Dental Implants in Chicago

What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are customized prosthetics that fuse with the jawbone to establish a solid foundation for new smiles. Highly versatile in their ability to treat all types of tooth loss, they can support crowns, bridges, and dentures, delivering optimal bite force for improved eating habits, greater speech clarity to eliminate slurring, and superior confidence that is evident when surrounded by others.

The 4-Step Dental Implant Process

When seeking Dr. Mahler’s help to address your tooth loss, you should not expect your treatment plan to be the same as someone else’s. However, you can prepare to go through the same four-step process that is required for all dental implant patients:

• Initial Dental Implant Consultation – You will meet with Dr. Mahler to discuss the status of your oral and overall health and jawbone density. Based on his thorough examination and digital images taken of your oral and facial structures, he will determine if you can receive dental implants right away or if you must wait, as additional treatments may be necessary (i.e., bone grafting, gum disease treatment, etc.).
• Dental Implant Surgery – Dr. Mahler will create a surgical guide that will be used during the placement process; however, he will work closely with an implant dentist who will perform the actual oral surgery.
• Dental Implant Osseointegration/Abutment – Once your dental implants are firmly in place, osseointegration will occur, fusing the implants with the bone. After 4-6 months of healing, you will receive the metal connectors (abutments) that will fit over your implants and help hold your restoration in place.
• Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s) – The final step is receiving your custom restoration. This may be a crown, bridge, or denture depending on how many of your teeth need to be replaced.

Benefits of Dental Implants

Since more than half a million dental implants are placed every year, they are quickly becoming one of the most popular tooth replacement options available. Because of the unique way they are placed inside the jawbone, these remarkable prosthetic dental devices can deliver a range of significant benefits that traditional dentures and bridges cannot match. Here’s a brief overview of only a few of the ways in which dental implants from Smile 312 can improve your health and quality of life, but please contact our office if you’d like to learn more.

Day-to-Day Benefits

Dental implants can significantly improve your day-to-day life in ways like:

• Allowing you to chew all sorts of foods so you can enjoy a diverse and interesting diet that includes tough and crunchy items like steak, corn-on-the-cob, and snappy raw veggies.
• Being easy to brush and floss, meaning that they do not require the elaborate soaking and cleaning rituals needed by traditional dentures.
• Giving you the confidence you need to smile proudly at friends, family, and coworkers.
• Holding their place securely in the mouth to ensure that they do not slip or fall out of your mouth during speech, which can help you avoid embarrassing situations.

Health Benefits

Dental implants also offer a number of impressive benefits for your oral and overall health like:

• Providing your jawbone with the exercise it needs to stay healthy and strong for life.
• Supporting the neighboring teeth so they do not drift out of alignment.
• Allowing you to enjoy the varied and nutritious diet your body needs for optimal health.
• Remaining securely in place in your mouth, which can prevent dental injuries and soft tissue irritation caused by an appliance sliding around on the gums.
• Simple hygiene requirements make it easy to prevent oral infections like tooth decay and gum disease.

Long-Term Benefits

Dental benefits can significantly improve your life in the long run in ways such as:

• Boasting a 95% success rate even ten years after placement, which makes them a sound investment in your appearance and oral health.
• Lasting for several decades or even a lifetime if they receive excellent care and hygiene.
• Giving you the confidence you need to broadcast a positive image in the professional world, which can lead to lucrative new job opportunities and promotions.
• Saving you thousands of dollars over the decades by negating the need for expensive replacement appliances that would be necessary for patients with traditional dentures and bridges.

Who Dental Implants Can Help

Whether you are missing one tooth or an entire arch of teeth, you can expect that Dr. Mahler and our team will work hard to rebuild your smile. If you’re interested in doing so with dental implants, then we will conduct a comprehensive oral exam to determine if you’re a good candidate for this state-of-the-art tooth-replacement solution. Of course, if you want to learn more on the topic of who dental implants can help in the meantime, you can also read on.Read More

Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

As we mentioned above, we need to conduct a comprehensive oral exam in order to determine if you’re a good candidate for dental implants. That starts with taking X-rays and extends to assessing the health of your gums and any remaining teeth you have. With the information we gather, we can determine whether you can move forward with oral surgery right away or if you must wait. Many patients require additional treatment because of gum disease, bone resorption, or even severe decay. But there is no need to worry, as we will make sure you fully understand the timeline for your treatment as well as what must be done to create a healthier environment for your dental implants.

Missing One Tooth

One way to replace a single tooth is with a traditional dental bridge. Another way is with a single dental implant! If you decide this is the best treatment for you, then we will prepare a plan that uses one dental implant post as well as a customized crown. Its placement within the socket will not only fill the gap but also improve the way you eat, speak, and smile.

Missing Multiple Teeth

If you are missing two or more consecutive teeth in a row, an implant bridge can be put into place so that none of your remaining healthy teeth are altered. In that case, our implant dentist in Chicago will focus solely on the vacant sockets, placing two implant posts for optimal support. They’ll then position and secure the custom bridge in place to complete your smile.

Missing All Teeth

To treat an entire row of missing teeth, we can turn to implant dentures that consist of 4-6 implant posts that support a customized denture. Requiring no natural suction or messy adhesives, this form of treatment remains in place because of the fusing of your implants with the bone tissues. Once healed, a complete denture will be secured so that you can begin to experience life with a full set of teeth again.

Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants

It is natural for the cost of dental implants to be a concern. Price is often the first thing patients think about when learning they need some form of dental care. But at Smile 312 Chicago's Premier Dentist, Dr. Mahler will remind you of the investment you are making in your smile when choosing dental implants. Instead of paying for denture adhesives and regular replacements every few years, you’ll enjoy a smile that lasts longer and eliminates the worry that often comes with other forms of tooth replacement. Our team will work to maximize your available benefits so that you can worry less about the cost of your care.