Dental Implants — Metairie, LA
Long-Term, Natural-Looking Tooth Replacement
Whether you are missing just one, a couple, or even all of your teeth, gaps in your smile can truly be a daily burden. People with missing teeth are often self-conscious about them, preventing them from enjoying their favorite foods and leading to additional oral concerns. People with missing teeth are much more likely to develop gum disease and bite alignment problems, both of which can lead to even more tooth loss! To avoid this litany of issues, the best thing to do is always replace missing teeth, and the best way to do this, by far, is with dental implants. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Nelson and our team today to learn more.
Why Choose Nelson Dental Care For Dental Implants?
- Partners with Local Expert Oral Surgeons
- Additional Financing Through CareCredit Available
- Providing Trustworthy & Honest Dental Care
What are Dental Implants?
A dental implant is a small titanium post that is placed directly into the jawbone in order to restore the root structure of a lost tooth. This can then be used to support a variety of restorations that can replace everything from a single tooth to an entire smile. Since these implants are anchored directly into the jawbone, they provide these new teeth with unrivaled stability and chewing power. Dental implants are truly special because they are the only treatment that can do this!
The 4-Step Dental Implant Process
Receiving dental implants involves a much longer and more intricate process than traditional dentures or bridges, but these amazing prosthetic devices can deliver a range of incredible benefits that conventional dental restorations cannot. At Nelson Dental Care, we are proud to partner with the best oral surgeons in the area to ensure that our patients receive top-quality care and achieve magnificent results. Here’s a brief guide to how dental implants are placed, but feel free to contact our Metairie office on the web if you’d like to know more.
Initial Dental Implant Consultation
During your consultation, our team at Nelson Dental Care will speak with you about your medical history and goals for the treatment and conduct a thorough examination of your smile. Based on our observations, we’ll outline a treatment plan and walk you through it so you know what to expect. Once you consent to moving forward with the plan, we’ll refer you to our trusted oral surgeon to schedule your implant placement surgery. We’ll also be happy to help you navigate your insurance policy and financing options so you can find the best way to fit your treatment into your budget.
Dental Implant Surgery
We partner with an expert, local oral surgeon for this part of the process. The procedure will begin with you receiving an appropriate anesthetic to ensure that you feel no pain and possibly sedation treatment if you need extra help remaining still and calm throughout the surgery. When you are ready, your oral surgeon will carefully insert your implants into your jawbone and close your gum tissue around them. They’ll then place protective caps on the posts to prevent injuries during the healing process.
Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment
The following three to six months after your surgery, your implants will fuse with the jawbone through a process called osseointegration. Once this is completed, our team will attach small metal connector pieces called abutments to the implants through a minor surgical procedure. After you’ve healed from this treatment, we’ll be ready to take bite impressions to provide the data necessary to craft your final restorations.
Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s)
When we receive your final restoration, we’ll secure it to your abutments to complete your smile. After fixing your crown, bridge, or denture in place, we will check to make sure it fits and make any final adjustments. When we’re sure your new bite is functional and comfortable, you’ll be ready to show your new smile off to the world.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Dental implants offer a wide range of benefits, from a lifespan of over three decades to a natural look and feel. Because your implants restore the entire structure of missing teeth, they’re able to stop jawbone deterioration, preserve your facial structure, and offer a wide range of advantages over their traditional counterparts. Ultimately, these benefits make them the gold standard for tooth replacement.
Who Dental Implants Can Help
We start each of our treatments with a thorough oral evaluation and consultation, spending time to answer any of your questions or concerns and outlining what your journey will look like moving towards a complete smile.
Missing One Tooth
Dr. Nelson will restore a single missing tooth with an implant crown. He’ll place an all-porcelain crown onto the abutment to make the replacement tooth look completely natural. Dental porcelain is an amazing material because it can replicate a tooth’s shape, size, color, strength, and even feel!
Missing Multiple Teeth
Dr. Nelson can use two implant-retained crowns to support a bridge. Instead of needing to anchor your bridge to your healthy existing teeth, we can secure the restoration to two dental implants placed at either edge of the gap in your smile. This makes the process of restoring consecutive missing teeth less invasive.
Missing All Teeth
Implant dentures are anchored directly into the jawbone just like natural teeth, giving them a stability that traditional dentures simply can’t match. They’ll also maintain their fit for much longer than normal dentures, and they even restore up to 80% of your natural bite power, allowing you to eat a wider variety of foods with confidence.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants
With dental implants, patients who previously had to settle for unfortunate lifestyle changes are once again able to resume their normal habits. That’s because it’s the crème de la crème of tooth replacement. While they may have a higher up-front cost than traditional restorative treatments, they’re able to last up to four times longer, allowing you to save money in the long-run, all while enjoying a large list of life-changing benefits. Call us today to schedule a consultation and receive a detailed cost estimate for restoring your smile.
Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery
Before undergoing dental implant placement, Dr. Nelson will conduct a thorough examination of your mouth and medical history, being sure to capture any necessary diagnostic imaging. This allows our team to determine whether you need preparatory procedures to ensure the success of your new smile. For some, this could include receiving a bone graft, sinus lift, or ridge augmentation before your placement surgery can be scheduled. These can all incur separate costs outside of your smile restoration but are crucial to the long-term enjoyment of your replacement teeth.
The Parts of Your Dental Implant
The cost of your procedure can be impacted by several different factors, such as:
- The number of dental implants you need will be determined by how many missing teeth you have and their locations. While it can only take one dental implant to replace a single tooth, if you’re missing an entire arch, you can require anywhere from four to eight.
- The type of restoration you require will also affect the cost. Typically, smaller restorations like crowns are less expensive.
- Materials that your dental implants are crafted from, whether you choose zirconia or titanium, have different costs.
How Dental Implants Can Save You Money
In the world of tooth replacement, dental implants in Metairie stand in a class of their own. That’s because no other procedure comes close to dental implants when it comes to reliability, longevity (they can last 30 years or more), the restoration of your natural functions and smile aesthetics. Thus, investing in dental implants is an all-around win!
Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?
It’s important to keep in mind that dental insurance coverage can differ greatly from plan to plan, which is why we recommend checking with your provider first to see if your benefits will apply to your treatment. Our team is in-network with a number of major insurance companies, from Aetna to Delta Dental, and we’re adept at helping patients maximize their coverage by filing claims on their behalf. So, you can expect us to do our best to minimize your out-of-pocket costs and help you save!
Making Dental Implants Affordable
In addition to being in-network with a number of dental insurance plans, we also offer other easy ways to pay. CareCredit and Lending Point are two trusted third-party financers that offer patients little to no interest monthly payment plans. This way, you can split the cost of your treatment into more manageable amounts.
Dental Implant FAQs
Perhaps after reading all of the above information on dental implants, you’re considering getting them, but you still have a few questions. After all, implants are quite an investment in your smile. Not to worry; we have gathered some of the most commonly asked questions below and answered them for your convenience. If you have a query that you don’t see answered here, feel free to contact us at Nelson Dental Care and ask.
Why do I need a bone graft?
Some people need a bone grafting procedure before they can receive dental implants in Metairie. This is because when you’ve been undergoing tooth loss, your jawbone begins to deteriorate. It no longer receives stimulation from your natural tooth roots, leaving it to atrophy. As a result, your jawbone is no longer strong enough to accommodate dental implants. Bone grafting solves this problem. By grafting artificial bone tissue onto your jawbone, it will ensure that it has the strength to support as many implants as you need.
What causes implant failure?
Smoking is one of the biggest causes of implant failure in the first few months after implant placement. This is because smoking (or chewing) tobacco significantly slows down the oral healing process, which is crucial to your implant becoming one with your jawbone. We highly suggest quitting smoking before considering dental implants.
The other main cause of implant failure is infections within either the bone or soft tissue in the mouth. Having uncontrolled diabetes or gum disease can greatly increase your risk of implant failure. That’s why Dr. Nelson, your dentist in Metairie, recommends getting those conditions managed before undergoing implant placement surgery.
Does it hurt to get dental implants?
The vast majority of patients report only a minimal amount of discomfort with their procedure. In fact, many prefer implant placement to having a tooth extracted. However, as with any kind of oral surgery, you can expect some degree of swelling and discomfort for a few days afterwards. This can be managed by applying a cold compress to the area and/or taking over-the-counter pain medications as directed on the bottle.
After implant surgery, can I return to work?
The answer to this question depends on the complexity of your case. If your surgery is relatively small, such as getting a single implant, then you might just be able to resume your day as normal afterwards. If, however, your case is more complex, we might recommend taking a couple of days to rest and recuperate before returning to work.
How long do dental implants last?
Implants are designed to easily last for at least 30 years. They can last longer, even for the rest of your life, if you take proper care of them, which involves regular brushing, flossing, and checkups and cleanings with Dr. Nelson.