Dental Implants in Scottsdale, AZ
Dental implants are a major part of restorative and cosmetic dentistry today, with more than 500,000 Americans having dental implants each year. They are often the best option for replacing individual or multiple teeth, restoring both function and appearance.
If you have missing teeth, you could be a perfect candidate for dental implants from Scottsdale Dental and Facial Aesthetics.
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants serve as a foundation for tooth replacements like crowns or bridges. These porcelain or ceramic replacement teeth are often applied to a trimmed-down tooth that serves as a foundation. As long as the roots are still strong and healthy, they can support the crown that replaces the tooth.
However, when teeth are missing or have been extracted, the roots go with them and can’t provide a foundation for replacement teeth. A dental implant can also solve this problem.
A post with a screw-like bottom is inserted into the jawbone through implant surgery. This provides a strong foundation for a crown, bridge, or even permanent dentures. In the case of bridges and permanent dentures, multiple implants serve as support at key points.
Dental implants are safe, effective, and long-lasting. Most dental implants last for a lifetime, although the crowns or bridges that use them as a base can need replacing every ten to fifteen years.
You can contact Scottsdale Dental and Facial Aesthetics to find out more about dental implants from Dr. Todd Shatkin, who has placed more than 30,000 implants over the course of his career.
Who Are Dental Implants Right for?
A wide variety of patients can be potential candidates for dental implants. In most cases, it’s best to retain the natural tooth roots whenever possible.
Using a natural tooth as the foundation for a tooth replacement is typically the preferred option. However, teeth that are already missing or are too severely decayed or damaged don’t provide that option.
Because the dental implant uses the jawbone as a foundation, conditions that affect the jawbone can have complicating effects.
The bone may be too thin or too weak. In some cases, bone grafting may be required, although patients can often avoid this by choosing mini dental implants. Scottsdale Dental and Facial Aesthetics can provide you with mini dental implants that use smaller posts than conventional implants.
The Benefits of Dental Implants
Dental implants carry a wide range of benefits for patients. The most important is the restoration of the natural ability to eat and speak normally. Individuals who are missing teeth will often develop difficulties with these everyday activities.
The strong foundation provided by dental implants lets these patients recover that ability much more effectively than removable dentures can.
With dental implants, patients are taking care of their long-term oral health. When teeth are missing, even an individual tooth, the gaps they leave can cause other teeth to shift. Over a lifetime, this can cause significant problems. Dental implants fill that gap and prevent shift just like a natural tooth would.
There’s also the benefit of improved appearance. If you’re missing one or more teeth, you might be self-conscious about your smile. Dental implants can provide you with a crown or bridge that matches the natural look of your teeth and completes your smile.
Mini dental implants could be just what you need to restore your smile and confidence. You can reach out to Scottsdale Dental and Facial Aesthetics today to schedule a free consultation to see if you’re a candidate for mini dental implants.
The Difference Between Conventional and Mini Dental Implants
There are two main types of dental implants in use. There are conventional implants and newer mini implants. Both of these options serve the same purpose — to provide a solid foundation for replacement teeth. However, there are some key differences in how they accomplish that.
Both conventional and mini dental implants have a screw-like base that extends into the jawbone for support. The traditional implant comes in two pieces, with the abutment where the crown sits being attached to the screw section after implantation. Mini dental implants are all one piece —
Mini dental implants are much thinner than conventional dental implants, which is why they’re called mini. The two are also made of different materials.
Traditional implants are made of titanium, which is both strong and biocompatible. Mini implants are made of zirconia. In addition to being strong enough, zirconia also has improved osseointegration, or bone fusing, making them just as effective of a foundation as titanium implants.
The Implantation Process
For patients, the biggest difference between conventional and mini dental implants comes in the treatment process. The mini dental implant process is much more convenient and less intensive, making it a preferred option among many patients.
Conventional implants are placed over multiple visits. The first visit implants the bottom of the implant, which must then be left to heal and integrate for several months. During this time, there’s still a gap in your smile because only the section under the gumline has been placed. A second visit then places the top half and a crown or bridge.
With mini dental implants, you don’t have to wait to have your smile fully restored. The entire post is placed in one visit. This means you can have a temporary crown during the healing process, which will then be replaced with a permanent crown when you come in for a check-up on the implant.
The process is so much quicker that many people call mini dental implants “same-day implants.” You can contact Scottsdale Dental and Facial Aesthetics for a consultation to find out whether mini dental implants are right for you. If they are, we can schedule your implant placement.
Avoiding the Need for Bone Grafts with Mini Implants
Mini dental implants can provide further benefits over conventional implants as well. Due to the size of traditional implants, they have increased requirements for jawbone thickness and width. Traditionally, patients who do not meet these requirements have had to undergo bone grafts.
A bone graft is a process where the bone is taken from another location and surgically grafted to the jawbone. The bone eventually heals and integrates, providing the necessary support for the implant. However, this process adds as much as nine months to the wait time.
Mini dental implants are much smaller, and patients rarely require a bone graft. This makes mini dental implants suitable for a wider range of patients, and you could be one of them. Dr. Todd Shatkin can let you know if mini dental implants are right for you and how Scottsdale Dental and Facial Aesthetics can help.
Get the Smile of Your Dreams with Mini Dental Implants
Whether you’re dealing with missing teeth or need a tooth extracted in the near future, mini dental implants could be just what you need to restore your smile.
Scottsdale Dental and Facial Aesthetics provides free consultations to evaluate your dental issues and determine whether mini dental implants are right for you. You can contact us today to get started and transform your smile for good.