About Dental Implants
Losing a tooth or multiple teeth can be one of the most traumatic and embarrassing events in a person's life. This can cause people to lose self-esteem and hide their smile from others. Missing teeth can also make it harder to chew properly. Dr. DeCillis and the team at Soulsmile are sensitive to the emotional and financial hardships a missing tooth can create. We provide dental implant placement and restoration services so our patients can improve their oral health, regain confidence and eat without worry.
Our office is conveniently located in Ashland and we treat dental implant patients throughout Oregon and Northern California, offering the best opportunity to replace missing teeth in an affordable, natural and beautiful way.
If you’ve lost a tooth (or several teeth) due to injury, disease or decay, dental implants can not only rejuvenate the aesthetics of your smile, but also your oral health.
Dental implants are the replacement option closest to our body’s own natural system. A synthetic tooth root, shaped as a post, is surgically placed into the jawbone. This post is made of titanium (also used for knee and hip replacements), a metal which is well suited for pairing (called osseointegration) with human bone. After the dental implant fuses with bone it, becomes a great anchor for the replacement tooth. Dental implants are stable and feel like your natural teeth.
The ideal candidate for a dental implant does not smoke (increased risk of failure in a compromised environment) and has good oral health with no signs of gum disease. Most importantly, there should be a sufficient amount of health bone in the jaw to support the new implants.
Dental implants are a versatile tool in tooth replacement. If only one tooth is missing, one implant can perfectly fill the gap. If you are missing more than one tooth in a row, implants are often use to stabilize a bridge (a set of replacement teeth). Likewise, if you are missing a complete set of upper or lower teeth, dentures can be supported by implants, eliminating many of the hassles of living with dentures.
Advantages Over Bridges
One of the most common situations we see here in Ashland, is a patient missing a single tooth. Assuming they want to replace the missing tooth, the patient is often left considering two choices - a bridge or an implant. Which route do we recommend?
Conventional bridges require removing much of the tooth structure on each of the neighboring teeth to act as anchors for the restoration. Because implants do not compromise your natural teeth, they are hands down the ideal choice. In fact, the average bridge is expected to last only 7 to 10 years, whereas most implants placed now are expected to last a lifetime.
Another consideration is bone loss. When the root structure of a natural tooth is gone, the jawbone will shrink. This bone loss cause hallows of the cheek and can make your face look older than it is. Nobody wants that!
Post-Treatment Care
After your implant surgery and restoration, you can consider your implant to be the same as your natural teeth. They require the same daily flossing and brushing and regular check ups at your 6 month hygiene visits. Excellent care of dental implants will result in a longer lasting implant.
Let's Get a Visual
This video is produced by Straumann, a dental implant company, that provides an overview of the implant process.
FAQs
What is the cost of dental implants?
Of course, there is the good ole “it depends” answer. Factors including the number of teeth being replaced, and type of equipment required will affect the costs. A marketing angle used by some dental offices is to say “Dental Implants Only $[Insert Crazy Low Number Here]!”. Often, they are correctly advertising the cost of just the implant placement. While this price may technically be true in their office, this type of marketing misleads patients into believing that will be their only cost. Our office often works with local dental specialists for more complex cases or when advanced bone grafting is required. We are happy to help guide you through this process to ensure we achieve the best result possible.
Keep in mind that our office is dedicated to high quality dental care through efficient systems. If you are considering more than one dental implant, we can work together to come up with a discounted “project fee” which allows us to work more efficiently within blocks on time on multiple teeth. To obtain a specific fee estimate for your unique needs, it is necessary to have Dr. DeCillis examine your mouth. After a thorough exam, we will be able to recommend the best treatment for you.
Is old age a problem?
On occasion, our elderly patients worry that their age may prevent them from being an ideal implant candidate. The truth is that health is more of a determinate than age. If you are healthy enough to have an extraction, you will most likely be healthy enough to receive dental implants. Dr. DeCillis and our clinical team will help you determine if you are eligible based on your health history a careful evaluation of your health history. A few serious conditions make anesthesia, surgical procedures and/or the overall placement a cause for concern:
Active cancer
Heart diseases
Some bone diseases (brittle bones syndrome, osteomalacia, Paget's disease)
Some immunological diseases/conditions (immunosuppressant treatments, AIDS, awaiting an organ transplant)
Treatments by bisphosphonates
Certain mental diseases
Strongly irradiated jaw bones
How will dental implants affect my life?
The most obvious benefit comes from having a replacement that looks, feels and acts like a natural tooth. This means patients with dental implants can often return to their previous eating habits. The most impactful, however, is typically the change that is felt by people who have been embarrassed by missing teeth and worried about their teeth problems. This type of relief is often overwhelming and what our patients point to as the best part of their new teeth.
Will my new teeth look natural?
With Soulsmile’s modern technology and Dr. DeCillis’ skilled hands, your new teeth are likely to exceed your expectations. You’ll want to challenge people to see if they can tell them apart from your natural teeth!
Are dental implants painful?
As with any surgery, some discomfort can be expected. Anesthesia is administered to reduce any discomfort during the process. Most patients express that they were more comfortable than anticipated. We also offer various forms of sedation for your comfort.
How will I feel after having the implants placed?
Some bruising and swelling in the soft tissues surrounding the area is normal. Any discomfort is usually managed with ordinary over-the-counter painkillers. You should be able to return to work the following day.
What’s the timeline like for dental implant placement?
In the last decade, the time required for implant surgery and recovery has been greatly reduced. Advances like surgical guides and keyhole surgical techniques have simplified the process and shortened the timeline. The average timeline, start-to-finish, is six months and involves just a few appointments, each a couple hours long. Depending on how many teeth or how complex your required surgery is, your timeline may be a bit longer.
Will I be able to chew like I do with my natural teeth?
Yes. After a brief adaptation period, chewing pressure capacity is similar to that of natural teeth.
Additional Research
As always, we encourage our patients considering treatment to do more research on their own. Here are some suggested Google queries to get your started:
Dental Implant Before and Afters
Dental Implant Alternatives
Dental Implant Costs
If you have any questions regarding your specific situation or the dental implant procedures done at Soulsmile, feel free to contact us.