Dental implants are a natural and comprehensive solution to a smile that’s missing some teeth. Not only that, but they’re permanent – they look and act just like a natural tooth, both above and below the gums. We offer several dental implant options to our patients, including permanent dentures, traditional implants, zirconia ceramic dental implants, and implant-supported bridges. For eligible patients, we can also do same-day dental implants.
Dental Implants from a Local Oral Surgeon Central to Cincinnati & Dayton
There are many reasons you might consider dental implants. There is no better option for holistic tooth replacement than dental implants. But they’re a specialized procedure, and ensuring you’ve chosen the right implant solution for your mouth’s health means having a great oral surgeon who specializes in dental implants right here in Cincinnati to ask questions, do any dental bone grafting, perform the implant procedure, and provide the friendly and thorough aftercare you expect as well!
Wilmington Oral Surgery is the best oral surgery practice for comprehensive dental implant treatment, not just because of our skilled oral and maxillofacial surgeon, but also our supportive staff and creative billing methods that save you money. We perform all of these dental implant services, including any bone grafting your jaw might need to prepare for implant surgery.
What’s more, we provide our patients with these quality dental implants for $300-$800 less per implant than other dentists who offer this type of prosthetic tooth replacement. We do this by holding your dental insurance to account, and using an efficient billing method that’s more accurate to service cost and affordable to you. Our goal is to make permanent tooth replacement a viable reconstruction option for as many patients as possible.
The Details on Dental Implant Surgery
The term “dental implant” is a bit misleading, because the entire process of replacing the tooth with an implant includes not only the implant, but an abutment and a crown that looks and functions just like a natural tooth. The dental implant itself is a very small post that is surgically attached to your jaw at the site of a missing tooth. After the implant installation, the jaw integrates the post, growing around it, stabilizing the implant and preserving bone integrity at the site.
The dental implant process consists of 3 steps, though same-day dental implants are available at our Cincinnati office, should you be a viable candidate. More on that in a moment. The standard dental implant procedure includes:
- The actual dental implant installation is the first step. Our oral surgeon opens your gum at the site of the missing tooth, screws the implant into the jaw, and closes the gum back up. There’s then a 6-month healing process to allow for osseointegration.
- Once you heal from the dental implant surgery, you’ll come back to the office to have the abutment attached. Our oral surgeon will open the gum and attach the abutment to the top of the implant. This piece allows the crown to eventually sit stably on the implant. There’s then another waiting period while your gums heal and the custom crown is created.
- Crown installation! We attach the crown to the abutment, and that’s it – you’ve got a completely-replaced tooth that looks natural, functions the same as a real tooth, preserves your jaw and the health of your other teeth, and only requires the same care you give the rest of your teeth. Better – if you stay in decent health and on top of your oral care, dental implants can last a lifetime.
Why are Dental Implants the Ideal Choice for Tooth Replacement?
Every dental implant specialist will tell you that their patients are consistently amazed by their results. Dental implants look, feel and function just like regular teeth, inside and out. And now with ceramic dental implants available, even people with metal allergies can get holistic tooth replacement.
When you lose a tooth, there’s more that goes on than a negative change in appearance. Your teeth and your jaw need each other. If there is no longer a tooth in a socket, the jaw starts to slowly degrade and shrink at the site because there is no longer blood and nutrient supply there. Dentures and bridges do nothing to stop or slow this process, which is why they often need replaced and why often patients need more teeth taken out over time.
Artificial teeth are different, because you’re not just replacing the visible part of the tooth, but the part you can’t see as well: the root. The dental implant basically tricks the jaw into thinking it got its tooth back. Biologically, there’s not a lot that’s different between a dental implant and a natural tooth that’s had a root canal.
Because your jaw is stabilized by a dental implant, you avoid the complications of other tooth replacement options, such as:
- Bone deterioration
- Ridge shrinkage
- Tooth migration
- Bite shifting
- Tooth decay
- Abscess and infection
- Tooth loss
Which Dental Implant is Right for You: Titanium or Zirconia?
Dental implants are traditionally made of titanium, which is an extremely biocompatible metal that’s strong, resistant to bacteria and plaque, and integrates effectively with the jaw. Titanium is hypoallergenic, but some patients with health issues may still have complications. That’s why the emergence of zirconia implants was so important.
Zirconia, sometimes mistakenly referred to as zirconium, is a ceramic, which means that zirconia dental implants are innate, meaning they don’t cause an immune reaction in anyone. This allows patients with extreme metal sensitivities, or those who simply don’t want a metal installation in their mouth, to get the same comprehensive mouth restoration.
Zirconia meets, and sometimes outperforms, titanium with regard to osseointegration rates, and is even more plaque-resistant than titanium. In addition, zirconia dental implants don’t come with the risk of the eventual dark line at the gums that aging titanium implants do. However, zirconia root implants are more temperature and stress-sensitive than titanium, so they may not consistently last as long as titanium dental implants, as they have a higher breakage rate.
Our dental implant specialist, Dr. Puckett, will explain to you in your initial consultation all the real health benefits of replacing a tooth with a dental implant, as opposed to a bridge or dentures. He can also discuss with you the pros and cons of choosing between titanium and zirconia ceramic implants. Because it isn’t just about looking good (although they do!); dental implants preserve the health of your jaw and all your other teeth, too.
What Does an Oral Surgeon Who Offers Dental Implant Dentist Do?
A dental implant dentist specializes specifically in the process of preparing a mouth to properly take a dental implant, perform the procedures necessary, and keep track of the patient’s recovery and osseointegration process. Some patients may need their jaw supplemented with a dental graft prior to getting the actual surgery to install the dental implants.
If you begin the process of getting dental implants, our Cincinnati-based dental implant dentist, after an initial consultation, would perform any dental bone grafting necessary. Once that’s properly healed, they’ll install the actual dental implant – this is the part underneath the gums that replaces the tooth’s roots.
Once the gums have healed properly around the dental implant, our surgeon will attach an implant crown, usually porcelain, to the abutment on the implant. And there you have it! Natural, holistic tooth replacement that’s basically permanent!
Same-day dental implants are a bit different, and require good oral health and jaw integrity. The term “same-day” isn’t exactly accurate, because there is still a healing period, but in some patients we’re able to combine steps of the dental implant procedure and cut months off the process.
Who’s a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?
Not everyone’s mouth health is in good enough condition for our dental implant surgeon to just go ahead and approve you for the procedure. Some requirements include:
- Must be 18+ (Kids’ bones are still moving and growing.)
- Being in general, in good health
- Having healthy gum tissue
- Have a jawbone healthy enough to take the implant (Though a dental implant dentist can fix mild-to-moderate jaw degradation this with some simple jaw bone grafting.)
- No smoking habit
- Can deal with being patient through a process that may take months (Although our oral surgeon can do same-day dental implants for some candidates!)
Patients with immune disorders, diabetes, or degenerative disorders like osteoarthritis may carry higher risks of dental implant failure, which is where the jaw bone fails to integrate the implant properly. Dr. Puckett will thoroughly go over your medical history and health status with you to find the best tooth replacement option for you, with function, long-term oral health and appearance in mind.
Give Your Local Cincinnati Dental Implant Dentist a Call; We’d Love to Hear from You!
As a Cincinnati oral and maxillofacial surgery practice with a dental implant specialist right here in our office, we’re always ready to help a patient restore their smile. And it’s not just about appearance – it’s about health as well. Dental implants offer holistic, long-term solutions for tooth replacement. And yes, they are expensive. But our oral surgeon knows the families of Southwest and South Central Ohio and the Greater Cincinnati & Dayton Areas need affordable dental implants, so we’ve found a way around the industry standard that can save you $300-$800 per implant.
Choose Wilmington Oral Surgery as your Cincinnati dental implant dentist – we’re always here to help, and we’d love to hear from you.
