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If you’re looking for a tooth replacement solution that rivals all others, dental implants in Chicago are exactly what you’re looking for. They restore the entire tooth’s structure, including the roots. This allows them to not only look and feel completely natural, but also offer a wide array of benefits that distinguish them from traditional prosthetics like dental bridges and dentures. You can learn more about dental implants from our Chicago, IL dentist and whether you’re a good candidate for this procedure by calling our dental office to schedule a consultation with Dr. Patel and our team.
Dental implants are small, titanium posts that are surgically inserted below the gumline and into the jawbone. They’re biocompatible, allowing them to fuse with the bone over time through a process called osseointegration, just like your natural teeth once were. This allows them to offer a strong and sturdy foundation for your replacement teeth to be attached to. They’re also able to continue supporting the bone structure, keeping the bone from deteriorating over time from not being used.
This procedure offers countless benefits to patients, which is why it’s so popular. Some of the advantages that you’ll be able to enjoy by investing in dental implants over traditional restorative procedures include:
The best way to find out whether dental implants can help you is to schedule a consultation with our team at Pure Dental Spa. We’ll thoroughly examine your mouth, discuss your medical history with you, and determine your oral goals. Based on what you let us know and what we observe, we’ll be able to make treatment recommendations to you. Most patients in Lincoln Park who are missing one or more teeth are able to receive dental implants. However, there are certain situations in which we may suggest a traditional restoration instead. If you’re a candidate, we’ll walk you through how we plan to restore your smile.
For one missing tooth, we’ll place a single dental implant below the gumline and into the jawbone. After it has fused with the bone, we’ll secure an abutment to the top of it. Then, finally, we’ll place a customized dental crown on the implant to fill the gap in your smile.
Instead of needing to alter the structure of your existing teeth by receiving a traditional bridge, we can secure your replacement teeth to two dental implants that we place at either side of the gap in your smile.
To secure a full denture to your mouth, we can place anywhere from four to eight dental implants along your arch. This will keep it from slipping or shifting in your mouth. We can also secure a partial denture with a specific number of implants, depending on how many teeth you’re missing and their locations within your mouth.
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All-on-4 dental implants allow our team to secure a complete denture to four implants that are strategically inserted into the strongest, thickest areas of your jawbone at an angle. This is a great option for patients who want dental implants, but don’t want to have to undergo bone grafting beforehand, which can take months to heal from.
The process of getting dental implants is different for each patient depending on their unique tooth loss situation. We’ll walk you through the cost of your procedure once we’ve determined some cost-defining factors, like how many dental implants in West Loop you need to have placed, the location of your missing teeth, what type of restoration you need to restore your smile, and whether you require preparatory procedures. If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to ask our team.
Even if you have no natural teeth left in your smile, it doesn’t mean that your days of taking care of your smile are over. Especially if you want your implants to last as long as possible, you’ll need to maintain them. The good news is that maintaining dental implants is basically the same as taking care of real teeth. By implementing simple healthy habits into your lifestyle, you can extend the life of your dental implants and keep smiling with confidence year after year.
Just as before you lost any teeth, you should continue to practice oral hygiene every day. This means brushing for two minutes twice daily and flossing at least once daily. These habits may seem small, but they prevent plaque buildup, which leads to infection. Although it can seem like a big time commitment at first to brushing and flossing every day, you’ll soon see that the time and effort you put into oral hygiene is well worth it!
The food and beverages you consume have a major impact on how long your implants stay in excellent condition. The more carbohydrates and sugar you have in your diet, the more likely you are to develop gum disease. The inflammatory bacteria that cause gum disease thrive on these types of foods, so you need to limit how much you eat or drink. You should also choose foods that are high in nutrients that reinforce your smile, such as cheese, leafy greens, carrots, celery, apples, and other fruits and vegetables.
If you want your implants to go more than a few years, you may need not only to start healthy habits but also to stop habits that could shorten their lifespan in your mouth. For instance, if you smoke or use tobacco products, you should quit because these products encourage bacterial growth and can make it easier to get an infection. Also, chewing on hard objects like a pencil or ice can damage your restorations and even damage the jawbone, putting your implants at risk.
Are you planning on participating in an activity that might involve a hit to the face? Whether you’re skateboarding or playing a pick-up game of basketball with your friends, a blow to the mouth can dislodge your implants. When you do these activities, be sure to have a mouthguard with you to protect your investment in your smile. This oral appliance absorbs the impact, so your teeth feel less pain and stay in position.
Although your dental implants come without any risk of decay, it’s still important to come to our office for checkups and cleanings at least every six months. You could develop an infection that causes your implants to fail! During these appointments, we’ll make sure your gums and other oral tissues stay healthy and be sure to find any problems early enough to stop them from damaging your restored smile.