Are you missing one or more teeth? Dental implants are the top choice for replacing missing teeth. They work like natural teeth and can support a custom crown, bridge, or denture. No matter how many teeth you’re missing, dental implants can help. At Flower Mound Dental, we offer dental implants as part of our restorative services to bring back your smile.
Dental Implants in Flower Mound, TX
A dental implant is made up of three parts. First, we place a titanium post into your jawbone. This acts like the root of a tooth and holds your restoration in place. Next, an abutment connects the post to the final restoration.
For a single tooth, the restoration will be a custom-made crown. If you need to replace more teeth, we may use a bridge or denture, each designed to match your natural smile.
There are two main types of dental implants: endosteal and subperiosteal. Endosteal implants are the most common and look like small screws placed directly in the jawbone. If your bone isn’t strong enough, we can use subperiosteal implants, which go under the gum but sit on top of the jawbone.
If you don’t have enough healthy bone for implants, we can perform a bone graft. This involves adding bone to the area where the implant will go. The graft helps new bone grow, making your jaw strong enough to support an implant.
The Dental Implant Process
The first step is a consultation. We’ll examine your mouth, use digital imaging, and talk about your health history, dental needs, and budget to see if implants are right for you. The images also show if you have enough bone for the implants. If not, a bone graft may be needed, and it must heal before we can move forward with the implant.
Implant surgery involves placing the titanium posts into your jawbone. Healing takes about 3-6 months, during which the posts fuse with the bone to provide strong, lasting support. While you heal, we’ll give you a temporary restoration to wear.
Once healing is complete, we’ll take impressions of your mouth to create your final restoration. A dental lab will craft a crown, bridge, or denture that fits perfectly with your smile. We’ll then attach the restoration to the abutments, completing your new smile!
Why Choose Dental Implants?
Dental implants are one of the best ways to replace missing teeth. They offer several advantages that other restorations can’t match. We recommend dental implants whenever possible to help restore your smile.
Restoring Function and Protecting Your Jawbone
Dental implants are the only solution that replaces both the tooth root and the crown. When you lose a tooth root, your jawbone starts to weaken because it no longer gets the stimulation it needs from chewing. Implants fuse with your jawbone, which helps it stay strong and healthy. By getting implants, you prevent further bone loss in that area.
This also means you won’t need to keep adjusting or replacing your restoration like you would with other options. With dentures or bridges, the jawbone continues to shrink, and this affects the fit over time. Eventually, you would need to refit or replace them completely to ensure they still work properly.
Dental implants offer more stability than other options. For example, removable dentures only restore about 30-40% of your bite strength. This can limit the foods you’re able to eat. With implants, you get back your full chewing power, allowing you to eat even hard or crunchy foods like apples.
Boosting Appearance and Confidence
When your jawbone deteriorates, it can cause your face to sag, making you look older. Your teeth and jawbone provide structure to your face, and without them, your skin and muscles lose support. Dental implants help prevent this by keeping your facial structure intact.
Missing teeth can also hurt your self-esteem. Many people feel less confident about smiling when they have gaps in their teeth. One of the best things about dental implants is how natural they look. Each restoration is custom-made to fit the size and shape of your teeth, and you can even choose the shade to match your smile. The goal is to create a seamless look, so no one will know you have implants.
Schedule Your Appointment Today!
Dental implants could be the solution you’re looking for to replace missing teeth. Give us a call or schedule an appointment online!