Some people take their ability to share a beautiful smile with the world for granted. But when you lose a tooth or multiple teeth to disease or accident you may suddenly be too self-conscious to even show your teeth. That’s where dental implants from your local family dentist can help. We give the confidence of a perfect smile back to our Geneseo, IL, patients, along with providing exceptional dental care. We’re proud to provide dental implants as one of the many dental solutions we offer.
What Are Dental Implants?
A dental implant is a small, screw-shaped titanium post that is surgically inserted into your jawbone where a missing tooth used to be. After it’s inserted, Dr. Wachtel tops the implant with a lifelike crown that’s custom-made to match your existing natural teeth. You can use dental implants to replace several missing teeth or a single tooth. They are one of the most effective ways to replace teeth, providing a convenient, highly effective, and long-lasting solution. Given time to heal, the post integrates with your jawbone to act like the roots of a tooth. With a success rate of 95 percent, dental implants can last a lifetime if properly cared for.
How Are Dental Implants Used?
Your local family dentist uses dental implants to replace one or multiple teeth, and at Wachtel Dentistry we can even use implants to give you a set of removable or fixed implant-supported dentures. Depending on your specific needs, we may opt for any of the following types of implants.
Single Tooth Implant — This is the most basic form of the procedure, where we use one implant to replace one tooth. A crown then goes on top to simulate an actual tooth. We can use a number of implants to replace different specific teeth throughout the mouth. Although the initial cost for this treatment may be a little higher than other options, you will save money in the end as your dental implant will never decay or need root canal treatment. The new implant with crown will allow you to chew and eat normally as if you had an actual tooth.
- Multiple Tooth Implant — Our family dentist also uses the same type of implant procedure to replace multiple teeth by utilizing an implant-supported bridge. Using this method, Dr. Wachtel can replace three teeth with only two implants. Dr. Wachtel can insert an implant on each side of the gap and utilize a crown in between. This crown is supported by the implants on each side so a third implant is not needed. Additionally, you won’t need to use any of your healthy teeth as bridge supports either which prevents weakening them and making them more apt to have tooth decay.
- Implant-Supported Dentures: Taking the implant one step further, Dr. Wachtel can use implants to support a full set of upper or lower teeth. To do this, we’ll use four to six implants to support the row of teeth depending on the health of your jawbone. Your dentures can either be fixed into place or we can create removable dentures. Implant-supported dentures place less pressure on your jawbone and won’t slip out of place.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Whether you’ve lost your tooth because of a disease, you’ve had irreparable tooth decay, or your mouth has suffered some kind of trauma or accident, dental implants can be a successful solution. Besides leaving a gap in your smile, there are many health and visual benefits to replacing that gap with a highly-functioning dental implant, including:
- Improves confidence. This is the most obvious one, but having a healthy, beautiful smile can give you the confidence that can positively affect many areas of your life.
- Tooth-matching: We can custom shape and color-match the replacement tooth to perfectly match the look of your natural teeth.
- Long-lasting: With proper care, dental implants can last a lifetime.
- Fuses to bone: Your dental implant will fuse to your jaw bone, giving you seamless support for your new tooth.
- Improves speech: You may not realize it, but losing a tooth can affect the way you speak.
- Maintains bone strength: Losing a tooth can cause your other teeth to shift into the open space, weakening your jaw and contributing to bone loss.
- Protects jaw health: Because they fuse to the jawbone, they disperse bite force more effectively, protecting you from bone loss.
- Protects surrounding teeth: Having a full set of teeth helps each tooth protect the others, preventing damage that can occur to teeth next to an empty gap.
- Enjoy favorite foods. Having a full set of teeth will allow you to eat the same foods that you loved before you lost a tooth.
How Do You Care for Your Dental Implants?
At Wachtel Dentistry, caring for your oral health is our number one concern. That’s why we make sure we send you home with specific and effective care instructions after the procedure. Essentially, you'll care for your replacement teeth the same way you care for your normal teeth: brush and floss twice a day, maintain a healthy diet, and visit our Geneseo family dentist office for regular checkups and exams. Excessive biting forces can occur from a habit of grinding or clenching your teeth. If you happen to do this, we’ll recommend a nightguard to you so that you can protect your implants. With proper oral hygiene and conscientious care, your implants will last you a lifetime of beautiful smiles!
Contact Your Geneseo Family Dentist Today!
If you’re ready to prep that smile for its next big appearance, we encourage you to contact us at 309-944-5191. You can also schedule an appointment online at your convenience. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you attain a beautiful smile!