Losing a tooth may compromise your beautiful smile and impede your ability to bite and chew like normal. At Venice Periodontics & Implant Dentistry, we are on a mission to save smiles, restoring full form and functionality. One of the best options for doing so is dental implant placement. For residents of Sarasota, FL and surrounding areas, we a customized tooth replacement solution using dental implants.
What Are Dental Implants?
Millions of Americans struggle with tooth loss, whether due to disease, decay, or traumatic accidents. Dental implants are widely considered to be the gold standard for tooth replacement, providing long-lasting and natural-looking smile restoration.
Each implant is a small rod, carefully placed into the jawbone where it fuses in place with the surrounding bone through osseointegration. Once healed, the implant functions as an artificial tooth root. On top of that tooth root, we can place a custom-made replacement tooth, which looks, behaves, and is nearly as strong as your natural teeth.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Dental implants provide a number of benefits, including:
- The stimulation of your jawbone preventing bone atrophy or unwanted changes to your facial appearance.
- A seamless smile, with replacement teeth that fit perfectly with your natural ones.
- The ability to eat, bite, chew, and enjoy all of your favorite foods like normal.
- Greater durability than any other form of tooth replacement, which means better long-term value.
- Comfort and security, allowing you to feel fully confident in your restored smile.
Why Are Dental Implants the Preferred Method of Tooth Replacement?
Generally, dental implants are considered to be the more popular option for addressing tooth loss because they have several benefits.
Am I a Candidate for Dental Implants?
During your first appointment, Dr. Turner will perform a full evaluation, examining your teeth, gums, and jaw to ensure your candidacy for dental implants. She will also collect information about your personal medical history, verifying that you are eligible for a safe and successful surgery.
Generally speaking, the best candidates for dental implants:
Are missing one or more teeth.
Do not have any untreated periodontal disease.
Are in good health overall, without any underlying medical issues that would compromise their safety during surgery.
Our Process for Dental Implants
At your initial appointment, we will determine whether you need any additional procedures to prepare for a successful implant placement. For example, before we can place implants, we may need to perform a bone regeneration, ensuring you have sufficient bone density to anchor your implants in place.
On the day of your implant placement, you will receive a warm welcome from our clinical care team. We will administer anesthesia and sedation, ensuring your comfort and well-being throughout the procedure. Dental implant placement usually takes somewhere between one and a half to two hours. It is an outpatient surgery, meaning once the procedure is over, you will be discharged to head home for recovery.
How Are Dental Implants Placed and Restored?
At your initial appointment, we will review all the specifics of your custom treatment plan, ensuring you are fully informed about your dental implant journey. Generally speaking, that journey will look something like this:
Implant Placement
You will be put under anesthesia for your dental implant placement, ensuring your comfort and safety. Dr. Turner will carefully insert the implant into the site of the missing tooth, where it will be left to fuse with the surrounding bone. Dr. Turner will also place a temporary replacement tooth, ensuring a seamless smile even as you heal and recover.
Crown Placement
It usually takes 3 -4 months for your implants to fuse with the jawbone, providing a steady anchor point for your permanent replacement teeth. Once this healing process has been completed, you will return for the placement of a connective piece called the abutment, also known as a crown, which is used to secure the prosthesis to the implant.
Replacement Teeth
Your dental restoration is completed with the placement of permanent dental prostheses, custom-made to look and behave just like your natural teeth. This step is typically performed by your regular dentist.
Dental Implants Recovery Timeline
For most patients, recovery from dental implant placement is very mild. We typically recommend taking one to two days off from work, using that time to rest and recover at home. While some tenderness and minimal discomfort can be expected, these symptoms are easily managed with just over-the-counter remedies. You can also expect to have your diet limited to softer, milder foods for a few days, gradually shifting back to a normal diet as you feel able.
What Can I Eat While the Implants Heal?
For the first few days of your implant recovery, we recommend sticking with softer foods, which can include yogurt, applesauce, mashed potatoes, mashed bananas, broths, flaky fish, soft bread, rice, and pudding. To control inflammation and keep your recovery on track, avoid excessively spicy foods or extremely hot temperatures. We would also recommend that you steer clear of anything too sticky or crunchy.
We will provide a fuller list of dietary guidelines before you are discharged.
How Long Will the Implants Last?
Dental implants are known for their durability and longevity. Assuming proper maintenance, including regular dental care, your dental implants should last you a good long while.
Offering Dental Implants for Residents of Sarasota, FL
Tooth loss can be frustrating, but it never has to be permanent. Through dental implants, you can once again enjoy a healthy, full, confident smile. Residents of Sarasota can find out more about smile restoration when they schedule an appointment with Venice Periodontics & Implant Dentistry by calling (941) 497-5591.
