November 27, 2023

The Skinny on Dental Implants

Crystal River DentalDental Sealant Dental implants, Restorative dentistry

Dental Implants Dentist Waupaca

Dental Implants Dentist Waupaca: Everything You Need to Know

When it comes to reliable, long-term solutions for missing teeth, Crystal River Dental in Waupaca is a trusted provider. With advanced services for dental implants in Waupaca, this clinic offers patients a permanent, natural-looking option that can restore confidence and improve oral health. In this post, we’ll take a look at what dental implants are, how they’re placed, and why they might be the ideal choice for you or a loved one.

What Are Dental Implants?

A dental implant is a type of artificial tooth root that is surgically placed into the jawbone. Unlike traditional options like bridges or dentures, dental implants fuse directly with the bone, providing a secure foundation for a replacement tooth, typically a custom-made porcelain crown. The core component of a dental implant is a screw-like structure made from titanium, which integrates with the jawbone over time. This integration process, known as osseointegration, ensures that the implant is as stable as a natural tooth.

Each implant has three parts:

The Implant: The titanium post inserted into the jawbone.
The Abutment: A connector that supports and secures the dental crown.
The Crown: The visible part that resembles a natural tooth.

At Crystal River Dental Waupaca, our experienced team ensures that each implant is customized to match the surrounding teeth in color, shape, and function.

How Are Dental Implants Placed?

The dental implant process at Crystal River Dental starts with a comprehensive consultation. Our dental implants dentist Waupaca will review your oral health, take necessary X-rays or 3D images, and evaluate the implant site. This initial appointment is crucial to confirm you have sufficient bone density to support an implant.

Step-by-Step Process:

Initial Consultation: A thorough examination, often under an hour, during which your dentist will assess the area and discuss treatment options.
Implant Placement: At the next appointment, the titanium implant is surgically placed into the jawbone, typically using local anesthesia. This procedure is generally quick, usually completed in about an hour.
Healing and Integration: Over the next few months, the bone fuses with the titanium implant in a process called osseointegration. During this time, temporary teeth can be provided to maintain functionality and aesthetics.
Abutment and Crown Placement: Once osseointegration is complete, a custom abutment is attached to the implant. Impressions are taken to create a crown that matches your other teeth perfectly, ensuring a seamless look and feel. The final crown placement requires just a brief appointment.

Why Choose Dental Implants Over Other Options?

Dental implants are a popular choice for tooth replacement due to several key benefits:

Durability and Longevity: Unlike bridges and dentures, which may need replacement after five to ten years, dental implants, with proper care, can last a lifetime. This makes them a cost-effective choice for long-term dental health.
Natural Look and Feel: Implants are custom-designed to blend with your natural teeth, ensuring a comfortable, stable fit that looks just like a real tooth. Dentures and bridges, on the other hand, may slip or cause discomfort over time.
Improved Functionality: Implants allow you to chew, speak, and smile with confidence. Unlike other devices, dental implants provide the stability needed to enjoy your favorite foods without worry.
Bone Health Benefits: One of the unique advantages of dental implants is that they stimulate bone growth. This prevents the bone loss that typically follows tooth loss, which can lead to a sunken facial appearance over time. By fusing with the bone, implants support a healthier, stronger jaw structure.

Who Can Benefit from Dental Implants?

Adults of almost all ages can be candidates for dental implants. Whether you’ve lost a tooth due to decay, injury, or other reasons, Crystal River Dental in Waupaca offers consultations to determine if implants are suitable for you. Generally, anyone with a fully developed jawbone and healthy oral tissues can consider implants. However, children or individuals with significant bone loss may need alternative treatments.

September 27, 2022

Restoring Your Smile to Health

Crystal River DentalOral Health, Restorative & Cosmetic Dentistry Restorative dentistry

Full-Mouth Rehabilitation with Waupaca Dentist

There comes a time for many people when traditional tooth restoration methods are no longer viable. The impairment of the natural teeth has crossed a threshold where fillings are impossible or imprudent. In these cases, many people choose dentures, usually due to their comparatively low cost. For others, a welcome alternative to dentures is full-mouth rehabilitation (sometimes called for full-mouth reconstruction), which in the broadest sense is using multiple advanced restorative techniques to rebuild your natural, healthy smile. Crystal River Dental is proud to offer this service to Waupaca and our Waupaca-area communities.

Who Are Candidates for Full-Mouth Rehabilitation?

Our office stands by its commitment to never try to “upsell” or strong-arm patients into treatments. We never want anyone to feel that they’re being railroaded when it comes to any procedure, especially one that involves a significant investment of time and money. That’s part of the reason why we created this blog article: We want our patients to be informed of every option and to have a clear understanding of the treatments we might recommend for them. Transparency and clear communication are central to how we do dentistry, and candidates for full-mouth rehabilitation can rest assured that from your first consultation to the very last appointment, you will know what’s going on with your treatment plan in terms of services provided and the costs they entail. In the end, whether our patients choose dentures or full-mouth rehabilitation (or some other treatment option), we will always provide them with the same personalized care and everything they need to make the best decision for themselves.

That said, there are several reasons why people seek out full-mouth rehabilitation. Here are the most common:

Decay of teeth – Many candidates for full-mouth rehabilitation have experienced extensive tooth decay, sometimes through poor dental hygiene habits and diet, but sometimes as a result of things like medications or genetic/hereditary factors.

Wearing down of teeth – Many of our full-mouth candidates have suffered from an erosion of their tooth enamel because of persistent grinding, acid reflux, or simply years of use.

Damage or trauma to the teeth – Accidents, sports injuries, or other impacts to the teeth will often bring about the need for an overhaul of the bite and smile.

Persistent problems with the jaw and/or tooth alignment – Often full-mouth rehabilitation is sought out when there’s a misalignment of the jaw and/or teeth, which can lead to tooth damage, ongoing headaches, and muscle pain.

While there are other reasons for seeking out full-mouth rehabilitation, candidates most commonly have one of these four issues.

What’s the Process for Full-Mouth Rehabilitation?

No two patients will ever have exactly the same experience with full-mouth rehabilitation. At our office, a central guiding principle is providing personalized care, whatever the service being provided. We want to know you and your thoughts well before we begin on any treatment plan. But every patient who decides to embark on full-mouth rehabilitation can expect similar things from the overall experience.

Consultation with the dentist – You’ll start off by being scheduled for an appointment to meet with the providing doctor to discuss your situation, conduct a thorough examination of your teeth and oral health, answer any questions you might have, and begin the steps for a treatment plan going forward. There are situations where you might meet with the dentist only to discuss the full-mouth treatment and then return for the thorough examination at a second appointment.
X-rays and impressions of your teeth – To carry out any full-mouth rehabilitation treatment plan, you will need to have current X-rays, along with a 3D scan and/or impressions taken of your bite.
Initial photographs – We’ll also take photos of your teeth at this time — not only do we love to be able to show you the wonderful before-and-after imagery at the end of the treatment, the photos will help guide things like alignment of the teeth and coloring of any crowns.
Finalized treatment plan – Once our dentist has all the information needed on the condition of your teeth, the health of your gums and bone structure, the alignment of your jaw, and the appearance of your smile from an aesthetic standpoint, a step-by-step treatment plan will be created to guide the rest of the process. As alluded to above, no two treatment plans will ever be the same, and they will factor in your specific needs and desires for the final outcome. Costs and time commitments will be made clear, and any further questions will be answered.
Rehabilitative procedures – These procedures will obviously vary from patient to patient, depending on their specific needs. Some patients undergoing full-mouth rehabilitation might only need two or three from the following list, where others will require many or all of the services. All of these procedures will have been discussed with the patient ahead of time and integrated into the unique treatment plan.
- Teeth cleaning/periodontal care – The first procedure most full-mouth patients will undergo ensures that natural teeth and gums are as healthy as possible before moving forward.
- Crown lengthening – In order for crowns (or possibly bridges) to be placed on those teeth that need them, healthy tooth structure may have to be exposed.
- Gum contouring – In addition to crown lengthening, patients’ gums may need to be shaped to present their most symmetrical and healthiest looking smile.
- Orthodontics – Our dentist may recommend Invisalign® or other orthodontic treatments to help address bite issues and move the patient’s teeth into the optimal position for restoration.
- Bone grafting – If patients opt for dental implants to replace damaged or missing teeth, bone grafts are sometimes required to provide enough stability and structure for the implant to be anchored properly.
- Dental implant placement – Using 3D imagery of the patient’s mouth and jaw, our dentist will create a guide and anchor into the bone a titanium implant that will later receive a ceramic crown or potentially anchor a bridge restoration.
- Crown preparation – In order for any crowns to be placed on a patient’s natural teeth, existing tooth structure will have to be reduced and shaped to receive the crowns.
- Temporary crown placement – Once the natural teeth needing crowns have been prepared, temporary crowns will be placed to ensure proper fit and bite alignment. These temporary restorations will give the patient time to grow accustomed to their new teeth and will be worn until our lab finishes crafting the permanent ceramic crowns.
- Placement of permanent crowns or other restorations – Once we have back from the lab the patient’s final crowns (or potentially their bridges, veneers, inlays, or overlays), the dentist will remove any temporaries and permanently cement the final restorations to the existing teeth.
Final photographs – Once patients have completed the entire full-mouth treatment plan, we take photos of the final result. We use these for our own documentation and education purposes, and we may also — with patients’ permission — share them publicly on our website. The before-and-after imagery (like the photos included in this blog) are an excellent way to educate and help prospective full-mouth patients make decisions about moving forward with the treatment.

How Long Does Full-Mouth Rehabilitation Take?

The duration of the entire process of full-mouth rehabilitation will vary a great deal from person to person based on dental needs, desired outcomes, and other factors like age and budget. There are some patients who complete the entire rehabilitation within two months. Other patients may choose to address different needs over the course of a year or more. Some of the procedures in the process require built-in waiting time. For example, if a bone graft is needed, the healing time can be up to four months before an implant can safely be placed. If orthodontic treatment is needed to move the teeth into proper position, the waiting time could be six months to a year. Whatever your particular dental needs, you can rest assured that you will know how long the process will take when you go over your individualized treatment plan with the dentist.

How Much Does Full-Mouth Rehabilitation Cost?

This question is at the front of most patients’ minds when they schedule their initial consultation. And, as you can guess from what you’ve already read, the answer is dependent upon each individual’s dental needs and desired outcomes. Cost is also determined by what types of treatment are chosen: A patient who chooses dental bridges to replace missing or damaged teeth will pay less than a patient who chooses dental implants for the same replacement. A patient may choose veneers or inlays/overlays over crowns. One thing is certain and consistent: At Crystal River Dental, you will never be surprised by costs. We will talk you through every step of the process in your treatment plan, alerting you to the various prices of different procedures, explaining how much of the treatment may be picked up by insurance, and helping you to make the best decision for your individual circumstances. Because of the variety factors and potential services involved, it’s difficult to give an average cost for full-mouth rehabilitation. On the lowest end, a patient is looking at a cost of about $15,000. For more extensive work, the cost can run in the $30,000 to $45,000 range. That is, without question, a great deal of money to spend on one’s teeth; but for those who have chosen to go through the process, having their natural smile restored to health is well worth the investment.

Where Can I Learn More About Full-Mouth Rehabilitation?

The best resource we can provide is our team, which has a great deal of experience working with patients on their full-mouth treatment plans. For more information on how the process works or questions related to your specific situation, please give our office a call at (715) 258-8200. We look forward to speaking with you and helping you on your way to a fully restored smile! Below are a few more before-and-after photos of full-mouth rehabilitation patients, along with additional web resources on this subject.