants work through a biological process – Osseointegration. In Osseointegration, a synthetic material like Titanium forms an intimate bond with a bone.
When an implant made from a material like Titanium is placed, Osseointegration starts and it can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. Osseointegration makes the implant very durable since it is tightly bonded with the bone, enabling it to support a lot of pressure.
Once Osseointegration is complete, an artificial tooth (e.g. Crown) is placed on top of the Dental Implant and Abutment.
There are three main categories of implants:
Endosteal Implant are the most common form of implants. It is a two-piece implant where the main metal post is inserted in the jaw bone, and the abutment is put on top of it, which jets out of the gums. The artificial teeth are placed on top of the abutment.
Subperiosteal implants are an outdated version of implants. In it, the gums are cut and separated first. There is a framework of entire teeth set which is fixed on top of the bone. The gums are then closed on top of the framework and the teeth are fixed on the portion of the implant which is jetting out of the gums.
Basal Implants implants were prominent around 1970’s but are not common now because of certain risks associated with them. Basal implants are one-piece implants. They are placed in the hardest part of the bone – called cortical of the bone. The primary benefit of Basal implants is that it allows for immediate placement of artificial teeth after implants.
The selection of the implants depends both on the needs of the patient, as well as the condition of the bone and surrounding tissue and gums. The Endosteal implants are the most common form of implants and most widely used nowadays.
If you have questions, please call our office to know more.
Implants are a permanent, long term solution to missing teeth.
They have over 95% success rate and can last a lifetime. That is why 5 Million implants are placed in US every year.
If you are looking for more guidance on implants, its pros and cons, or pricing, you can request a free consultation by calling our office.
Dental implants last many decades if you take proper care. That makes them one of the best investments for long-term tooth replacement. Studies have reported that the long-term success rate of implants is over 95%.
Dental Implants are permanently fixed and you don't have to remove them every night, like you would do with dentures. You can wake up and go about your day like normal.
Dental implants integrate with the bone, providing a stimulus that keeps the jawbone from deteriorating. This helps avoid a sunken-in appearance around the mouth that can make you look older.
Dental implants look, feel and function like real teeth. You’ll be able to eat your favorite foods, talk with comfort, and smile with confidence again.
The success rate of implants is over 98%. Having said that, placing Dental Implants is a surgical procedure and comes with its own risks, which include:
The cost of dental implants can vary, depending on the number of teeth being replaced and the complexity of the procedure. To some extent, the cost of living in your area also plays a part in determining the cost of dental implants.
On average, the cost of a single dental implant in Hayward and Fremont area is $3,000 to $6000. The cost of the abutment and artificial tooth (e.g. Crown) can add an additional $500 to $3,000.
More often than not, insurances cover a portion of the dental implants cost. However, not all insurances cover dental implants. Learn more about which insurances cover and which don’t cover dental implants.
Even when the insurances cover dental implants, they only cover a portion of the cost. You will still have to keep some money aside for the procedure from your own savings.
The good news is that many Dental offices now offer financing for procedures like Dental Implants.
We know implants can be expensive. That is why we partner with the likes of Lending Club and Scratch Pay to provide you 100% Buy-Now-Pay-Later financing.
If you have a low credit score, we also offer discount Dental Plans.
If you have questions, call our office to know more details.
We partner with Lending Club, Cherry and Care Credit to offer you convenient financing options. The max we offer is $65,000 in financing. That is more than enough to cover Invisalign Braces.
The financing options we offer start with 0% interest payments. You can pay the financed amount in up to 60 months.
If you want to lower your total payment, we offer discount plans which can take up to 20% off of your total amount due. You can club discount plans with financing.
While we have seen financing being approved for our patients with low credit scores, sometimes financing doesn't get approved. For such cases, we offer Discount Plans with up to 20% off.
There are multiple alternatives to implants for teeth replacements. It is best to know about all of them and then decide the one that suits you best.
When you come in for a free consultation, we will go over all these options with you so that you can make an informed decision.
Regular Dentures are the first choice of many because they are non-invasive appliance. Natural, existing teeth may need to be prepared for dentures to fit properly. In some cases, teeth may need to be extracted and your mouth before new dentures can be placed. [Learn More... ]
Sometimes there are healthy teeth around a missing teeth and a Dental Bridge can be used to bridge the gap between the healthy teeth. This removes the need for a surgery. [Learn More ...]
A cheaper alternative to Full Mouth Implant could be Implant Supported Dentures. In Implant Supported Dentures, a few implants are placed in the jaw, and then a denture snaps-on to those implants. The benefit of this over dentures is that the denture doesn't slip. [Learn More ...]
If you want to get rid of the need to remove and re-attach dentures every night, full mouth implants are a great option. They give the feeling of natural teeth. Full Mouth Implants can be a costly procedure. [Learn More ...]
Implants are not for everyone. For implant procedure to be successful, there are a few pre-requisites. Take this 2-minute test to know whether you are eligible for implants, and if you qualify for $99/mo payment plan.
Dr. Alag comes from a family of doctors. She graduated from Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences in India and practiced for a few years there. She received her Doctor of Dental Surgery from New York University College of Dentistry where she graduated with Honors in Prosthodontics.
She keeps herself updated through continuing education courses. Dr. Alag is also credentialed by AGD, CDA and ADA. She was awarded a Fellowship in Implantology by the International Dental Implant Association in 2018.
You will get online forms to fill in before your appointment. When you arrive, check-in with the front desk, or online.
Once we are ready for you, we will get a 3-D Scan through our ultra-modern CBCT machine.
After the X-Rays, Dr. Alag will do a check-up and exam. She will show you your X-Rays and build your treatment plan.
After the check-up, we will go over the pricing and various financing options available to you.
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