What Are Dental Implants?
A dental implant is a small metal screw designed to replace a missing tooth. During a minor surgical procedure, the dentist places the implant into the bone beneath your gums, right where the tooth used to be. It acts like a natural tooth root and is finished with a dental crown or other restoration, so it looks and feels just like a real tooth.
Dental implants are a significant investment in your oral health, so it’s important to know what to expect. We’re here to guide you through the process so you can make an informed decision about your treatment!
Google Verified Patient Reviews
Why You Might Need Dental Implants
Your natural teeth do more than just help you chew and speak—they also support the height and shape of your smile. Losing a tooth can cause other teeth to shift out of alignment, increasing your risk of oral health problems like decay and gum disease. Even if you don’t notice these changes right away, there’s one hidden issue you can’t avoid: bone resorption.
Bone resorption happens when the jawbone no longer receives stimulation from your teeth. Without this stimulation, the body breaks down bone tissue, leading to a shorter jaw and a sunken appearance in your cheeks and lips, contributing to premature wrinkles.
Dental implants act like natural teeth, providing the necessary stimulation to prevent bone loss. Implants not only restore your smile but also protect your facial structure and overall oral health. By replacing missing teeth with implants, you can prevent these problems and maintain your quality of life.
The Benefits of Dental Implants
Losing a tooth can be a difficult experience, affecting both your confidence and your health. Missing teeth can make your bite uncomfortable, make it harder to enjoy your favourite foods, and lead to bone loss or shifting teeth. Fortunately, dental implants offer a long-term solution with several key benefits:
- Stop Cavities from Worsening: Fillings prevent cavities from growing larger and causing further damage to your tooth structure. By addressing cavities early, you can maintain the integrity of your teeth and avoid more extensive repairs down the line.
- Prevent Painful Infections or Abscesses: Promptly treating cavities with fillings can help you avoid the development of painful infections or abscesses. These infections can significantly impact your oral health and overall well-being, often requiring more invasive treatments if left untreated.
- Restore Strength and Durability: Cavities weaken your teeth, making them more susceptible to fractures and breakage. Fillings effectively restore the strength and durability of your teeth, allowing you to chew and speak without worry.
- Long-Term Cost Savings: Investing in fillings now can save you money in the long run. Delaying treatment may lead to more extensive and costly dental procedures, such as root canals or crowns, which can be avoided with timely intervention.
- Reduce Sensitivity: Fillings can help reduce sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures, enhancing your comfort while enjoying your favourite foods and beverages. By sealing off the affected areas, fillings protect the nerves in your teeth from external stimuli.
- Preserve Your Natural Smile: Fillings enable you to maintain your natural smile for as long as possible. By preventing further decay and damage, you can avoid the need for more invasive treatments that may compromise your dental aesthetics.
Dental implants are a natural-feeling, long-lasting solution that can improve your oral health and quality of life for decades with proper care.
Dental Implant Restorations
A dental implant restoration is the “false tooth” that covers the implant, making it look like a natural tooth. While the implant itself isn’t visible, the restoration gives you the appearance of a complete, healthy smile.
- Dental Crown: The most common implant restoration, a crown covers a single-tooth implant, giving the appearance and function of a natural tooth.
- Dental Bridge: A bridge can replace multiple missing teeth in a row. It’s supported by one or two implants and can span several teeth. A full implant-supported bridge can replace an entire arch of upper or lower teeth with just four or more implants.
- Implant Denture: For added stability, a removable denture can clip onto two small implants, offering more secure and comfortable wear compared to traditional dentures.
Each of these restorations is designed to provide both aesthetic and functional benefits, restoring your smile and improving oral health.
A New Life with Dental Implants Awaits!
Your smile won’t just be restored after getting a dental implant—it will be even better!
Dental implants are simple to care for. Just brush and floss daily, and protect your implant from injury while playing sports. Regular checkups with us will ensure your implant stays healthy and strong.
With proper care, your dental implant could provide you with years of confident, beautiful smiles!
Start today by booking a consultation
How It Feels
Although the idea of having a metal implant placed in your jaw may sound uncomfortable, the procedure is much easier and less painful than you might think.
We’ll use a mild anesthetic to numb your mouth, ensuring you don’t feel pain during surgery. Thanks to advanced dental technology, implants can be placed quickly and accurately, reducing discomfort and recovery time. Many patients even report feeling relaxed or sleepy during the short 30-minute procedure. The most uncomfortable part may simply be keeping your mouth open for a few minutes at a time!
Afterward, it’s normal to experience some swelling, mild discomfort, and bruising, but these symptoms are easy to manage. We’ll provide detailed instructions to help minimize discomfort as the anesthetic wears off, and your implant site should start feeling better within a week.
With a success rate of nearly 95%, dental implants are one of the safest and most reliable treatments in dentistry—offering you long-lasting results!
What to Expect on Your Dental Implant Treatment Journey
The implant placement process is more comfortable than you might think. Here’s what you can expect:
Assessment
Your journey starts with a consultation to determine if dental implants are right for you. Your dentist will take X-rays and a 3D cone-beam CT scan to evaluate your jawbone and plan your treatment. They’ll also take a scan or impression of your teeth to precisely plan the angulation of your implant.
Inserting the Implant
Once you’re ready, we’ll numb the area with an anesthetic so you won’t feel any pain. The dentist will create a small hole in your gums and jawbone, then place the implant post. In some cases, sutures are used to close the gums, but this isn’t always necessary.
Finalizing the Restoration
After a few months of healing, you’ll return to the office for the final step. We’ll place your custom-made dental restoration—whether it’s a crown, bridge, or denture—leaving you with a brand-new, fully functional tooth that looks and feels natural.
Your dental implant journey will result in a restored smile and improved oral health for years to come!
Contact us today
to schedule an initial consultation & exam.
Your consultation will include an examination of everything from your teeth, gums and soft tissues to the shape and condition of your bite. Generally, we want to see how your whole mouth looks and functions. Before we plan your treatment we want to know everything about the health and aesthetic of your smile, and, most importantly, what you want to achieve so we can help you get there.
Cost of Dental Implants in Laurens
In Laurens, the cost for a single dental implant typically ranges between $3,000 and $6,000 or more. For full-mouth reconstructive dental implants, prices can vary from $6,000 to upwards of $60,000. A full set of implant-supported dentures averages around $30,000.
It’s important to note that no dental practice can give an exact quote over the phone, as the procedure is highly individualized and depends on several unique factors.
- The type and number of implants needed.
- The materials and supplies used.
- The time and expertise of the dental team.
- The complexity and location of the surgery.
- Your recovery time—our team will support you throughout the entire process.
How is the cost of dental implants determined?
For an accurate estimate, it’s best to schedule a consultation to assess your specific dental needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nope! Dental implants are designed to blend right in with your natural teeth. While the metal screw is hidden beneath your gums, the visible restoration is custom-made to match your natural teeth in size, shape, and color, making it look completely natural.
It depends on your needs. Dentures rest on your gums and are removable, while dental implants are securely placed in your jawbone, giving you a stronger and more stable bite. Both options have their advantages, but implants tend to feel more like natural teeth. It’s best to talk to your dentist to figure out which option is best for you.
Yes! If dental implants aren’t a good fit for you, options like dental bridges or partial/full dentures might work. We’ll help you figure out what solution fits your needs during a consultation.
Not everyone is a candidate for implants. You’ll need to have good oral health and enough bone in your jaw to support the implant. However, if you don’t meet these criteria, don’t worry! There are usually treatments available to help you qualify for implants, or we can recommend other options for replacing missing teeth.
Absolutely. Dental implants are designed to look and feel just like your natural teeth. The crown, bridge, or denture placed on the implant will be customized to blend perfectly with your existing teeth, so it feels like your natural smile.
Not at all! Thanks to modern techniques, getting dental implants is a precise and mostly pain-free process. We use local anesthesia to keep you comfortable, and most people report only mild discomfort afterward, which is easy to manage with over-the-counter pain relief.
In most cases, you can get back to work the day after your implant surgery. We’ll give you specific post-op instructions, so you know exactly what to expect.
Regular dental checkups are essential to keep your implants healthy, just like your natural teeth. Typically, we recommend a visit every 6 months, but we’ll personalize the schedule based on your needs.
Treat your dental implants just like natural teeth! Brush, floss, and have regular dental cleanings. With proper care, your implants can last a lifetime.
No, dental implants are designed to be a permanent solution. As long as you take good care of them, they can last a lifetime without needing to be replaced.
