Dental Implants – Concord, NH
Regain a Strong, Confident Smile for Years to Come
You may think that a single missing tooth isn’t something to be seriously concerned about, but these losses can have a domino effect regarding your oral health. In order to regain a strong, confident smile for years to come, you need a quality reconstructive solution, and dental implants in Concord, NH are at the very top of the list. Our dedicated team of doctors has the skills and training needed to personally handle every step of the dental implant process right here in-house, saving you valuable time while keeping you fully comfortable. Contact Generations Dental Care today if you’d like to schedule an initial consultation, or if you have any questions for our staff.
Why Choose Generation Dental Care for Dental Implants?
- Dental Implants Placed and Restored in One Location
- Flexible Dental Financing Options Available
- State-of-the-Art Dental Technology for Precise Treatment
What Are Dental Implants?
If you’re interested in replacing your teeth with a solution that feels as natural as it looks and can also last several times longer than any other treatment option, it’s hard to beat dental implants. Their unique three-part structure (a titanium post, a custom-made restoration, and a metal abutment that connects the two) gives dental implants unmatched longevity, reliability, and aesthetics. In fact, they’re often considered the gold standard of tooth replacement. Once placed, you can expect dental implants to last for decades thanks to their ability to fuse with the supporting bone structure in a process called osseointegration.
The 4-Step Dental Implant Process
While many general dental practices have to refer their patients to outside specialists for the surgical portion of their dental implant treatment, it’s different here at Generations Dental Care. Instead, we’ve brought the specialist to you! Our in-house periodontist Dr. Jonell Hopeck will personally handle this important procedure so that you can spend the entire process in the same comfortable environment with a team you already know and trust. We’ll gladly explain the details of your treatment in detail at your appointment, but for now, here are the four basic steps of the dental implant process.
Initial Dental Implant Consultation
To begin your journey to a newly rebuilt smile, you’ll attend a consultation here in our office, where our team will examine your mouth, take X-rays, review your oral and overall health, and ask you about your goals and expectations for the treatment. We’ll explain the details of how dental implants work in Concord and outline your treatment process. If we find that you need one or more preliminary procedures first, like bone grafting to address bone loss in the jaw, we’ll factor that into your overall care process. It will prolong your total treatment time, but it will be worth it to have a lasting, healthy smile!
Dental Implant Surgery
Since we have a board-certified periodontist (gum expert) on staff, you won’t need to worry about traveling to a separate office and paying specialist fees for the surgical step of your treatment. This makes your experience more comfortable, affordable, and convenient overall!
As a procedure, dental implant surgery is fairly straightforward. First, Dr. Hopeck numbs your mouth and jaw with local anesthesia (you may also be under some form of sedation for added comfort). Then, she creates tiny incisions in your gum tissue and situates the implants into pre-determined locations within your jaw. Lastly, she’ll install protective caps on top of the implants to keep them safe as you heal, seal the gum tissue back up, and send you home to recover.
Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment
Although you should feel back to normal within a few days of your surgery, you’ll need to wait up to six months for osseointegration to occur. This is the natural process by which your jawbone forms a strong attachment to the implant posts, allowing them to become just as firmly embedded as the roots of your natural teeth were.
When osseointegration is finished, you’ll return to our office and most likely need to undergo a second (smaller) oral surgery. Dr. Hopeck will make incisions in your gums to access the tops of the implants and secure metal connectors onto them, which will hold your prosthetic teeth in place. Recovering from the abutment surgery shouldn’t take more than a couple of weeks.
Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s)
The final step of getting dental implants in Concord is placing your restorations, which could be dental crowns, bridges, or dentures, depending on how many teeth you’re replacing. These prosthetics will be meticulously designed from impressions that we take of your mouth. Once we attach them to your abutments and make any last-minute adjustments if need be, your smile should look, feel, and function exactly as it did prior to your tooth loss!
Benefits of Dental Implants
The benefits of dental implants in Concord set them apart from traditional restorative procedures like dentures and bridges and make them a popular choice among patients looking to replace missing teeth. If you’re wondering why this procedure is worth the investment of your time and money, look no further than the life-changing health, day-to-day, and long-term advantages you’ll be able to enjoy when you
choose dental implants
.
Day-to-Day Benefits
- Ability to maintain a balanced diet. Dental implants restore the entire structure of your missing teeth, including the roots that make acts like chewing effective and efficient. With 85 percent restored bite power, you’ll be able to maintain a balanced diet and eat all of the foods you’re used to without difficulty.
- Boosted confidence in your smile. Your replacement teeth won’t just look natural—they’ll also feel lifelike, allowing you to smile with more confidence.
- Speak more easily. Because your restorations are anchored to a strong and unwavering foundation of dental implants, you won’t have to worry about them slipping and shifting whenever you speak.
- Oral hygiene routines are simpler. Caring for your dental implants is just like caring for your natural teeth, so you won’t have to alter your oral hygiene routine.
Health Benefits
- Prevent jawbone deterioration. When your teeth go missing, the roots that once stimulated the jawbone are no longer doing so, causing it to deteriorate over time. Dental implants fuse with your jawbone through a process called osseointegration, preventing bone deterioration by providing necessary blood flow to the jawbone.
- Preserve your facial structure. With other restorations, as the jawbone deteriorates due to not being stimulated, it can lead to a changing facial structure, causing the cheeks to appear sunken. With dental implants, you won’t have to worry about that!
- Improved overall health. Studies show a connection between tooth loss and an increased risk for developing medical problems. Restoring your smile with dental implants can help lower your risk of illness.
Long-Term Benefits
Dental implants are easy to care for, and with routine maintenance, they have an impressive success rate of 95 percent and can last for 30+ years! This is about four times the lifespan of traditional dentures! Not only will this mean fewer visit to your implant dentist in Concord over the years, but it also helps you save money because they’re a wonderful long-term investment!
Who Dental Implants Can Help
Once your mouth has fully healed from the initial implant placement, it’ll be time to return to Generations Dental Care so that our team can design the ideal restorative solution that will sit on top. Each of these replacement teeth are made with lifelike materials, such as dental porcelain, designed to resemble your natural pearly whites as much as possible. Depending on the extent of your tooth loss, your dental implant dentist in Concord can use one of the following solutions:
Missing One Tooth
In the past, a single missing tooth was replaced with a dental bridge. However, this solution required the two neighboring teeth to be filed down to secure the bridge in place. By using just one implant post topped with a dental crown, we can fill the empty space in your grin without altering any of your healthy tooth structure.
Missing Multiple Teeth
There are a couple of ways that we can replace multiple missing teeth with dental implants. If the teeth were consecutive, we can place an implant post on either end of the gap and affix a dental bridge on top of them. For several missing teeth throughout the mouth, we may be able to secure a partial denture onto a small number of implants.
Missing All Teeth
Even if you’ve lost all of your natural teeth, dental implants can still bring back your whole smile. A full denture can be anchored onto an average of four to eight implant posts placed throughout the jaw. An implant denture can be fixed permanently in place or designed to still be removable in nature – the patient’s personal preferences and current level of oral health will determine this decision.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants
Here at Generations Dental Care, we take the time to personalize each treatment to meet every patient’s individual needs. As a result, no two dental implant treatments will cost exactly the same. This means that it’s virtually impossible to provide an accurate price estimate unless you visit us for a consultation. During this appointment, we’ll review the things that contribute to the cost of care, along with your available financing options.
Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery
In some instances, preliminary treatment might be required before a patient can receive dental implants—and this can certainly affect the overall cost of care. These treatments include things like gum disease therapy, tooth extractions, and bone grafting. While they do contribute to what you’ll end up paying, they also help to ensure the success of your dental implants. As for the actual implant surgery, the amount you’ll pay is usually affected by variables such as the location of the surgical site and the type of sedation needed.
The Parts of Your Dental Implant
The overall cost of implants is also affected by:
- The number of implants: It often takes a single implant to replace a single tooth, two implants to replace a row of teeth, and four or more to replace an entire missing arch.
- The type of restoration: Crowns, bridges, and dentures all have different costs; smaller restorations are naturally less expensive than larger ones.
- The materials used: Sometimes implants are made out of zirconia, rather than titanium, which also affects the overall cost.
- The brand of implants: There are various implant manufacturers that meet the needs of different patients. Feel free to ask about what brand you’re receiving as well as any brand-specific benefits.
How Dental Implants Can Save You Money
It’s worth noting that even though dental implants have a higher up-front price tag, they can actually save you money down the road. For instance, you don’t need to pay for a replacement every 5 to 10 years like you would for dentures and bridges. There are also no special solutions that you have to buy for maintenance. Also, since they’re easier to take care of, they can help you avoid gum disease, tooth decay, and other oral health issues that might require costly treatment.
Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?
Most dental insurance plans do not outright pay for the actual dental implants, though there are some exceptions. Parts of the final restoration, or sometimes certain preliminary treatments, are often covered. Our team would be happy to sit down with you and review the details of your plan so that you can be sure you’re taking full advantage of your benefits.
Making Dental Implants Affordable
If you don’t have dental insurance, there are other options for making dental implants less of a financial burden. We’re proud to offer financing through CareCredit and Lending Club that can help you restructure your cost of treatment into monthly payments that work well with several different budgets. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today to learn more about your financing options and how to affordably achieve a new smile!
Dental Implants Post-Op Instructions
After you get dental implants, you will need to rest at home for a few days. The recovery process usually lasts two weeks in total, although the implants will need a matter of months to finish bonding with your jaw. While your mouth is healing, be sure to follow any instructions that our team gives you, and contact us immediately if you experience complications of any kind. Here’s what you can expect after your dental implant surgery.
What to Do Directly After Dental Implant Surgery
After your implants are placed, your body will begin the healing process. This involves blood clots forming over the areas where the surgery was performed. You’ll want to make sure that nothing happens to these blood clots until your mouth has recovered. To that end, follow these instructions:
- DO NOT spit during the initial recovery period. Swallow your saliva to get rid of it.
- DO NOT use straws. Drink directly from the glass.
- DO NOT smoke. Tobacco is the last thing you want to expose your mouth to when it’s healing.
- DO NOT touch the surgical site. Keep your tongue away from the area in question as best as you can.
Common Side Effects When Recovering from Dental Implant Placement
The following side effects may occur after dental implant surgery:
- There might be some bleeding every so often. You can usually stop it by pressing on the area with some clean gauze.
- Swelling will likely occur as part of the healing process. To reduce it, hold a cold pack against the appropriate cheek for 10-minute intervals.
- You may experience some discomfort. If you were prescribed pain medication, follow any directions you were given for taking it.
Inform us immediately if the side effects last too long or seem to grow worse instead of getting better.
Your Diet After Dental Implant Surgery
Only soft and liquid foods should be consumed after implant surgery. Note that normally, it’s possible to start eating solid foods again within a few days (provided that you keep them away from the implant sites). In the meantime, plan on eating mashed potatoes, pasta, protein shakes, and similar foods that your still-recovering mouth will be able to handle.
Post-Op Health & Oral Hygiene
Protect your smile from infection while you’re recovering by brushing as thoroughly as you normally would. (Be careful around your dental implants.) After each meal, rinse gently with salt water or alcohol-free mouthwash.
What to Do After Your New Teeth Are Attached
Attaching the final restoration is much simpler than placing the implant posts; if there aren’t any unusual or concerning symptoms that require a dentist’s attention (such as bleeding), then there’s not much you need to do besides enjoy your newly restored smile. You can take some over-the-counter pain medication if your gums are sensitive.
Dental Implant FAQs
Even though dental implants have been in use for several decades now, we understand that many people do not quite understand how they work or if they are eligible to receive them in the first place. At Generations Dental Care, our goal is to keep our patients informed however possible, especially when it comes to treatments that they know they will be receiving in the future. Below, you’ll find our most common questions regarding dental implants as well as our answers. If you have additional questions, don’t hesitate to call us today!
Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?
In most cases, dental implants are not covered by dental insurance. While this may be unfortunate, it doesn’t mean that you cannot reduce costs via your insurance in other ways. For example, while you cannot save money on the placement of the implant itself, you can save on the restoration or preparatory treatments that you may need to begin treatment. We also encourage you to read more about our third-party financing options as well as our Quality Dental Plan available in-house!
How Long Does Dental Implant Treatment Typically Take?
The length of your treatment largely depends on how complex your needs are to replace teeth. Overall, you should expect to dedicate six to nine months to your treatment. This length can vary depending on your current dental health, the number of teeth that need to be placed, which teeth you intend to replace, and whether or not an extraction is needed prior to implant placement. Keep in mind that for comprehensive treatments like dental implants, planning is key to ensuring a healthy and successful procedure.
Am I a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?
The good news is more and more people are eligible for dental implants today than in the past. As long as you have healthy gum tissue, good oral health overall, and sufficient bone tissue to receive the dental implants you need, you are eligible for treatment! During your consultation, we’ll confirm your current oral health status and walk you through the process of receiving dental implants. Depending on your circumstances, we may recommend a larger restoration that fits onto multiple implants, which could have their own implications regarding your eligibility.
Can a Dental Implant Fail?
It is true that dental implants can fail, but this is widely avoided thanks to the expertise of our many dedicated doctors that we keep in-house. When placed by a professional, dental implants have an average success rate of 98 percent, even after ten years of having the implant. During your planning phase, we’ll confirm that enough bone tissue is present and that your gums are healthy, two factors that play a major role in treatment. Furthermore, we’ll help you manage your care as your implants heal. For example, you should not under any circumstances consume tobacco while your implants integrate with your bone and soft tissue.
Maintaining & Caring for Your Dental Implants
Dental implants are a major investment, so naturally you’ll want to do whatever you can to help them last as long as possible. Generally speaking, good implant maintenance is simply a matter of giving your dental implants the same level of care that you would give to the rest of your smile. Below are several steps you can take to extend the longevity of your dental implants; we may also be able to give you additional recommendations when you visit our office.
Make Oral Hygiene a Priority
You might think that your dental implants don’t need to be brushed since they can’t get cavities. However, any bacteria that builds up on or around your implant can contribute to gum disease, which could cause you to lose your new tooth if it isn’t treated in time. Make sure that you’re brushing at least two times every day, and always remember to give your implants the same amount of attention as the rest of your grin.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Diet plays a major role in the lifespan of dental implants. Eating plenty of nutritious foods such as fruits and vegetables promotes good oral health, which can help your new teeth thrive. On the other hand, if you eat too many foods with high levels of sugar and starch, you’ll have a greater risk for gum disease and other issues. Think carefully about the foods that you’re eating on a regular basis, and make dietary decisions that are overall beneficial for your implants.
Break Bad Habits
Do you sometimes bite your fingernails without thinking about it? It might not seem like a big deal, but left unchecked it could significantly damage your dental implants. Other habits to watch out for include smoking, chewing on pens and pencils, using your teeth as tools, and crunching overly hard foods. We highly recommend taking whatever steps are necessary to put a stop to these habits before they result in any permanent damage to your newly restored smile.
Protect Your Dental Implants
Getting hit in the face while playing sports could cause your dental implants to break. But if you wear an athletic mouthguard, you can protect your smile from the worst of the impact. Also, people who grind their teeth at night should talk to our team about having a customized nightguard made; this will go a long way toward keeping your dental implants safe.
Schedule Regular Dental Checkups
Visiting the dentist every six months is an important part of any oral hygiene routine, and it’s even more essential if you have dental implants. We can examine your implant posts to confirm that they’re still in good condition, and we can give you suggestions for taking better care of them at home. If any issues are found, we can save you time and money by taking care of them before they can lead to major complications.