Dental Implants — Worcester, MA

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

You will first meet with your dentist for an initial consultation. It is during this visit that they will use advanced dental technology and equipment to examine your smile and determine if your jawbone is dense enough to support your dental implants. If it appears weakened in certain areas, you may need a bone graft or sinus lift depending on the location of your missing teeth. Our team can perform these advanced procedures to ensure your oral cavity and facial structures are better equipped to support your future implants.

Dental Implant Surgery

The dental implant procedure is really quite straightforward. After administering a local anesthetic, your implant dentist in Worcester will make a small incision in your gums. Then, a dental implant is strategically positioned in your jaw to take the most advantage of your jawbone density. Once the gum tissue is closed, a protective cap is placed over the implant to protect it.

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment Placement

As you heal from surgery, the implant and surrounding bone fuse together. This process, called osseointegration, usually takes between two to six months. During this time, you will need to follow proper instructions to ensure your implants do not fail (i.e., giving up bad habits, eating healthy foods). Next, a metal abutment is attached to the implant. The abutment connects the implant to your prosthetic tooth and helps to make sure the implant remains embedded in the bone.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations

The final step in the dental implant process is receiving your customized restoration. To begin enjoying your new dental implants in Worcester, you must have your dental crown, bridge, or denture secured into place. This will create the look of a full, complete smile as well as offer greater stability, functionality, and confidence in your appearance. Using only the highest quality materials to create your restoration, you can expect it to blend in well with the rest of your smile, leaving you eager to show off your new teeth to family and friends.

Day-to-Day Benefits

• No Food Restrictions: Dental implants in Worcester allow you to eat all your favorite foods and consume a nutrient-rich diet that benefits both the mouth and body.
• Natural Appearance: The high-quality materials used to create dental implants and their restorations allow you to embrace a more natural appearance that blends in with the rest of your smile.
• Easy to Maintain: There are no special cleaners needed. Instead, you can brush, floss, and rinse like normal when wearing dental implants.
• Living Your Best Life: Instead of feeling embarrassed by your smile, you can remain confident in the stability of your new teeth, allowing you to smile, eat, and speak without worry when surrounded by others.

Health Benefits

• Healthy Teeth Remain Untouched: Instead of relying on healthy abutment teeth to hold your prosthetics in place, dental implants sit within the jawbone, so your natural teeth remain untouched.
• Better Overall Health: Tooth loss can result in worsening overall health if left untreated. By allowing an implant dentist in Worcester to place dental implants, you reduce your risk for osteoporosis, diabetes, and even heart disease.
• No Jawbone Deterioration: Your jawbone will remain stimulated each time you chew or bite down because of the placement of your dental implants. This keeps you from experiencing facial collapse.

Long-Term Benefits

• Long Lifespan: Dental implants have the ability to remain in place for 30 years or longer if properly maintained. This is vastly different from the regular adjustments and replacements required of dental bridges and dentures.
• High Success Rate: When placed by a skilled implant dentist, your posts have a 95% success rate. After 10 years, if properly cared for, that success rate will remain between 90 and 95%.
• You’ll Save Money: In the long run, you’ll actually save more money by choosing dental implants because you won’t require dental adhesives to hold them in place, cleansing soakers to keep them clean, or replacements.

Missing 1 Tooth

For patients missing one tooth, a single tooth implant could be an ideal solution. One titanium post is placed beneath the open socket. Once you’ve healed and the post is secure, a dental crown is attached.

Missing Multiple Teeth

If you are missing two or more teeth consecutively, then an implant-supported fixed bridge may be recommended. Two dental implants are surgically embedded to hold a row of replacement teeth. You may need up to four dental implants to support a partial denture.

Missing All Teeth

Dental implants can also be used to secure a set of full dentures along your top or bottom arch. A full denture often needs four to six implants in order to remain firmly held in place. However, some patients may instead benefit most from All-On-4® dental implants, wherein only four strategically placed dental implants are needed to support a full denture.

Learn More About All-On-4® Dental Implants

Learn More About Dental Implant Dentures

Are Dental Implants Worth the Investment?

Consider this: denture wearers will need to repair dentures over time, and eventually replacement will be necessary. That’s because they rest on top of the gum ridge, which changes shape as you age. Dental implants, however, can last for decades. In fact, dental implants have been known to last a lifetime among patients that maintain good oral hygiene and schedule checkups regularly. Therefore, the cost of dental implants could be less over the long-term when compared to other types of prosthetics that require maintenance and replacement.

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

As dental implants become more common for tooth replacement, dental insurance companies are beginning to offer some coverage. Also, other components of the dental implant process may be covered, such as the cost of the restoration or any preparatory work including tooth extraction or bone grafting.

Bone Grafting

Over time, tooth loss can lead to deterioration of the jawbone. When the tooth root is no longer there to provide stimulation, it will weaken and cause additional teeth to loosen and eventually fall out. When looking for dental implants to replace your missing teeth, we may need to recommend bone grafting in Worcester to help strengthen your jaw. This process involves opening the gums to access the underlying, weakened parts of your bone. Placing grafting materials retrieved from your body or that of a donor into these specific areas, we will close up the gum tissue and allow the new and existing bone to integrate and strengthen.

The recovery process for this procedure can take several months, however, it is a necessary and worthwhile investment to ensure future success with your dental implants.

Sinus Lifts

Bone in the upper posterior area of the mouth is often limited due to the sinus. Sinuses are naturally occurring air spaces above the upper teeth.  When these teeth are lost, the sinus frequently expands, preventing the placement of dental implants. A sinus lift in Worcester is often used to increase the amount of bone available for the placement of dental implants.  The sinus floor is gently elevated and bone replacement material is used to allow adequate room for the placement of dental implants. Healing from a sinus lift can take 4-9 months but will allow for the placement of permanent prosthetics once you are fully recovered.

Ridge Expansion

When the jaw is not wide enough to adequately support dental implants in Worcester, a ridge expansion may be required. This process involves dividing the inner and outer areas of the bone and creating a small wedge. Filling the divided areas of the bone with grafting materials, our team can close the gum tissue and allow the materials to help strengthen and widen the ridge so future dental implants can properly sit and fuse with the denser bone. Depending on your case and whether we feel it is possible, we may be able to immediately place your new implants once we’ve completed the ridge expansion.

Socket Preservation

Extraction of a tooth results in some loss of the bone ridge, which anchors the tooth. The loss of bone can be quite dramatic even after only a year. This can cause an unsightly appearance and prevent the future placement of dental implants. Socket preservation can significantly reduce bone loss.  Replacement material is placed in the extraction socket to stimulate bone growth. A membrane may also be used to prevent soft tissue from growing into the extraction socket and keep the bone graft material in place during healing.

Make Oral Hygiene a Priority

Whether you have dental implants in Worcester or not, prioritizing your oral hygiene is a must. But if you are living with dental implants, it’s imperative that you stay on top of your brushing, flossing, and rinsing habits to keep bad bacteria from damaging the soft tissues surrounding your natural teeth and implants. To do this, make sure you:

•   Brush twice a day for two full minutes along the gum line and on all surfaces of your teeth (including the backside).
•   Floss between your teeth and underneath your restoration (if you have a bridge or denture) to remove any bacteria or food particles. It can be helpful to use a floss threader or water irrigator.
•   Rinse with an antimicrobial mouthwash to flush away any remnants left behind from flossing and brushing.
•   Drink plenty of water to keep your salivary glands working at an optimal level.

Protect Your Dental Implants

Physical trauma is a continuous threat to your dental implants. If you’re not careful, you could damage your real and/or artificial teeth, causing additional time and money to be spent trying to fix your smile. To avoid the possibility of an implant becoming loose or damaged, make sure you are mindful of your surroundings, as a simple fall can cause you to break or chip one of your implants. You’ll also want to make sure that you:

•  Talk to your dentist about a nightguard if you grind your teeth at night.
•  Wear a sportsguard while engaging in physical activity (both contact and non-contact sports), as these can protect your oral cavity from serious trauma.

Taking proactive measures to safeguard your smile will ensure your implants remain firmly in place for years to come.

Schedule Regular Dental Checkups

One of the most pivotal steps you can take if you have dental implants is to remember to see your dentist regularly. Unless otherwise noted, make sure to keep your dental appointments every six months. It is during these visits that your dentist will examine your smile and check your implants for any problems. It is also imperative that your gums be checked for any signs of disease, as this can lead to periodontitis and cause your implants to fail. Should there be any cause for concern, our team can quickly work to address your problems and keep your restorations right where they belong.

What to Do Directly After Dental Implant Surgery

Once your periodontist clears you to return home after dental implant surgery, you can expect that you will need to rest for the remainder of the day. The anesthesia you receive will require time to wear off, so it’s best that you do not eat anything hard or spicy during this time to avoid harming your oral tissues. Before any discomfort has a chance to arise, take an over-the-counter pain reliever or prescribed medication as directed. You should also make sure that you do not participate in any physical or strenuous activity or smoke for at least 24 hours after your surgery.

Common Side Effects

It should come as no surprise that the most common side effects that you can expect include soreness, swelling, and some slight bruising. Small implant posts are placed within your jawbone, so do not be alarmed if you experience pain, inflammation, and some discoloration around your mouth. The good news is that these will dissipate within a few days, allowing you to feel better and more confident should you need to be around others.

Diet

Initially, you will be instructed to remain on a soft liquid diet for the first few days. This will allow your surgical sites to heal more thoroughly and avoid any additional pressure being placed on them immediately following surgery. Some common foods include mashed potatoes, yogurt, pasta, oatmeal, and eggs.

As your mouth begins to feel normal again, and you are free of any pain, you can move from a soft food diet to enjoying denser menu items that provide valuable nutrients to your body.

Health & Oral Hygiene

Neglecting your oral health is not an option when recovering after dental implant surgery. You’ll simply need to be mindful when brushing and flossing. The day after your procedure, you will need to start cleaning your teeth as you normally do except that you will need to be careful when brushing around your surgical sites.

Also, do not plan to incorporate mouthwash into your normal oral hygiene routine right away. Instead, swap it for the medicated mouth rinse that was prescribed.

What to Do After Your New Teeth Are Attached

The most exciting part of the dental implant process is receiving your new teeth. By this time, your mouth will feel normal, allowing you to fully enjoy the newness of your smile. Although it is not uncommon to experience some slight sensitivity initially, this will go away quickly so that you can begin to embrace the full benefits of dental implants in Worcester.

Is a Bone Graft Necessary to Receive Dental Implants?

Although it is not always necessary, a majority of patients will require a bone graft before undergoing dental implant placement. Why? Because it doesn’t take long for the jawbone to begin the resorption process. When tooth loss occurs, the underlying bone will begin to deteriorate due to a lack of stimulation. As a result, it is unable to adequately support a dental implant. To remedy this issue, an implant dentist in Worcester will need to perform a bone graft.

By administering this type of treatment, it will not only strengthen the jawbone area but also provide optimal support so that your implants last longer.

How Are Dental Implants Better Than Traditional Bridges & Dentures?

When comparing these three types of tooth replacement, it’s important to remember that only dental implants are capable of restoring the full root-to-crown structure. Traditional bridges and dentures only replace the visible portions of teeth (the crowns). Also, dental implants offer greater stability because of their placement within the jawbone. Because the two fuse over time, it allows patients to eat their favorite foods and enjoy natural oral function, just like regular teeth.

One of the most superior qualities of dental implants, though, is their longevity. They are designed to last decades if not a lifetime, unlike bridges and dentures that require replacement after about 10 years.

How Long Does It Take to Get Dental Implants?

Every patient is different, so the timeframe for completion is not the same for everyone. The osseointegration process that is required after dental implant surgery typically takes between 2-6 months. The gums and bone need to heal, and the implants must fuse properly to the bone for maximum support and stability.

However, if a patient requires preliminary treatments such as bone grafting or periodontal therapy, the timeframe will be longer, even up to one year. When meeting with your implant dentist, you can expect them to discuss the expected timeline so that you are fully prepared.

Does Getting Dental Implants Hurt?

Fortunately, the surgical process of receiving dental implants does not cause pain. We will administer local anesthesia to number the necessary areas of your mouth. If you require sedation, it may be possible to receive that as well. But once your surgery is complete, you can expect there to be minimal soreness and swelling afterward. The good news is that it can be managed with over-the-counter medication.

Why Should I Visit a Periodontist to Get Dental Implants?

Periodontists undergo extensive training and additional education. After obtaining a DDS or DMD, they pursue an additional three years of study, receiving experience in bone grafting and dental implant surgery. Unlike regular dentists, periodontists possess greater knowledge about dental implants and the proper way to place them for maximum success and longevity.