Dental Implants Corpus Christi

Day-to-Day Benefits

• Ability to eat the foods you love - Dental implants are permanently anchored to your jaw. That means that, unlike traditional dentures, you won’t have to worry about your new teeth slipping when you’re trying to eat and speak.
• Reduced risk of tooth decay & gum disease – Instead of worrying about cleaning a separate prosthetic, you can clean your dental implants using the same oral hygiene products. The only difference is to use non-abrasive toothpaste, as this will avoid scratches to your restorations.
• Create a more youthful appearance – Because of how dental implants fit within the bone structure, they offer continuous stimulation to prevent facial sagging. This, as a result, helps to keep your smile and face more youthful over time.

Health Benefits

• Your healthy teeth remain in place – When tooth loss occurs, nearby healthy teeth may try to shift to cover the space. However, dental implants help to avoid the potential of dental drift and the possibility of future orthodontic treatment.
• Continuous jawbone stimulation – Since the implants are inserted directly into your jawbone, they can provide the stimulation that normally comes from your natural teeth. This lowers the risk of bone loss and helps you maintain a stronger, healthier jaw.
• No need for tooth altering – An implant dentist will only work within your gums and jawbone, never will they touch healthy teeth. Fixed bridges may require altering abutment teeth to serve as anchors for the prosthetic, but dental implants allow you to keep more of your natural smile.

Long-Term Benefits

• Proven success rate – Patients who are leery about the success of dental implant placement will be pleased to learn that when placed by a skilled professional, these prosthetics have a 90-95% success rate upon initial placement.
• Can last for decades – Dental implants can last for decades – or even the rest of a patient’s life – with minimal maintenance.
• You can save money – Any type of tooth replacement will be costly; however, if you want to save more in the long run, there’s no better option than dental implants. As a cost-effective investment, you can avoid the high cost of denture adhesives over time as well as frequent replacements and adjustments.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

If you are a healthy adult, there is a good chance that dental implants will work for you! Here are the three main things we consider when determining if you are a good candidate for the procedure:

• Good Overall Health: Placing dental implants requires a surgical procedure, so you need to be in good enough health to undergo minor surgery. 
• Great Oral Health: If you have an issue like a cavity or gum disease, your dental implants are more likely to fail, so they’ll need to be addressed first.
• Adequate Jawbone Density: You need to have a strong jawbone to support dental implants for your treatment to be successful. 

If you don’t make a good candidate for dental implants right away, don’t fret. They could still be an option for you in the future. Many patients end up needing to complete preliminary treatments, like extractions, gum disease therapy, or bone grafting, before getting dental implants. We can help to schedule these procedures to get you on track towards restoring your smile.

Missing One Tooth

One dental implant post can be placed in the gap left by a missing tooth. Once the area around it has healed, it can support a dental crown that has been personalized to blend in with the rest of the patient’s smile. Implant crowns are often recommended over traditional bridges because they don’t require the removal of enamel.

Missing Multiple Teeth

When three or more teeth in a row are missing, they can be replaced simultaneously with two implant posts and a bridge. The crowns at either end of the bridge will rest on the implant posts while the pontics (false teeth) between them fill in the rest of the gap.

Missing All Teeth

When all of the teeth in a single arch are missing, there’s no need to get a dental implant post for each of them. Four to six implants can be placed throughout the jaw to support a full set of new teeth. Unlike traditional dentures, an implant denture can be designed to stay in the mouth permanently, letting you brush and floss your new teeth like you would your original ones.

Alternatively, you may be a candidate for All-On-4 dental implants! This method is ideal for patients who have inadequate jawbone density. As the name implies, this option anchors a full denture securely in place with just four strategically placed dental implants. 

Learn More About All-On-4 Dental Implants Learn More About Implant Dentures

Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery

In some cases, patients need to undergo preliminary procedures before they are able to get dental implants. This can include things like gum disease treatment, tooth extractions, bone grafting, and other services. It is important to consider the cost of these procedures if they apply to you. Fortunately, the cost of many preliminary procedures is often partially covered by dental insurance. Just keep in mind that every plan is different, so it is best to contact your provider ahead of time to confirm your coverage.

The Parts of Your Dental Implant

There are several factors that play a role in the cost of your dental treatment. Here are the main ones that are considered:

• Number of Implants: The number of teeth that you are missing and where they are located in the mouth will determine the number of dental implants you require. The more dental implants, the higher the cost.
• Type of Restoration: Dental crowns, bridges, and dentures are all at different price points. In most cases, the smaller the restoration, the lower the cost.
• Materials Used: Dental implants are usually made from surgical titanium. However, they can also be crafted from zirconia.
• Brand of Implants: Just like other products, dental implants come from a variety of manufacturers. This will influence the cost.

How Dental Implants Can Save You Money

It is tempting to try to save money on your replacement teeth by choosing another option, like dentures. Traditional dentures are effective at replacing teeth, and they are a great option for some, but they don’t provide the same benefits that dental implants do. Dental implants can actually help you save money in the long run because you won’t have to pay for frequent repairs and replacements every few years. Buying adhesives and soaking solutions isn’t necessary either. Because dental implants help to prevent serious oral health issues from developing, you may be able to avoid costly restorative treatments down the line.

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants

In most situations, dental insurance doesn’t cover the cost of dental implants. However, there are some exceptions to keep in mind. Parts of the final restoration and preliminary procedures are often covered. However, every plan is a little bit different, so it is best to double-check with your provider ahead of time. We would also be happy to help you with this process. At South Texas Periodontics & Implants, we are willing to accept any dental insurance plan that offers coverage for periodontal treatment and dental implant care.

How to Make Dental Implants Affordable

If you don’t have dental insurance, this doesn’t mean that you will be left completely on your out. With proper credit approval, patients can get their dental implants for as low as $199 a month! We are also happy to accept payments through CareCredit – a third-party financing company that can split the cost of your treatment into manageable monthly installments with little to no interest. To learn more about your financial options, don’t hesitate to reach out to one of our friendly team members.

Cone Beam 3D Imaging

Our cone beam 3D scanner, or CBCT for short, is an advanced digital imaging device that allows our team to capture a full, detailed blueprint of your entire facial structure. All you need to do is rest your chin on a small platform and press your forehead up against a plate. Within about 30 seconds, the scanner will rotate around your head 360 degrees and capture hundreds of two-dimensional X-ray images from countless angles. Those images are then reconstructed to create a complete 3D model of your head and neck area to show our team the location of your facial bones, nerves, sinuses, and more.

The detailed scan captured by the CBCT imaging device can then be utilized by Dr. Garcia to create a detailed treatment plan for the placement of your dental implants.

Guided Dental Implant Surgery

There are two techniques providers can use for the surgical placement of your dental implants, freehand placement, which is where your provider takes an educated guess on the best place to secure your dental implants. The other technique is guided dental implant surgery. This involves creating a custom surgical guide based on your CBCT scan that shows your periodontist in Corpus Christi the ideal places and depths within the jawbone to place your dental implants.

Guided implant surgery leads to better outcomes, including a lower risk of dental implant failure and post-operative complications.

Digital Impression System

Instead of utilizing putty to capture an impression of the gums after the dental implants are placed, our team will use a special, more precise device called a digital impression system. This technology uses a hand-held wand with a camera on the end of it to scan the mouth and create a photorealistic digital rendering. Our team can then send this image off to a dental laboratory or partnering provider to craft your prosthetic to fit perfectly and closely resemble your natural teeth.

Make Oral Hygiene a Priority

True enough, implants are cavity-proof – their materials don’t erode like enamel. Still, the fact is that you should clean them daily. Failing to do so will lead to long-term problems.

Implants don’t exist in isolation; they’re set next to your natural teeth and gums. As a result, they can be affected by nearby oral issues. Should you get gum disease, the resulting gum recession could loosen your implant. It’d then erode the bone tissue supporting the prosthetic.

Thankfully, you can avoid such implant threats with proper oral hygiene. In particular, just brush twice daily, floss once daily, and rinse with mouthwash often.

Eat a Healthy Diet

Dental implants generally let you eat as you please, but they still have limits. They’ll last longer if you stick to a mouth-healthy diet.

The truth is that some foods are risky for implants. For example, hard foods like pretzels and nuts can chip them. Meanwhile, sticky and sugary things can wedge between implants and decay nearby teeth. These items would then cause oral issues known to trigger implant failure.

In contrast, foods with mouth-healthy nutrients help implants endure. Products with calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin C, especially, will prevent gum disease and strengthen your jaw.

Break Bad Habits

While implants are durable, bad oral habits can cause them to break or fail. As such, you should quit such practices before or soon after treatment.

Take smoking, for instance. Tobacco slows your recovery from implant surgery. It also encourages gum disease, which can trigger implant failure. So, stop this habit at least two weeks before implant placement.

Another habit to quit is chewing hard objects. The action can chip your implants, whether you’re biting a pencil, ice cubes, or your fingernails.

Protect Your Dental Implants

Implants can endure a lot. Still, they aren’t indestructible; they can and will get damaged with enough force. Therefore, protect them with good dental tools.

The best approach for this protection is to wear an oral appliance. With a sports mouthguard, you could protect your restoration from sports-related injuries.  Meanwhile, using a nightguard while you sleep would prevent wear and tear from bruxism.

Schedule Regular Dental Checkups

However careful you are, you can’t care for implants alone. There will inevitably be issues you miss. So, try to attend dental checkups and cleanings every six months. Professional care will offer further protection.

Don’t forget: checkups and cleanings stop threats to your implants. After all, they assess your mouth and treat minor issues before they worsen. In doing so, they keep your implants safe.

Bone Grafting

After the loss of natural teeth, the jawbone starts to deteriorate. It becomes thinner and weaker over time. If, because of such deterioration, your jawbone is not strong enough or thick enough to support dental implants, you may need to undergo a bone graft. There are different types of bone grafts, but basically, the procedure goes like this:

• We administer sedation and/or anesthesia to make you comfortable.
• We make incisions in the gums in order to access the underlying bone.
• We add bone material to the jaw. This may come from another part of your body, a human donor, or an animal. In some cases, it is possible to use synthetic bone material. Sometimes, we add small blocks of bones. In other instances, we add bone granules.
• Once the bone is in place, we close the incisions so you can start the healing process.

In some cases, dental implants can be placed during the same appointment as a bone graft. More often, though, a waiting period of a few months is necessary between the two procedures. This allows time for the graft to fully integrate with the surrounding tissue.

Sinus Lift

A sinus lift is a special type of bone graft. It is for patients whose upper jaw is not thick enough for dental implants. Without adding bone to the jaw, implants may penetrate the sinus membrane above, which could lead to pain and other complications.

You may need a sinus lift if it has been some time since you lost your natural teeth, your upper jawbone is naturally thin, or you have suffered injuries that have affected the health of your upper jaw.

The procedure itself is pretty straightforward. We carefully access the sinus membrane from below and gently move it upward. Then, we place a bone graft beneath it to keep it in its new place. The gums are closed over the incision cite.

The soft tissue at the site of a sinus lift heals fairly quickly. However, it may take 4 – 9 months for the bone to recover to the point where it is capable of supporting dental implants.

Advanced dental implant procedures could be the key to a successful tooth replacement journey! Our team can give you more details about these services if we determine that they will be a necessary part of your treatment plan.