Dental Implants – Lockport, IL

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

Seeing an implant dentist in Lockport is essential when it comes to receiving dental implants. These individuals are the only ones capable of determining how best to move forward with the process. In many cases, patients require additional treatments before undergoing implant surgery. Depending on the status of your jawbone and its density as well as your oral and overall health, we may recommend periodontal therapy, tooth extraction, or even bone grafting.

All of this information will be discussed during your consultation, and we will also offer a clearly defined estimate so that there are no additional surprises along the way.

Dental Implant Surgery

Once you’re cleared to receive dental implant surgery, our in-house periodontist will numb your mouth using local anesthesia before placing each titanium implant post into the appropriate spot along your jawbone. This area of your mouth must be stable, so if bone grafting is necessary, we will ensure it is performed beforehand. After positioning and angling each implant post, our team will close the gum tissue before placing protecting healing caps over the areas. You will then receive instructions as you prepare to return home to recover.

Dental Implant Osseointegration/Abutment

During your recovery, which can last anywhere from 3-6 months, the implants will need to fuse with the jawbone. This step is known as osseointegration, and it is essential if your new teeth are to remain firmly in place for decades to come. It is during this time that you will need to follow the instructions provided to you by our Grand Dental team, as you do not want to develop an infection or peri-implantitis, which is similar to gum disease and can cause your implants to fail.

Once you are healed, you’ll return to have the metal abutments put into place, which are connectors that make it easy for your restoration to attach to your implants.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations

After you’ve healed from your abutment placement, the last step is to be fitted with your customized restoration. During your consultation, our team will determine the type of tooth replacement you need. This may include a single crown, bridge, or denture. It depends on how many teeth are missing. No matter the number or location, though, you can expect that your new teeth will look beautiful and natural while also fitting comfortably inside your mouth.

Day-to-Day Benefits

• The ability and freedom to eat any food – Worrying about your prosthetic teeth slipping or falling out is no longer a problem. Osseointegration ensures that dental implants are held securely in place, giving you a stronger bite and making it easy to chew through all types of foods.
• Easier oral health – Instead of adding products and steps to your daily oral care routine, you can continue to keep dental implants in Lockport clean with only a toothbrush, non-abrasive toothpaste, dental floss, and mouthwash. At minimum, brushing and flossing your teeth can help you steer clear of oral infections.
• Higher quality of life – Many denture-wearers often complain about feeling self-conscious about their smiles, but dental implants can give them more confidence when speaking, eating, and smiling.

Health Benefits

• No alteration to existing tooth structures – While a dental bridge requires altering existing tooth structures, an implant dentist in Lockport position a post in the appropriate socket, leaving healthy teeth untouched.
• Increased jawbone stimulation – Over time, tooth loss causes the jawbone to deteriorate, but dental implant stimulate the bone each time you chew or bite down.
• Teeth stay in alignment – When one or more teeth are missing in a person’s smile, the remaining teeth can drift out of place. With dental implants, this will not likely occur, meaning you probably won’t require orthodontic treatment to treat dental drift.

Long-Term Benefits

• The success rate of implants is high – When performed by experienced dental professionals, dental implant placement is 95% successful. After 10 years, this rate usually drops to 90%, but it largely depends on how diligently the patient takes care of their smile.
• Dental implants last decades – Instead of lasting up to 10 years like dentures and dental bridges, dental implants can endure 30 years or longer!
• Implants cost less in the long run – Although dental implants are costly upfront, when you look ahead 10, 20, or even 30 years, these prosthetics are actually cost effective. Instead of paying for frequent replacement and adjustments, denture adhesives or special products for cleaning purposes, you can simply enjoy your smile!

Who is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

Patients who are considered good candidates for dental implants are generally:

• Dedicated to good oral hygiene
• Missing one or more teeth
• Not exhibiting any current dental problems (i.e. decay, gum disease)
• Are healthy and have a good immune system
• Exhibiting sufficient jawbone density

Don’t worry if you don’t have all of these traits. We’ll work with you to improve your eligibility if needed. Many individuals struggle with one or more of these issues, but that doesn’t mean that dental implants are not possible. Preliminary work can be completed first so that your smile is in better shape to support these artificial teeth for the long term.

Missing One Tooth

Missing a single tooth? Replacing it is as easy as placing one dental implant into the gap of your smile and covering it with a crown! This eliminates the need to use a fixed bridge and change healthy teeth inside your mouth. Instead, you can enjoy eating and speaking while allowing your existing natural teeth to remain untouched.

Missing Multiple Teeth

Dental bridges require you to alter your teeth to be placed, but dental implants do not! Instead, we can attach a personalized bridge to a pair of dental implants that are placed in the gap of your smile. Two dental implant posts are placed in the exterior gaps so that a custom bridge can be positioned and secured into place when ready.

Missing All Teeth / Implant-Retained Dentures

Relying on a full denture because your whole arch is missing? By placing four to eight dental implants throughout your jaw, we can effectively attach a denture, so you can skip the step of using denture adhesive! As a result, you’ll feel more confident in your appearance and be able to eat, speak, and smile without cringing or avoiding others.

Learn More About Implant Dentures

Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery

Bone grafting, periodontal therapy, and tooth extraction are just three of the potential preliminary treatments patients might need before undergoing dental implant surgery. If any of these is recommended by our dental team, the expected cost for care will be figured into the total price for treatment.

Additionally, the surgical component of dental implant placement incurs its own fee. However, instead of paying an outside specialist, the cost will remain with Grand Dental – Lockport, as the start-to-finish process occurs in-house.

The Parts of Your Dental Implant

Dental implants in Lockport have many different parts, and each one comes with its own price, such as:

• The number of dental implant posts needed – If a person only has one missing tooth, they will only require one implant post. This is naturally much cheaper than someone who requires 4-6 implants for an implant denture.
• The materials used – Zirconia and titanium are the two most popular materials used to create the screw-like posts that fit securely into a person’s jawbone.
• The type of restoration needed – Whether it is a dental crown, a dental bridge, or a denture, the type of restoration will come with a price. Dental crowns are obviously much less expensive to create than dentures.
• The brand – Because every dental implant is different, Grand Dental – Lockport chooses the brand and manufacturer used. Although there are cheaper brands available, they often lack the durability and longevity of higher-quality ones.

How Dental Implants Can Save You Money

Dental implants may cost more upfront, but they are more cost-effective in the long run. When meeting with an implant dentist in Lockport, a patient can expect to learn how opting for these permanent prosthetics will save them money in the future. A few of the most obvious ways include:

• No denture adhesives are needed, as dental implants are surgically placed and positioned within the jawbone.
• No replacements or adjustments are required, as it is with dentures and dental bridges (typically every 7-10 years).
• No specialized cleaning products are required, as dental implants can be maintained with the same oral hygiene products used at home (aside from the need for non-abrasive toothpaste).

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

Depending on the insurance policy, some companies do provide coverage for dental implants. Most, however, do not. This is why it is beneficial for a patient to have a member of our dental team review their plan and identify alternative ways insurance can help pay for treatment. Even if the surgical component is not covered, the restoration, initial consultation, and preliminary treatment may be.

Making Dental Implants Affordable

To make receiving dental implants a more affordable treatment option, Grand Dental – Lockport is pleased to offer alternative payment options, such as:

• Flexible financing through CareCredit – This allows individuals to enroll in a low-to-no interest payment plan and keeps monthly payments well within the patient’s budget.
• Grand Advantage Plan – By paying one low, yearly fee, patients receive access to preventive services as well as discounts on all other available treatments.

How long do dental implants last?

With the proper care and maintenance, dental implants in Lockport have the capability to last 30 years or perhaps even longer. Sometimes, implant patients go the rest of their lives without needing replacement. In the end, the lifespan of implants is determined by how well you care for your teeth and gums. By keeping up excellent oral hygiene, eating healthy foods, wearing customized mouthguards, and following other tips, you can make your dental implants a worthwhile investment.

How successful are dental implants?

At Grand Dental, we encourage you to take the time to research various dentists and find one with optimal results. A qualified professional equipped and trained in dental implants will usually provide high success rates. Overall, initial implant placement is successful in 95% of cases, and this rate decreases only to 90% after 10 years. The care you dedicate to your smile will play an important role in how successful the implants are, and we’ll give you the instructions you need to keep your implants in good condition for the long term.

Am I too young to get dental implants?

Many dentists wait to place dental implants until after a patient reaches their late teens or early 20s. Before then, the jawbone is not fully developed, and placing these prosthetics too early can have serious, negative consequences. We encourage patients with tooth loss in this age group to pursue other solutions until it is safe for implants. Once you’ve reached mid to late 20s, we can revisit the idea of permanent prosthetics with implants.

Will I have to take off work for dental implant surgery?

Yes, dental implant placement requires taking time off from work. The number of days may vary depending on the number of the dental implants being placed. For one post, one day off of work may be sufficient. However, for a full arch, two or three days are necessary to recover from the surgery. To minimize the impact on your work schedule, our implant dentist in Lockport may recommend having the procedure toward the end of the week so that you can recover over the weekend, enabling you to avoid using precious time off or not getting paid altogether.