Unlike other tooth replacement options, dental implants are designed to recreate the entire structure of your lost tooth, including the root. The roots of your teeth are responsible for making biting and chewing feel natural. As a result, implants feel more like a part of your smile than bridges and dentures do.

Furthermore, dental implants also have an incredibly high success rate, higher than other solutions to tooth loss. Their success rate is often as high as 98%, with a lifespan of 30 years to a lifetime. That’s not a benefit you can easily reap from other tooth replacement options.

Lastly, dental implants prevent jawbone deterioration that comes as a result of prolonged tooth loss. Because bridges and dentures don’t replace the root of the tooth, they don’t stimulate new bone growth nor provide blood flow to your facial muscles. When your jawbone isn’t stimulated enough by your tooth roots, your face begins to droop, making you appear older than you really are. Dental implants allow you to keep looking young for years to come.

Dental implants can be used to replace any number of missing teeth. At Ryan Dental Group, we can restore your new teeth no matter how many you were missing.

Missing One Tooth

To replace a single missing tooth, we can place a single porcelain dental crown over your implant. Dental porcelain is highly durable and resistant to stains, making it blend in with the rest of your smile as naturally as possible. 

Missing Multiple Teeth

If you’re missing several teeth in a row, your best bet might be an implant-supported bridge. Since the restoration is anchored by implants, we won’t need to file down any of your healthy teeth to place the bridge. In general, two implants can support a bridge made of three or four crowns. 

Missing All Teeth

If you have no remaining pearly whites, don’t worry. You don’t have to get an implant placed for every missing tooth. Instead, just four to six implant posts are placed strategically throughout your jawbone to provide maximum stimulation to your jawbone. Then, these implants are restored with a denture, which can be either fixed or removable, depending on your personal preference.

Whether you’re just getting a single implant or a whole mouthful, it’s no secret that dental implants involve a complicated procedure. For example, the cost only increases the more implants you must receive to rebuild your smile. You may require some preliminary treatments, like a bone graft or a sinus lift, which can drive up the total cost of your new teeth. During your consultation, we’ll make sure to thoroughly discuss all aspects of treatment in detail before going through with anything.

It should be noted that while dental implants generally cost more than other options, the investment is well worth it. While they are considered expensive up front, you don’t have to get them replaced every few years like you would with a traditional denture or bridge, which can rack up costs over the years. Dental implants are clearly the best investment you could make in the future of your smile.

Do you still have more questions that you’d like to have answered before you schedule a consultation for dental implants in Allen? Below, we’ve compiled some of the most common questions we receive from our patients, for your convenience.

If you’ve never been through a surgery before, thinking about going through your implant placement procedure can seem daunting and scary. Dr. Michael Ryan’s top priority is his patients’ comfort, which is why he makes sure to administer a local anesthetic before the procedure begins so you don’t feel any pain. He also offers multiple forms of sedation so you can feel relaxed and at-ease throughout your entire appointment. Just be sure to let Dr. Ryan know if you’re feeling nervous or anxious about the procedure during your initial consultation, and he’ll make a plan to ensure that you’re comfortable.

With the proper maintenance, dental implants can last over 35 years, which is four times as long as traditional restorations such as dentures. Since they function and are structured identically to your natural teeth, you can care for them in the same way too. All you have to do is brush and floss every day, be mindful of your eating habits, and don’t forget to rinse your mouth with antibacterial mouthwash as well!

Even though your new smile is crafted from high-quality ceramic, porcelain, and acrylic, which can’t decay, it’s still important to visit our office every six months for a checkup and cleaning. This allows our team to make sure that your implants are healthy and functioning properly, and if they aren’t, this will give us a chance to fix the issue before it causes additional problems down the road. Plus, there’s no better feeling than a fresh professional cleaning!

The dental implant procedure is custom-tailored to each unique patients’ needs, which is why every treatment timeline varies. When you visit Dr. Ryan for a consultation, our team will examine your smile and inspect facial X-rays to determine how many implants you need to have place, whether you require preparatory procedures, and what type of restoration you need. Based on our findings, we’ll lay out an individualized timeline to meet your needs and discuss it with you so you know exactly what to expect from the process. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to ask our team! We’re here to make sure that you feel comfortable and confident in your decision to restore your smile.