Dental Implants – Bedford, TX

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

The first step on your journey towards a fully restored smile is a dental implant consultation with our team. At this appointment, we’ll conduct a thorough oral examination using cutting-edge dental technology. We’ll ask about your oral health, overall health, lifestyle, and goals to determine your candidacy for treatment. This is the perfect time to ask any questions you may have about the process!

Once it’s decided that you’re ready to move forward with the dental implant process, you can begin scheduling your future appointments. If you need preliminary work (i.e., bone grafting, gum disease therapy, extractions), make sure you get it taken care of before advancing to the next phase.

Dental Implant Surgery

Contrary to popular belief, dental implant surgery is a fairly simple procedure. After your dentist has numbed your mouth, they’ll make small incisions in the gum tissue to access the jawbone. The implants are inserted at precise locations and angles using advanced technology and techniques, and then your gums are sutured shut. Sometimes, patients are fitted with a protective cap to maintain the shape of the gums and shield their implants throughout the healing process.  

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment

After dental implant placement, you’ll spend three to six months waiting for osseointegration to take place. This is the natural process that allows implants to fuse with the surrounding bone tissue, providing unmatched stability and a solid foundation for your artificial teeth.

Once osseointegration is complete, you’ll return to the office for a second minor surgery to receive your abutments. They’re small metal connector pieces that are placed on top of your implants, serving as an anchor for your final personalized dental crown, bridge, or denture.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations

While you recover, a trusted dental lab will create your final restorations using impressions of your natural smile. Each restoration is made from materials that mimic real tooth enamel, right down to the way they reflect light. Once your new teeth are attached to your abutments, they’ll be indistinguishable from the pearly whites you had before. You can start enjoying the many incredible of dental implants right away!

Day-to-Day Benefits

While traditional dentures only replenish about 20% of your original biting force, dental implants can restore 70% or more. That, coupled with their stable placement in the jaw, lets you chew all of your favorite foods with ease. Additionally, you can enjoy hot beverages like tea or coffee without worrying about harming your smile. Unlike conventional dentures, dental implants in Bedford do not warp and lose their fit when exposed to heat.

Once your implant dentist in Bedford has placed your implants, you’ll be able to smile confidently. After all, each of your restorations is custom-made to look as much like your natural pearly whites as possible. Also, your teeth should never feel loose, slip around, or fall out like non-implant dentures notoriously do.

Health Benefits

As the only tooth replacement option that stimulates the jawbone, dental implants prevent the bone loss that normally occurs after teeth have been missing. Not only does this maintain your facial shape and keep you looking young, but it helps your jawbone support your remaining teeth and prevent further tooth loss.

Dental implants eliminate many of the oral health problems characteristic of traditional bridges and dentures. They don’t require healthy tooth structure to be altered, and they won’t cause gum sores or irritation. Because dental implants can significantly improve oral health (along with the fact that they allow you to eat a nutritious diet), you’ll enjoy better overall health too.

Long-Term Benefits

Of all of the ways to replace missing teeth, dental implants in Bedford have the highest success rate (more than 95%) and the longest average lifespan. This is due to osseointegration, or the process by which the implant posts fuse to the jawbone, creating a sturdy foundation that can last a lifetime. Once osseointegration is complete, your implants can last for several decades with very little maintenance.

Indeed, you can usually care for dental implants in the same way that you care for natural teeth – with regular brushing, flossing, and dental checkups. By comparison, traditional dentures and bridges often require that you purchase and learn how to use specialized cleaning solutions (like water flossers and denture cleansers). They also tend to break down every five to ten years on average. As a result, you may end up spending more money over the years on repairs, replacements, and special products for traditional solutions than you would by getting dental implants in the first place!

Who is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

As we mentioned before, most adults are eligible to receive dental implants if they are missing at least one tooth. Capable of treating all types of tooth loss, these prosthetics are widely popular among those who prefer a more permanent and longer-lasting tooth replacement. With more than 3 million people living with them in the United States and that number growing by 500,000 each year, there’s a good chance you’ll be a good candidate for treatment.

During your initial consultation with Dr. Gajera, you can expect him to consider the following factors:

• Your oral health must be without tooth decay or gum disease, as both can cause implant failure. Should either be present, we will determine the severity and consider tooth extraction and/or periodontal therapy if necessary.
• You must be in great overall health since dental implant placement requires minor oral surgery.
• You must have enough jawbone to support your dental implants in Bedford and customized restoration.

Below, you’ll find a few different situations where you could benefit from dental implants and a specific kind of restoration.

Missing One Tooth

As you might expect, it only takes one dental implant to replace a single tooth. You may end up with a gap in your smile due to an accident or as a result of an extraction; either way, it’s best to have the implant placed as soon as possible before too much bone loss has occurred. Even the loss of one tooth can cause you to experience difficulty eating, speaking, and smiling. Fortunately, the implant will be topped with a carefully designed porcelain crown that has been shaded to match the color of your other teeth.

Missing Multiple Teeth

When you have lost several teeth in a row (but still have plenty of healthy teeth overall), you can consider literally “bridging” the gap with a prosthetic called a dental bridge. Made of two crowns that hold at least one prosthetic tooth between them, bridges normally sit on two abutment teeth. When choosing a traditional bridge, your abutment teeth have to be filed down to make room for the restoration. If you want to preserve as much of your natural dental structure as possible, you can have your bridge supported by a pair of implants.

Missing All Teeth

The prospect of getting an individual implant to replace every tooth in your mouth might seem intimidating, but fortunately, there’s no need for that. Whether it’s your upper or lower jaw, four to eight implant posts are typically all you need to support full implant dentures. Many patients who already wear traditional dentures consider implants to be a significant upgrade since they no longer have to remove their false teeth for regular cleanings and don’t have to worry about inconveniently timed slips.

3D Cone Beam Imaging/3D CT Scanning

Before we can place your dental implants, we have to know the precise location and angle at which they should be positioned. A traditional 2D X-ray simply isn’t detailed enough to give us a clear picture, but our 3D cone beam scanner certainly is.

This device rotates all the way around your head, capturing more than a hundred images as it does so. By combining these images, our computer can generate a fully three-dimensional model of your mouth, jaw, and face. Not only does this technology help us avoid the nerves, sinuses, and other delicate areas when placing the implants, but it also gives us an idea of whether you’ll need bone grafting in your jaw beforehand.

Guided Dental Implant Surgery

Using the 3D model generated by the cone beam scanner, your implant dentist in Bedford can place your implants with extreme precision. Our computer can create a surgical guide that we’ll use during your procedure, ensuring that the posts end up exactly where they need to be. As a result, there will be fewer (if any) surprises or hiccups in the process. Your recovery period will also most likely be faster with a significantly reduced risk of complications.

Antibacterial Coating

As an added safety measure, we can coat our dental implants in Bedford with a thin layer of an antibacterial substance. Oral surgery always carries a risk of infection, but with this antibacterial coating, we can bring that risk down to almost zero. Of course, our team will make sure that you have all of the information you need to minimize the chance of post-op infection, but by taking this precaution, we’re sure you’ll enjoy much greater peace of mind than you would have otherwise!

What to Do Directly After Dental Implant Surgery

Following your surgery, it’s critical to leave the forming blood clot around the implant untouched. It’s necessary to keep it intact so that the gums heal smoothly and properly. To do this, make sure you abide by the following rules:

• Do not spit. Use tissues to clean your mouth or swallow your saliva.
• Do not drink out of a straw. It can easily dislodge the blood clot.
• Do not smoke throughout the healing process. Not only does it negatively affect your recovery, but it increases your risk of infection and gum disease.
• Keep your fingers and tongue away from the surgical site. You don’t want to introduce unwanted bacteria to the area.

Common Side-Effects

Have you ever gone through oral surgery before? If not, you’re probably nervous about what to expect. Luckily, we can ease your nerves by going over some common side effects. Knowing what you might experience will help you understand whether you should be seeking help or not. That said, here’s what you can expect:

• Intermittent bleeding that can be minimized by placing clean gauze over the area and applying light pressure. This can continue for several days following your surgery.
• Swelling that can occur for 72 hours after your procedure. In some cases, it may last over a week. Using a cold compress on the outside of your mouth can help reduce swelling and minimize discomfort.
• General discomfort that can be relieved with over-the-counter or prescribed medication.

Keep in mind that these side effects should be temporary and gradually subside as time goes by. If your symptoms are worsening, don’t hesitate to contact our team for guidance.

Diet

For the first few days after getting dental implants in Bedford, it’s recommended that you stick to a diet of soft, non-abrasive foods. Here are some items you should stock up on before your surgery:

• Mashed potatoes
• Yogurt
• Ice cream
• Pudding
• Soup (make sure it’s not too hot)
• Pasta
• Scrambled eggs
• Smoothies

Most patients can return to their normal diet as soon as they feel up for it. However, it’s still a good idea to limit crunchy or tough foods and avoid chewing directly on the implant site.

Health & Oral Hygiene

It's crucial to take proper care of your gums and existing teeth after dental implant placement. You must keep them as clean as possible to avoid any complications. That means brushing your teeth like you normally would, being careful around the surgical site, and rinsing with warm salt water two to three times each day and after every meal. Avoid using mouthwashes that contain high levels of alcohol as they can irritate your oral tissues or dry out your mouth.

What to Do After Your New Teeth Are Attached

Once you’re fully healed and your abutments have been placed, you’ll return to the office for the placement of your final restoration. When your new crown, bridge, or denture is attached to the implant, you may experience mild sensitivity in the gum tissue. Luckily, this can easily be managed with pain medication. This part of the procedure is relatively simple and shouldn’t result in uncomfortable side effects like bleeding or swelling. You’ll be ready to smile that same day!

Making Oral Hygiene a Priority

Maintaining a healthy smile is key no matter if you have dental implants or not. However, should you have one or more titanium posts, it is imperative that you practice good oral habits at home. Although tooth decay cannot occur on artificial teeth, it can develop on and around natural, healthy teeth. The same goes for gum disease, which can negatively impact your smile. By brushing twice daily for two minutes, flossing at least once, and rinsing with an ADA-approved mouthwash, you’ll enjoy fresher breath and a healthier smile.

Eating a Healthy Diet

Too much sugar and starch can wreak havoc on your oral and overall health. Not only will your teeth and gums be impacted but your waistline will continue to expand as well. Watching what you eat and making healthier choices when it comes to snacking and mealtime will give your natural and artificial teeth the greatest chance of success. Lean proteins, dairy, foods high in Vitamin C, leafy greens, and plenty of fruits and vegetables will positively affect your oral health and, in turn, benefit your heart, brain, gut, and other areas of the body.

Breaking Bad Habits

Want your dental implants in Bedford to remain damage-free? Then consider breaking your bad habits. Do you smoke? Are you prone to eating ice or chewing on inanimate objects? Do you tend to bite your nails when nervous? Any of these lifestyle habits can cause significant damage to your real and artificial teeth. As a result, you can be left paying more money to have your implants replaced. If you need assistance to break these bad habits, look for available resources online or ask your dentist.

Protecting our Dental Implants

If you enjoy time spent playing your favorite sports, you’ll want to make sure your dental implants are protected by using a customized mouthguard. These unique oral appliances fit over your teeth and safeguard your smile from potential injury. Whether it is a hard hit, sudden fall, or foul ball, sports-related injuries are increasingly common. Fortunately, our team at Omega Dental is here to deliver timely treatment should you need it. If sports isn’t the reason for inquiring about a customized mouthguard, it may be that you grind your teeth at night while asleep. These mouthguards can help reduce wear and tear and keep your teeth apart throughout the night.

Scheduling Regular Dental Checkups

No matter if you still have natural, healthy teeth or a smile that consists of implant dentures on both the upper and lower arches, seeing your implant dentist in Bedford every six months is important. These visits will allow them to examine your smile and check for any minor or more severe damage. Also, they will look for signs of tooth decay, gum disease, and oral cancer to make sure no problems are developing that could put your healthy teeth, soft oral tissues, and dental implants at risk.