Long-Lasting Dental Implants

Dental implants are a revolutionary restorative dental procedure and the only permanent replacement option available for missing teeth. They restore your chewing and speaking ability and stabilize your jaw to preserve your facial structure and prevent tooth misalignment.

Learn more about the dental implant procedure and whether you are a candidate for this incredible tooth-replacement system at Scott J Owen DDS Cosmetic & Family Dentistry.

Dental Implants

In many cases, a removable denture, bridges, crowns, or other restorative procedures for your natural teeth aren’t the right solution for replacing gaps in your smile. This is because you may have suffered severe bone loss due to resorption, or your denture plate or bridge slips and causes problems with eating or speaking.

If you want a permanent replacement for your missing teeth, your dentist may recommend dental implant oral surgery. Scott J Owens DDS Cosmetic & Family Dentistry regularly help Farmington Hills, MI patients restore their smiles. In addition to diagnosing patients, we fabricate artificial teeth on-site as needed for dental implants and apply them after surgical placement procedures.

 

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Scott J Owens DDS Cosmetic & Family Dentistry is pleased to provide complete dental care to patients. To schedule a complimentary consultation, please call 248-626-0772 or complete our online consultation form.

How Do They Work?

Dental implants eliminate the problems associated with other dental appliances such as removable dentures, dental crowns, and bridges. An oral surgeon inserts the root form implant using three crucial components: a titanium post, an abutment (a metal ball located at the top of the post), and rubber O-rings. The root form implant post is surgically rooted in your jawbone and features screw-like threads to help the jawbone tissue fuse to the implant, providing a secure anchor for the restoration.

A single tooth artificial crown, a bridge, or denture plate is screwed onto the metal ball abutment – which rests on the gum line. The O-ring cushions the area between the restoration and the adjacent tissue and connective tissue of the gum line.

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What are the Different Kinds of Dental Implants?

There are two major kinds of dental implant surgery and different ways of implant positioning: endosteal implants and subperiosteal implants.

An endosteal implant is where a dental implant is drilled into your jawbone, securing your new prosthetic tooth to your jaw. An endosteal implant is the most common form of dental implant placement and has a high success rate, with 5-year survival rates often approaching 95%.

The second kind of dental implant surgery is subperiosteal implants. The oral surgeon places the implants into the gum’s soft tissue resting on the jawbone, adds artificial soft tissue, and sutures the gum closed. This type of implant reduces the likelihood of implant failure in patients who have weak or shallow jawbones.

It is also a highly effective method of dental implant placement, with a long-term implant survival and success rate of 89.6%.

Why Get Teeth Implants?

One of the main benefits of tooth implants is that the implant is inserted directly into the jawbone. Unlike other restorative appliances, implants don’t depend on adjacent teeth or nearby teeth for support, giving the restoration higher rates of comfort and success.

Aside from regular preventative dental care, dental implants require little to no maintenance other than normal oral hygiene because they’re designed to resemble natural teeth. You’ll have the freedom to smile, eat and speak naturally.

Most patients also feel that dental implants are more comfortable and easier to use than other restorative appliances like removable dentures. You do not need to remove the device at night; the implant won’t slip or move when eating your favorite foods, talking, or laughing.

There is also less wear and tear on your gums and jaw, which can lead to poor dental hygiene, painful bone healing periods, and clinical complications.

Dental implants have made enormous technological strides in recent decades, making them an even more attractive option. Dental implants typically have fewer complications than other restorative options, and with more varied dental implant systems, more patients are turning to dentists to provide implants.

What to Expect

The Scott J Owens DDS Cosmetic & Family Dentistry staff specializes in creating and applying tooth implants. Your dental implant procedure occurs over several months in multiple stages, starting with your initial consultation:

Initial consultation

Our dental professionals assess our Farmington Hills patients’ needs and determine whether or not they’re good candidates for implants. During your initial examination, your dentist performs 3D X-rays to better understand the state of your gum tissue and jawbone. Your dentist also uses computer-aided dental implant planning to better understand how the actual implant will look and fit in your mouth.

Your dentist can provide details on several of the opinions you have for dental implants, including:

  • A root form implant
  • Small-diameter implants
  • Orthodontic mini-implants
  • Compound implants (two-stage implants)
  • All-on-4 dental implants
  • Implant-supported bridge

They can also discuss the different implant materials, such as titanium or zirconium-covered screws. While titanium metal implants are biocompatible, some patients may have a metal allergy and need a ceramic implant option. Your dentist also details the different implant success rates and long-term implant survival.

Additional procedures for tooth and gum preparation

After discussing your options, your dentist might need additional procedures on your jawbone and gums. This may include removing existing teeth or dental roots. Other procedures you may also need include bone graft, osseointegration surgery, gum tissue graft, or periodontal flap surgery to treat gum disease.

These additional procedures require a lengthy healing time, often between 2 and 12 months. Depending on your progress, they may recommend immediate, immediate delayed, or delayed implants to give your jaw and gum time to heal.

Implant placement

Once your mouth has been prepared, your dentist begins the dental implant surgery. Your dentist incises your gum and embeds a titanium screw into a small hole in your jawbone and tops it with a healing abutment.

Your dental professional checks for primary stability to ensure the actual implant is in the correct place. With the implant in your bone, your dentist sutures closed the connective tissue, soft tissues, and gum tissue around the implant.

Recovery period

After your implant procedure, you will need some healing time. Successful implants often require 2-7 months of healing time for long-term success.

Your dentist monitors your progress at a follow-up appointment to check for alveolar nerve damage, bone healing, implant diseases, the health of adjacent tissue, and the regrowth of connective tissue. However, you should contact your dental professional immediately if you experience excessive bleeding, have a fever or the implant feels loose.

Your dentist also monitors the osseointegration to ensure the dental implant and the jawbone are properly fusing.

Restoration placement

When your implants have fully healed from your dental implant surgery and fused to your jawbone, your dentist takes digital impressions of the implant site to fabricate your dental crown.

While the construction of the artificial teeth takes place in-house at Scott J Owens DDS Cosmetic & Family Dentistry, the only step we don’t oversee is implant insertion. We refer our patients to only the most reputable surgeons or periodontists for placement surgery.

Is There a Risk of Surgical Complications?

Many patients are concerned about clinical complications with implants. The implant positioning is done surgically, and as with any surgical procedure, there could be complications.

Generally, the rates of implant surgery success are high, and the risk for complications is very low. Your dentist can take steps to further lower any chance of complications or implant diseases.

Some complications arise from a dental professional not having a complete enough picture of your mouth before your surgery. A 2017 review suggested that completing radiological exams, particularly cone-beam computed tomography, can help better understand the shape of the gums, jaw, and implant positioning.

The review highlighted the advantages these techniques gave for soft tissue management and helped the surgeon understand any potential issues with adjacent tissue and connective tissue.

Rates of implant success, implant positioning, and long-term implant survival can be improved, and the chance of complications can be reduced by choosing the implant that works best for your mouth.

For patients whose mouths are smaller or the gap between lost teeth is tighter, orthodontic mini-implants or small-diameter implants might better fit the smaller space.

All-on-4 dental implants are more suitable than individual implants for each tooth for patients who require a full dental arch replacement.

Patients with allergies or nerve damage who are at risk for clinical complications should also discuss different metals and different dental implant systems with their dentist.

All metals work well for dental implants, and all have high rates of implant success, but it is essential to discuss which is suitable for you.

One of the most critical areas of potential complications you may wish to discuss with your doctor is bone and tissue issues post-surgery, particularly those that impact implant survival rates and cause further tooth loss.

A 1992 pilot study discovered the use of different bone and tissue covering membranes, particularly semipermeable expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE). They could also help give better evidence of osseointegration and improve implant positioning, particularly with the initial stability of the titanium screws, with shorter healing times and a lower chance of complications.

Are Dental Implants Right for You?

Dr. Owens is dedicated to providing personalized dental care every step of the way. We’ll work with you to help you achieve the best results for your dental implant crowns. While dental implants are an excellent option for most patients who have damaged or missing teeth, some oral conditions could make some patients less ideal for the procedure if you don’t meet certain criteria for success.

Patients with periodontal disease, commonly known as gum disease, and patients with alveolar nerve damage, might have complications with implant positioning. This could affect the rate of implant success, and conventional dentures might be a better option.

If the gum tissue is damaged or the jawbone is weak or thin, it could cause problems with bone healing. While it is possible to rebuild bone and gums using adjacent tissue, soft tissue management procedures, and osseointegration surgery, it is not right for every patient.

Your dental surgeon helps you determine if you are a candidate for successful implants and what the long-term success and quality of life with implants would look like for you.

While most patients prefer the feel of titanium screws and an artificial crown's natural appearance, some patients prefer traditional removable dentures to replace their lost teeth.

Several health conditions may preclude you from receiving dental implants. Patients with autoimmune diseases, leukemia, blood clotting disorders, and those receiving radiation therapy for cancer treatment may be eligible for dental implants.

These conditions can disrupt the healing process, adversely impacting post-surgical osseointegration and increasing the risk of implant failure.

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Get High-Quality Dental Implants at Scott J Owens DDS Cosmetic & Family Dentistry

Your dentist is your guide to implants, dental implant use, and dental implant systems. They can give you the information you need to understand which type of procedure is best for you and help you make the best decisions for your oral health.

Make an appointment with Scott J Owens DDS Cosmetic & Family Dentistry today to discuss your missing teeth replacement options. We are proud to provide complete dental care to patients to improve your quality of life. Please call (248) 626-0772 or complete our online form to schedule a consultation.


Scott J Owens DDS Cosmetic & Family Dentists

Convenient Hours
Monday
8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Tuesday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Wednesday off
Thursday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Friday 7 a.m.-1 p.m.

2nd Saturday of month 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

32931 Middlebelt Rd. Suite #608
Farmington Hills, MI 48334