Dental Implants West Loop Chicago

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

First, you’ll meet with either Dr. Hammes for your consultation. In addition to thoroughly explaining how dental implants work in Chicago, they’ll closely examine your mouth to confirm how many teeth (as well as which teeth) need to be replaced. We may find that you need to complete one or more preliminary procedures, such as bone grafting, before the implants can safely be placed. Once these treatments have been squared away, we can schedule your dental implant placement surgery.

Dental Implant Surgery

We place all of our dental implants using advanced computer guides, ensuring the safest, most accurate placement as well as a smooth recovery. After administering local anesthetic to numb your mouth (and sedation to help you relax), we create a tiny incision in your gums through which we can access your jawbone. The implant posts are precisely inserted into the bone, and then your gum tissue is stitched closed.

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment

It should only take a few days to recover from your surgery, but your jawbone will spend the next four to six months growing firmly attached to the implant posts. This process, known as osseointegration, is the key to the impressive stability that your new teeth will have. When osseointegration is complete, we’ll perform a second surgery, this one smaller, to secure metal connectors called abutments onto your implants. These pieces will hold your prosthetic teeth in place.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s)

After you’ve healed from your abutment procedure, you’ll come back to our office to receive your restorations. These crowns, bridges, or dentures (depending on the number of teeth you’re missing) will be fabricated based on precise digital impressions of your mouth. Once we attach the restorations to your abutments, your smile should be complete!

Day-to-Day Benefits

• Easy cleaning – Regular dentures require an annoyingly time-consuming routine of taking them out of your mouth to scrub them clean and letting them soak overnight. In contrast, daily oral hygiene is a no-brainer with dental implants. For the most part, you can simply brush and floss your prosthetic teeth exactly as if they were the ones you’d been born with.
• Enhanced chewing – Your new teeth will be firmly anchored into your jaw. Not only will this eliminate the risk of slippage, but you’ll also enjoy a biting force nearly as powerful as the one you had with your original teeth. It will feel incredibly easy to dig into steak, apples, corn on the cob, and all kinds of foods that are almost impossible to chew with dentures.
• Younger appearance – Without support from the roots of your teeth, your jawbone begins to shrink from a lack of support. Over time, it becomes unable to keep your facial tissues from drooping and wrinkling. Dental implants prevent this premature aging by strengthening the jawbone just like natural teeth.

Health Benefits

• Stronger jawbone – When the jawbone deteriorates following tooth loss, it puts your remaining teeth at risk. Eventually, these teeth may fall out as well. As the only tooth replacement to recreate the teeth’s roots, dental implants stimulate your jawbone through biting and chewing, protecting the teeth you have left.
• Preserving your remaining teeth – Traditionally, placing a dental bridge requires that two of your natural teeth be filed down in order to support the prosthetic. These teeth are then left more vulnerable to sensitivity, decay, and even breakage. With dental implants, we won’t need to alter perfectly healthy tooth structure; the implants can fully support themselves.
• Better overall health – By being so easy to maintain, dental implants naturally decrease the risk of poor oral health, particularly gum disease. Because gum disease has been demonstrably linked to a multitude of medical conditions (heart disease, dementia, and type 2 diabetes, to name a few), it’s reasonable to assume that dental implants can also reduce your risk for these issues.

Long-Term Benefits

• Impressive success rates – Dental implant treatment is remarkably safe, and even after more than a decade, it’s successful in as many as 95-98% of cases. You’ll be able to rely on these replacement teeth for years to come!
• Results that last – On average, a conventional bridge or denture only lasts for about 10 years, but a dental implant’s lifespan can easily reach three or four times In fact, many dental implant patients end up living the rest of their lives without ever having to get their implants replaced.
• A worthwhile investment – While they seem costlier at first, dental implants can save you enormous amounts of money and time in the long run. Without needing to purchase adhesives and cleaning supplies, or have your prosthetic replaced entirely every few years, you’ll be making a smarter investment by choosing dental implants.

Who is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

Dental implants are a versatile treatment available for patients experiencing all different types of tooth loss. Whether you’re missing one, multiple, or all of your teeth, implants can help restore your smile’s function and beauty. However, before you can undergo treatment, you’ll need to meet with your implant dentist to help determine if this treatment is right for you. Our team offers free dental implant consultations to make starting the process as simple and pressure-free as possible!

During your consultation, our implant dentists in West Loop Chicago will review your medical and dental histories and learn more about your expectations and smile goals. Typically, our team likes to make sure that you’re in good overall health at these appointments, as surgery is necessary. We also like to make sure you have enough jawbone density to support the implants. If not, you may need preparatory treatments like a bone graft before you can undergo surgery.

Missing One Tooth

To replace a single tooth with dental implants, a titanium post is placed into the jaw. After several months, the implant will fuse with the jawbone through a process called osseointegration. An abutment, which is a small, metal connector piece will then be attached to the top of your implant. A few weeks will go by to allow the gums to fully heal around the abutment. Finally, our team will attach your custom-tailored free-standing dental crown to your implant to fill the gap in your smile.

Missing Multiple Teeth

Instead of modifying your existing teeth to make room for a traditional bridge, a pair of dental implants are anchored within the jawbone on either side of the gap in your arch. These will act as the support for the bridge instead of your natural teeth. Since the implants do all the heavy lifting, you won’t need to make any changes to your enamel just to make your smile complete.

Missing All Teeth

An implant denture is ideal for replacing the top, bottom, and even both arches of teeth, if necessary. Our dental office makes use of both locator and bar-retained implant dentures depending on your specific preferences. We’re happy to break down their unique differences with you during your consultation. You can delve a little deeper into how implant dentures work by clicking the link below.

Learn More About Implant Dentures

Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery

It’s fairly common for patients to need one or more additional procedures (such as tooth extractions, bone grafting, or a sinus lift) before they’re ready for dental implant surgery. Each of these procedures incurs its own fee, but since they increase the chances of your implants being successful in the long run, consider them an investment in your future smile.

The surgical placement itself will also have its own price, which varies based on the complexity of your case as well as any anesthesia or sedation you receive. Luckily, our Washington Dental Care West Loop team can perform this step of the process in-house, saving you from needing to pay specialist fees.

The Parts of Your Dental Implant

The dental implant post, and the abutment connector that goes on top of it, can be made from various materials and come from different brands and manufacturers. Our dentists may recommend a certain type of implant or abutment based on how it will best meet your specific needs. Naturally, they all come at different price points.

The restoration – prosthetic tooth or teeth – that is affixed on top of your abutments will also factor into your overall costs. Needless to say, restoring a single implant with a crown will generally cost less than placing a full denture.

How Dental Implants Can Save You Money

You might be tempted to try and save money by choosing a traditional denture or bridge instead, but dental implants are actually the most cost-effective option currently available. Not only will you not have to pay to get your prosthetic replaced every five to ten years, but you also won’t need to purchase special cleaning products or adhesives. Additionally, implants are easier to care for, so they reduce your risk of gum disease and the costs associated with treating it. In the end, dental implants in Chicago pay for themselves many times over!

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

While it’s becoming increasingly common for dental insurance providers to cover dental implants, not all of them do. To make sure you’re getting all of the savings for which you qualify, our team will happily maximize your plan’s benefits and handle the paperwork on your behalf. Our practice is in-network with Tricare, but we accept all dental PPOs.

Making Dental Implants Affordable

At Washington Dental Care West Loop, we want our patients to be able to replace their teeth without breaking the bank. To that end, we offer other financing options besides insurance, such as:

• FREE dental implant consultation – We’re currently running a special offer for a free implant consultation, which includes evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment planning.
• Third-party financing – Our practice has partnered with CareCredit and Alphaeon, both of which offer low-interest monthly payment plans that make your treatment costs more manageable.
• In-house membership plan – Our in-house dental plan makes it easy for uninsured patients to save. A small annual fee provides low, fixed rates for dental implants and many other treatments, in addition to the free preventive care that insurance covers.

Make Oral Hygiene a Priority

Dental implants themselves can’t get cavities; they’re made of artificial materials. That said, you should still practice great oral hygiene for their sake.

The problem is that oral health issues can trigger implant failure. Such conditions often loosen your prosthetic and keep it from fusing, whether a tooth infection or gum disease. From there, you would have to replace the implant with a new one.

So, then, remember to keep your teeth clean. In particular, brush them twice daily, floss them once daily, and rinse them with mouthwash as needed.

 

Eat a Healthy Diet

By fusing with your jaw, implants restore much of your bite force. They thus allow you to eat almost anything you want. Despite that fact, though, you should still try to stick to a “mouth-friendly” diet.

You see, some foods are risky for implants. Chips and nuts, for example, can chip or crack these prosthetics. Meanwhile, sticky or sugary foods often wedge between implants and cause oral health issues.

“Mouth-healthy” meals, in contrast, benefit your implants. For starters, dairy products have calcium that further strengthens your jawbone. On the other hand, fruits and veggies have vitamins that make gum tissues resilient.

Break Bad Habits

Just as they hurt natural teeth, bad oral habits can harm dental implants. They’ll even lead to implant failure if you’re not careful.

Look at tobacco products, for instance. These items slow your recovery from implant surgery and encourage gum disease. Due to such effects, they make implants less likely to fuse with your jaw.

You shouldn’t chew on hard objects, either. Doing so will damage your implants, especially if the “object” in question is a fingernail, ice cube, etc.

Protect Your Dental Implants

Implants may be durable, but they aren’t indestructible. As such, you must protect them from harsh forces that might chip or break them.

A perfect idea would be to wear a custom sports or sleep mouthguard. In sporting events, the appliance can prevent dental injuries. Alternatively, a special nightguard would keep implants safe from tooth grinding.

Schedule Regular Dental Checkups

Naturally, implant maintenance requires that you see a dentist often. Given that fact, attending regular checkups and cleanings every six months is best.

Keep in mind that dental visits act as preventive care. Namely, they allow a dentist to monitor your oral health and spot issues early. Therefore, regular checkups let a dental practice assess your implants and treat potential threats early.