Our Most Popular Dental Implants FAQs Answered

When it comes to replacing your missing teeth, you will want to go with an option that not only helps you feel secure with your restorations but one that looks natural and provides amazing benefits! One of our top choices for patients who have missing teeth is dental implants. Dental implants give your restorations something to secure themselves to, providing you with a completely natural looking and functioning smile. You won’t even remember that you have dental implants it feels so natural. Since dental implants are one of our top treatments in Birmingham, we have tons of questions from our patients. If you have some questions of your own, read through our most popular dental implants FAQs to find the answers. Visit Maniscalco Cosmetic & General Dentistry to have more questions answered by our dentist today.

What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are a restorative dentistry procedure that provides patients with a false tooth root. This is done with a titanium screw that is surgically inserted into the jaw. Your dentist can then attach a dental crown, bridge or dentures to be secured by the dental implants. Implants are the top solution for replacing missing teeth as they provide the most natural solution.

Am I a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

When it comes to being a good candidate for dental implants, there are a few requirements. First, the patient must have sufficient bone mass in their jaw for the implant to be secured in place. If the patient doesn’t, they must undergo a bone graft first. We also require that the patient has healthy gums and remaining teeth if applicable. Patients should also not be smokers or have certain diseases that may interrupt the healing process. Schedule a consultation at our Birmingham dentist office to find out if dental implants are right for you.

What are the Benefits of Dental Implants?

If you want to experience as many benefits as possible with your tooth replacements, dental implants are the right solution for you. The first benefit of dental implants is that your replacement teeth are secured to your jaw like a natural tooth. This allows your jaw to continue to produce bone mass which prevents your face from drooping or premature aging. Another benefit is that you will be able to eat and smile with the security of knowing your restoration won’t fall out of your mouth.  You can feel confident that your dental implant is there to stay and hold your replacement tooth in place. This can be life changing for patients who have had dentures for a large portion of their life. Another benefit is that dental implants can last you for the rest of your life! This means you don’t have to worry about replacing that implant.

Are there Any Disadvantages of Dental Implants?

Of course with a minor procedure comes the risk of inflammation, infection and even pain. Before your procedure, our Birmingham dentist will discuss all of the potential risks with you. Another disadvantage of dental implants is that there is a small chance that your body rejects them. It’s hard to know if this will happen. We recommend that our patients try to take as good care of their dental health as possible to avoid this from happening.

What is the Success Rate of Dental Implants?

With dental implants, surgery comes a pretty high success rate! Currently, dental implants are being placed with a 90-95% success rate. If we think there is a chance that your dental implants will fail, we will most likely deny the surgery.

How Long Do Dental Implants Last?

Fortunately, dental implants are not prone to the same problems as natural teeth. You cannot get cavities or dental diseases like decay, this helps your dental implants last longer. If you want your dental implants to last you for the rest of your life, your gum health depends on it. This means you need to do everything in your power to avoid gum disease. With proper home care and regular checkups with our Birmingham dentist will ensure that your dental implants last you the rest of your life. Of course, every patient is different but we will do everything in our power to help your implants last longer.

What is All-On-4?

When researching dental implants, you might have come across something called “All-On-4”. This is the procedure where 4 dental implants can be used to replace an entire jaw of missing teeth. In other words, your dentures can be connected to your jaw with only 4 dental implants. This is an ideal solution for patients with entire mouths of missing teeth or those who have been living with dentures for years but would like to have a more secure solution in their mouth. It’s also beneficial for patients who don’t have much bone mass in their jaw. This procedure doesn’t require as much bone mass as individual dental implants around the mouth.

What is the Dental Implants Procedure Like?

Your dental implants procedure will be split into a few parts. The first part is the consultation and planning. First, our Birmingham dentist will evaluate if dental implants are the right solution for you. This will require a complete dental exam with x-rays and a CT scan. This is necessary to see if you have the bone mass available and to see if your mouth is healthy. Once given the green light, our dentist will start to plan how the surgery will happen and where the implants will be inserted. Once the planning is complete, our dentist will schedule your surgery.

During your surgery, you can request for sedation dentistry to help you relax if you wish. Our dentist will numb up your mouth so you don’t feel a thing. From there, he will surgically insert the dental implants. He may attach a temporary crown, bridge or dentures to the implants following surgery. From there, you will need to wait a few months for the swelling to go down and for your mouth to be completely healed. Once it’s healed, we can attach your permanent crown, bridge or dentures to the implants.

How Can I Get Started with Dental Implants?

If you’re interested in receiving dental implants in Birmingham, please give our dental office a call or fill out our online form to schedule an appointment. We’re happy to answer any additional questions you have about dental implants that may not have been covered in these dental implants FAQs.