Missing a tooth, multiple teeth, or all of your teeth? Dental implants can restore your smile — not just good as new, but better than ever before. Dental implants are surgically placed in your jaw, essentially screwed in like a rooted tooth. Unlike dentures, dental implants are permanent: they stay in all the time and are, for all practical purposes identical to your natural tooth, only more perfect. And since they replace not only the visible portion of your tooth, but the root as well, dental implants are a holistic option for tooth replacement that keeps your jaw healthy and your smile beautiful.
You can get dental implants for functional or cosmetic purposes — whatever works best for you!
What’s Involved in the Dental Implant Process
Usually, dental implant surgery is a 2-step process. First, we remove the original tooth or teeth, if they’re not already gone. Often, we perform some dental bone grafting after the extraction(s) to prepare your mouth for the dental implant as well as to preserve the bone. Our smart dentin method of dental bone grafting makes the process easy, the grafting more effective, and the healing time faster.
If we tell you you’ll need a bone graft before we can perform your dental implant surgery, don’t fret; it may mean the process to your new replacement tooth is a bit longer, but it also means the chances of success and permanent stability of the implant are at their highest. While some of our patients are healthy enough for same-day dental implants, we never perform same-day implants where we shouldn’t. Good things come to those who wait, after all.
In the second phase of dental implant surgery, we surgically screw the new implant in place, allowing it to heal for 2 to 4 months so the implant and the bone can join. We offer both titanium and ceramic dental implants to our patients. Both materials are strong and extremely biocompatible (meaning your bone likes to fuse to it).
Titanium implants are stable and the industry standard. Ceramic or zirconia dental implants are a bit more prone to cracking and breaking, but they’re great for patients with metal allergies. The main advantage of choosing a zirconia implant is that there is no chance of that dark shadow at the gum line that sometimes occurs as titanium dental implants age and your gums recede.
While you heal from your dental implant surgery, Dr. Puckett will coordinate the creation of the crown with your dentist. He is one of the best dental implant dentists serving Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton. His experienced care and attention to comfort (not to mention his unique cost-saving methods) are the reasons so many of our patients are willing to make the drive.
If you have a healthy jawbone, same-day dental implants are possible. We can often do the removal and dental implant in one visit, thanks to technological advancements our office has embraced. This is ideal because it saves about 3 months in the process and minimizes your visits. We are happy to offer same-day dental implants to eligible patients in Southwest and South Central Ohio and the Greater Cincinnati & Dayton Areas.
Healing Following Your Dental Implant Surgery
The healing process your body undergoes in the weeks after a dental implant surgery is a multi-step journey that is critical for the long-term stability of your implant. The whole process technically spans multiple months while osseointegration takes place and your implant fuses with your jawbone.
The first phase takes place within weeks 1 and 2 following your tooth replacement operation. During the first few days, you’ll likely experience pain, swelling, and tenderness around the surgical site. This is completely normal, and most of these symptoms should subside by the end of the first week. By the end of the second week, the soft tissues (gums) should be mostly healed up.
During this phase, it is crucial to follow the post-op instructions the dental doctor who installed your tooth implant gives you. They might also give you instructions for pain management and antibiotics, if needed. We’re proud to offer holistic pain management methods for use after oral surgeries in our office, too. Get tons of rest, stick to a soft-foods only diet, and for the love of all that is good, don’t use a straw or spit forcefully. Seriously. You’ll give yourself dry socket and be mad for the rest of eternity about it.
The final phase is, of course, osseointegration. This is the process that occurs where your jawbone will literally fuse with the titanium post, providing a sturdy and stable foundation for your new permanent tooth implant. By this stage, your mouth is totally healed from the surgery itself, and all that remains is for that fusion to take place. In total, it takes about 3-6 months for this to finish.
Over the course of these months, it’s imperative to practice excellent oral hygiene. Keeping the site around the titanium dental implant clean helps prevent infection while the fusing takes place. Resume with your normal diet, but try to avoid hard, crunchy foods or anything excessively sticky (caramel, we’re looking at you) directly on the implant site unless your dental implant surgeon clears it.
Affordable Dental Implants — How We Can Save You $300 to $800 on Dental Implant Surgery
Dental implant surgery is usually the approach we recommend for tooth replacement and mouth reconstruction because the results are as good or better than your natural tooth, both in appearance and function. The only drawback is cost. Dental implants are more expensive than dentures or other alternatives. But since this tooth replacement option is both comprehensive and permanent, the cost over time evens out with more temporary options you’ll need to replace every so often. Plus, dental implant surgery is the only oral surgery procedure for mouth reconstruction that stops bone loss and tooth movement.
However, we fully understand that, despite needing quality, long-lasting tooth replacements, thousands of dollars per implant is a tremendous ask for most people. While they’re costly, they’re also hands-down the most effective way of replacing missing teeth. Thankfully, we’re a local oral surgeon who believes in financially accessible oral surgeries for everyone, not just the privileged few—we’ve got great news if you’re looking for dental implants that don’t cost an arm and a leg.
The good news is we can offer you better savings than you’ll get from most dental implant dentists and oral surgeons. We do everything we can to make dental implants as affordable as possible. In most cases, we can save you $300 to $800 — and you’ll get a better treatment plan in the process. We try to deliver the best dental implants that are still within your budget.
A More Affordable Comfortable Approach to Dental Care
That kind of savings sounds too good to be true, but the truth is, it’s because we take a more thoughtful, strategic approach to the cost of your dental implant surgery. That’s why so many of our treasured clients say we are the best dental implant dentists in Southwest and South Central Ohio. Our dental implants are affordable. We put your priorities, comfort, and financial considerations ahead of the whims of your insurance company. We like to treat patients, not insurance company stockholders.
How can we offer more affordable dental implants than most? First, we only charge for the amount of anesthesia time needed for the procedure. Many oral surgeons and dental implant dentists instead charge for the amount of anesthesia allowed by the insurance company (60 minutes in four 15-minute increments), even when the procedure usually takes far fewer than 60 minutes.
Second, we base our fees on our understanding of the value of the service and care we provide — not the recommended amounts listed in the fee schedule book used by most oral surgeons and implant dentists. This results in substantial financial savings for our patients. The end result is affordable dental implants where our patients actually pay less, regardless of the limitations of insurance policies. That’s why we think our approach to dental implants is the best — we pass the savings on to you!
Finally, we don’t let insurance companies dictate our patients’ needs. Dr. Puckett is the maxillofacial surgeon after all; you are the patient. Insurance companies may be running a business, but they should not be allowed to limit the quality of care we provide you. We insist on affordable dental implants and won’t let the insurance companies dictate what you need.
We Offer Same-Day Dental Implants to Eligible Patients
Yes, we do offer same day dental implants — if you have a healthy jawbone and are an ideal candidate. Thanks to modern technology and our innovative approach to dental implant surgery, we can do the procedure in one day.
Typically, your run-of-the-mill dental implant surgery takes multiple visits to your local oral surgeon’s office. This process can stretch over the course of almost a full year with all of the steps and waiting time involved—after all, the process of osseointegration doesn’t happen overnight. With dental implants completed on a single day, there’s practically no waiting time involved, which is a major boon for most folks.
A dental implant surgeon fitting replacement teeth on the same-day you walk in sounds too good to be true, but we promise it’s possible.
Cases where we might be able to give patients same day dental implants are younger patients in good health who have had a tooth knocked out due to facial trauma, or as a tooth replacement for one that is chipped and discolored beyond what bonding or veneers could fix satisfactorily.
That doesn’t automatically disqualify older patients from receiving replacement teeth in a single visit, either. As long as the jawbone is in excellent shape, same-day dental implants might be on the table as an option.
Not everyone is eligible for dental implants placed in one day, though. Since the jawbone has to be in tip-top shape for them to happen, patients who present with jawbone degradation aren’t eligible. It’s kind of a double-edged sword—patients who need permanent replacement teeth are also the same patients who might not have the right foundation for getting them done in one day. When someone is missing teeth for an extended period of time, the jawbone begins to lose mass due to the lack of stimulation from chewing.
Patients who present with certain health conditions that might inhibit the body’s natural ability to heal are also typically ineligible for dental implants fitted on the same day.
A Smarter Approach to Technology, a Natural Approach to Healing
The best dental implant dentists believe in the power of technology; Dr. Puckett is no exception. Good dental technology and a holistic approach to tooth replacement increase the quality of care we can provide. As leaders in holistic oral surgery in the Cincinnati area, we’re well-versed on how best to take a holistic approach when it comes to dental implants. We can use a variety of tried-and-true methods to offer holistic pain relief following an oral surgery or even use more holistic tactics during the surgery itself. For example, we offer:
- Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF)
- Red Light Therapy
- Natural Medicines
- StellaLife Vega Oral Care Recovery Kit
We’re proud to say that we’re a local oral surgeon who offers holistic pain management. In fact, we’re one of the first ones to offer it in the entire state. We use the latest state-of-the-art equipment and science to deliver you the best care possible. You’re in good hands.
