Dental Implants – Attleboro, MA

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

The very first step to getting your new teeth is to undergo an initial consultation. During this appointment, our team will evaluate your oral health, discuss your dental goals as well as your jawbone density, and determine if dental implants are a viable solution for rebuilding your smile. We’ll also review the estimated price of your treatment so that you know what to expect.

If you have any underlying oral health issues, such as decay, cavities, gum disease, or insufficient jawbone density, then we’ll likely have to provide certain preliminary services beforehand. These may include periodontal treatment, bone grafting, or even tooth extractions. We’ll be sure to walk you through the details so that you can be ready to restore your missing pearly whites.

Dental Implant Surgery

Since our team can complete the entire dental implant process in-office, you can expect to receive your treatment from our team every step of the way. Once you arrive for your surgery, we’ll administer a local anesthetic to your mouth so that you’re completely numb throughout the procedure. Your dentist will then create a small incision in your gum line to access your jawbone so that they can place the implant. Afterward, they’ll suture the gums closed and place a protective cap to keep it safe while you recover.

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment

Your healing period should take about three to six months. This is mostly because, during your recovery, your dental implants will need to fuse with your jawbone through a process known as osseointegration. This is what will allow them to become the stable foundation needed for your lifelike restorations to last for decades or longer. After your implants are completely integrated with your bone tissue, you’ll return to our office to receive your abutments—small metal connector pieces to which the main restorations will attach.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s)

Once your final restorations have been made, you’ll come back to us to have them placed. Our team will attach your new crown, bridge, or denture to your implants and verify that your bite is comfortable and correct. After we’ve confirmed that you’re satisfied with the treatment, you’ll be free to make the most of your fully rebuilt smile.

Day-to-Day Benefits

The most noticeable dental implant benefits are likely the day-to-day ones. These include:

• Simple Teeth Cleaning – Dental implants are much easier to clean than dentures or dental bridges. You just need to care for them like natural teeth. In particular, brush them twice daily, floss between them once daily, and rinse them with mouthwash.
• Gorgeous Results – Because dental implants are capped with porcelain, they blend seamlessly with your smile. They’ll match your other teeth in color, size, and shape, leading to a lifelike grin.
• Easier Eating – Due to fusing with your jaw, dental implants restore your bite force. This effect allows you to eat your favorite tough foods again.
• Boosted Confidence – As dental implants restore your smile, they tend to boost your confidence. You’re more likely to feel calm when chatting with friends and family.

Health Benefits

While the everyday perks are notable, dental implants also have health-related upsides. Good examples of them are:

• A More Nutritious Diet – By allowing you to eat tough foods, dental implants grant a greater range of dietary options. That range then boosts your nutritional health.
• Good Oral Health – Unless they’re filled, smile gaps become breeding grounds for harmful bacteria. That means they’ll raise your risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Still, dental implants can fill the gaps to improve your oral health.
• A Stronger Jaw – Tooth loss causes your jawbone to erode when it isn’t corrected. As that process continues, it can trigger a facial collapse. However, dental implants would prevent (and reverse) this erosion and keep your face looking young.
• Support for Other Teeth – When left unchecked, smile gaps can cause your other teeth to tilt and fall out. Thankfully, dental implants fill those spaces to prevent such tilting.

Long-term Benefits

Finally, note that dental implants even have long-term benefits. The most common ones include:

• High Success Rate – So long as they’re placed by qualified dentists, dental implants often succeed in the long run. In fact, their 10-year success rate is 98%!
• Long Lifespan – Dental implants usually last 15-20 years on average. Meanwhile, a well-maintained one can reach a lifespan of 30+ years. That means implants can potentially last a lifetime.
• Savings in Time & Money – Dental implants tend to save patients money. Due to their long lifespans (see above), they rarely need repairs or replacements. That longevity translates to little follow-up work compared to dentures or dental bridges.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

As long as you’re a grown adult and your jawbone has fully matured, then you might be eligible to undergo the dental implant procedure. Of course, there are several other factors we’ll need to consider when determining if you’re a good candidate for the treatment, including:

• Good Oral Health: Our team will need to ensure that you are completely free of any oral health problems, like cavities, decay, or gum disease before we can move forward with your procedure; otherwise, your implants could fail later on.
• Great Overall Health: Since you’ll be undergoing minor oral surgery, your body will need to be healthy enough to recover properly.
• Sufficient Jawbone Mass: Tooth loss typically leads to jawbone deterioration due to a lack of stimulation in the bone tissue. Dental implants will require you to have adequate jawbone density to support them.

Even if you aren’t currently eligible for the process, this doesn’t mean you’ll be counted out altogether. Our team can help prepare your smile by providing preliminary services that will increase your rate of success, such as gum disease treatment, bone grafting, and tooth extractions. After we’ve verified that your jawbone and oral health are in great shape, we can resume your treatment plan.

Missing One Tooth

Replacing a single tooth requires the use of one implant and a single porcelain crown. The crown is attached via an abutment, which may be placed the same day as your surgery or later after the implant has had a chance to heal. All crowns used are made from lifelike dental porcelain.

Missing Multiple Teeth

Instead of relying on nearby teeth to hold one larger bridge, a pair of dental implants can accomplish all of the heavy lifting. This option is especially ideal if you do not want to modify your existing tooth enamel just to have your teeth replaced.

Missing All Teeth

Whether you have a full or partial denture that you aren’t happy with or you’d prefer to not settle for a traditional denture, you can use implant dentures instead! By placing four to six dental implants throughout the jaw, you can house a denture that is truly long-lasting in comparison to traditional methods.

Learn More About Missing All Teeth

Learn More About All-On-4

Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery

Depending on your unique circumstance, you may have to pay more for specific treatments to ensure the most successful implant procedure possible. For example, you may need to have bone grafts to increase your bone volume or periodontal therapy to treat gum disease. Additionally, anesthesia during your surgery may increase your cost. As a practice that performs every stage of implant placement in-house, you can expect your fees to be more conveniently laid out compared to seeing an offsite specialist. This means we not only place the implant, but cover it with a dedicated abutment and restoration as well.

The Parts of Your Dental Implant

If you are receiving more than one dental implant, then you can expect your overall treatment costs to go up. Additionally, some manufacturers tend to use different materials for their dental implants. While titanium is by far the most common, others may make use of zirconia instead. Much like cars, there are different makes and models that may work better or last longer. When you speak with our dentists, you’ll find out why we use certain options over others.

Final Dental Implant Restoration

Dental implants can hold just about any type of restoration, which means your cost can vary depending on the one that you choose. These include implant-retained crowns, bridges, partial dentures, and full dentures. The more complex your restoration is, the more expensive it will be to design. Of course, no matter which restoration you need, we’ll make sure that it fits inside your mouth exactly and blends in with your neighboring teeth to guarantee the best esthetics possible.

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

In most cases, dental insurance will not offer coverage for dental implants because they are not considered to be medically necessary to protect your oral health. However, there are some exceptions to keep in mind. Our team is happy to go over your plan in great detail as we have years of experience maximizing patients’ benefits. While some parts of your overall treatment may be covered, such as the restoration itself and/or preliminary treatments, it will likely only be a portion or percentage.

Making Dental Implants Affordable

Do you not use or have dental insurance? Does your plan not currently offer coverage for dental implants, making you responsible for paying the difference? Our office is happy to provide flexible financing through CareCredit to those in need of more manageable payment plans, especially when it comes to dental implants. Not only can you make dental implants affordable, but flexible financing comes with little-to-zero interest attached. If you need help beginning the qualification process, our team is more than ready to lend a guiding hand.

Bone Grafting

This surgical procedure is designed to replace missing bone tissue in the body. Although this treatment can be used anywhere, it’s commonly performed in the jaw to prepare patients for placing dental implants. This process involves donating bone tissue from somewhere else or from your body. Once we’ve inserted the bone tissue into the jaw, you’ll need several months to recover. After you’ve healed properly, you should have sufficient density to support your dental implant(s).

During your typical bone graft, our team will inject a new, small piece of bone into the jaw where the tissue needs to grow and heal. Over time, the cells within will begin to fuse completely with the new bone. The tissue will grow until it’s large enough to support your future metal post.

Sinus Lift

If your dental implant has to be embedded near the back of your, in the upper arch, it can sometimes be necessary to undergo a sinus lift beforehand. Whenever there are missing teeth in this area, it can create a substantial gap. If there isn’t enough bone to hold the metal post in position, the implant can begin to protrude into the sinus cavity, which can be highly problematic. To fix this complication, your dentist can perform a sinus lift that involves a minor surgical process. By embedding grafting material around the implant, you can expect a less invasive procedure, a shorter healing period, and a higher success rate.

PRP/PRF Treatment

Since we’ll want to make sure you heal properly from your dental implant surgery, our team will perform PRP/PRF treatment. Also known as Platelet Rich Plasma or Platelet Rich Fibrin, this procedure involves utilizing your blood to help quicken your healing process. Our team will extract some of your blood before beginning your implant treatment and place it in a centrifuge. Once you’ve undergone your procedure, we will place your blood around the surgical site to promote a speedy recovery. Furthermore, since the material is yours, there is a drastically reduced risk of infection.

Ridge Expansion

Without a sufficiently wide jawbone, your dental implant will have a much more difficult time being supported. To help improve your chances for a successful treatment, our team can perform a ridge expansion. We’ll use specialized instruments called Versah drills to divide the bone, creating an inner and outer area in the process. We’ll then fill grafting materials into the wedge to widen the space and form a denser section. After you’ve recovered, you should have enough space in your jawbone to move forward with your dental implant treatment for renewing your smile.

What to Do Directly After Dental Implant Surgery

Right after undergoing your procedure, you’ll want to have your trusted friend or family member take you home so that you can get plenty of rest. The most important part of your healing is to allow the blood clot to form around the surgical site, that way your dental implant(s) can undergo osseointegration without interruption. Some basic rules to follow include:

• No using straws to drink liquids
• No spitting
• No smoking or chewing tobacco
• No touching the implant with your fingers or tongue

Common Side Effects When Recovering from Dental Implant Placement

For the first several days following your surgery, you’re bound to experience some minor side effects that most people encounter. Fortunately, they can typically be short-lived and are easy to manage. These usually involve:

• Discomfort: You’ll generally be sore after your procedure, but you can take over-the-counter or prescribed pain relievers to alleviate your condition.
• Swelling: Inflammation can sometimes occur during the first 72 hours after your appointment. Try using a cold compress to reduce swelling.
• Bleeding: Mild intermittent bleeding can sometimes happen for a few days. You can easily control it by applying light pressure with a clean gauze.

Your Diet After Dental Implant Surgery

Since you don’t want to bite down or chew on anything that can disturb the blood clot/surgical site, your diet will need to stick to softer foods. Some of your typical choices may include:

• Yogurt
• Mashed potatoes
• Pasta
• Soup (not warm soup)
• Scrambled eggs
• Pudding
• Ice cream

Post-Op Health & Oral Hygiene

24 hours after your procedure, you can generally start brushing your teeth again like normal. Simply be careful around your implant site to not ruin the blood clot forming. When rinsing your mouth, use salt water and tilt your head from side to side instead of swishing the water. Also, avoid spitting and allow the water to pour from your mouth instead. Rinse your mouth after every meal, and don’t use mouthwash that contains alcohol, as this can cause discomfort around the implant site.

What to Do After Your New Teeth Are Attached

Once you’ve received your new dental crown, bridge, or denture, you’ll be free to enjoy your brand-new smile! Of course, you might experience some mild sensitivity, but this can be addressed with over-the-counter pain medications. If you notice any symptoms like bleeding or swelling, make sure to notify us right away so we can address the issue.

Does Getting Dental Implants Hurt?

Since implants fuse to your jaw, you may fear that placing them will hurt your mouth. However, there’s no cause for concern: the implant placement process is painless!

You see, your dentist will ensure treatment is smooth and comfortable. Before the procedure even begins, they’ll numb your mouth with an anesthetic. In doing so, your body won’t register pain during your visit. Plus, your jawbone doesn’t have many nerve endings in the first place.

Granted, your mouth may feel sore for a few days after the surgery. As such, you should take any prescribed or OTC pain medication as directed. Call your dentist to book a follow-up visit if your discomfort worsens after two or three days.

How Long Does It Take to Recover from Dental Implant Surgery?

Despite some post-treatment soreness, recovering from the surgery won’t take long. In fact, you should be able to resume everyday activities the day after your procedure.

That being said, you still need to be careful as you adjust to implants. For one thing, you should avoid strenuous exercise for the first week — you could otherwise delay your healing. You’ll also need to take prescribed pain relievers as directed. Still, you can expect your implants to fuse fully with your jawbone after six months.

What Can Cause Dental Implants to Fail?

It’s essential to care for implants well, or they might fail over time. More specifically, they could suffer from peri-implantitis or a failed fusion if you aren’t attentive.

The first condition — peri-implantitis — is a type of gum disease that develops from poor oral hygiene. Left untreated, it can and will damage the bone and gums supporting your implant(s). Should that occur, the prosthetic will likely loosen and become ineffective.

On the other hand, the second issue refers to when an implant fails to integrate with your jaw. This scenario is especially likely if a patient had low jawbone density to begin with.

How Long Do Dental Implants Last? 

In general, the average lifespan of dental implants is 15-20 years. Properly cared for, though, these restorations can last for 30 years or even longer!

If you want your implant(s) to work as long as possible, you’ll need to protect your oral health. As such, remember to brush your teeth twice daily, floss them once daily, and rinse with mouthwash as needed.  Furthermore, make sure to attend your dental checkups and cleanings regularly.