Dental Implant Frequently Asked Questions in Oakton
Whether you’re missing a single tooth or a full row of teeth, dental implant supported tooth replacement may be the right solution to fully restore your smile from the roots up. Before beginning any advanced dental procedure, we know you’ll have a lot of questions. At Oakton Dentistry by Design, we will take the time to walk you through every step of your dental implant supported tooth replacement plan, and if you have questions at any time, please don’t hesitate to ask. On this page, you’ll find the answers to some of those questions we hear most often about dental implants. If you don’t see your question or you want to learn more, give our Oakton dental office a call to schedule a tooth replacement consultation with us.
How do Dental Implants Work?
Dental implants are posts that mimic the function of lost tooth roots. The implants are surgically placed below the gums. Over the course of three to six months, these dental implant posts fuse with the supportive gum and bone tissue, recreating the lost tooth roots to support a replacement tooth or teeth.
What are the Benefits of Dental of Dental Implants?
There are many advantages to choosing dental implant supported tooth replacement, including:
- Traditional tooth replacement options only restore the visible parts of your smile, but dental implants restore the roots of teeth, creating natural looking and feeling function.
- Patients with traditional dentures only get about 20% of their natural chewing function back, but implant supported dentures restore 70% or more of healthy chewing function and natural stability.
- Without the tooth’s roots to provide stability and stimulate the supportive tooth structures, the gum tissue volume and jawbone density begin to diminish. This can lead to further tooth loss, changes in facial shape, and other oral health concerns.
How Many Dental Implants do I Need?
The number of dental implants you need depends on the number and position of your missing teeth. We will typically recommend the following:
- One implant – to support a single replacement tooth or two consecutive replacement teeth.
- Two implants – to support a fixed bridge tooth replacement prosthetic to restore several consecutive teeth.
- Three to six implants – to support partial and full dentures, replacing any number of missing teeth or a full row of teeth.
How Much do Dental Implants Cost?
The cost of dental implant supported tooth replacement varies dramatically based on a number of factors, including the number of replacement teeth, material used, use of sedation dentistry, need for preparatory treatments, and difficulty of treatments. Before we begin your dental implant supported tooth replacement plan, we’ll walk you through every aspect of your treatment, out of pocket costs, and any available dental insurance coverage.
What is the Success Rate of Dental Implants?
Dental implants have a 95% to 98% success rate. Your success is dependent upon a number of factors. However, if you keep up with basic in-office and at-home oral hygiene routines, you will dramatically decrease your risk for implant failure.
How Long do Dental Implants Last?
Traditional tooth replacement options need to be repaired or replaced every five to ten years, but an implant supported restoration will remain functional for two or more decades. In fact, many patients keep their implant retained dental restoration for the rest of their lives.