Dental Implants — Denver, CO

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

Your initial dental implant consultation will consist of meeting with your implant dentist in Denver to determine your eligibility. After a thorough evaluation and undergoing various digital imaging, we will decide whether you require preliminary treatments (i.e., bone grafting, periodontal therapy, tooth extraction) or are free to move forward with dental implant surgery.

Dental Implant Surgery

Once you are cleared for dental implant surgery, our team will refer you to an outside specialist who will take care of placing your new prosthetics. You will be administered local anesthesia before small incisions are made in your gums. Exposing your jawbone, each dental implant in Denver will be placed into the corresponding locations before it is closed, and protective healing caps are placed over the top of each implant post.

Dental Implant Osseointegration/Abutment

Returning home, you will spend the next 3-6 months healing. Osseointegration must occur during this time, as this is the process of your implants fusing with your jawbone and surrounding tissues. It is vital that you follow all instructions provided to you by our dental team at Pearl Dentistry. This will ensure you heal swiftly and properly and experience no complications. Once you’re healed, you’ll return to have your metal abutments put into place.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations

The final phase is receiving your customized dental restoration. Whether it is a crown, bridge, or denture, our team will ensure it looks and feels natural when put into place. Using the specifications provided to the dental lab, the color, size, and shape of your new teeth should match the rest of your smile, allowing it to blend in seamlessly and create a cohesive, complete look. Once in place, you will be free to start enjoying the many benefits only dental implants can provide. Before you know it, you’ll eat with greater ease, start speaking more clearly, and exude the confidence you deserve.

Day-to-Day Benefits

• No Food Restrictions: Never worry about your teeth slipping or falling out! Dental implants in Denver, CO allow you to eat the foods you love because of the added stability of being placed within the jawbone.
• Enhanced Appearance: Combining titanium posts that sit within the bone and gums with a high-quality restoration, dental implants make it possible for you to enjoy a natural look that feels and acts like regular teeth.
• Better Quality of Life: Many denture-wearers admit they are embarrassed by their prosthetics. They also tend to avoid social situations. However, with your new prosthetics, you can embrace a better quality of life and freely smile, speak, and eat when surrounded by family, friends, and colleagues.

Health Benefits

• Healthy Teeth Untouched: Dental bridges require altering in order to hold a bridge in place; however, dental implants are anchored to the bone, so your healthy teeth remain untouched.
• Improved Jawbone Stability: Tooth loss often comes with jawbone deterioration; however, an implant dentist in Denver, CO can place dental implants and ensure optimal stimulation to the bone each time you bite down or chew.
• Minimal Risk for Systemic Issues: Because researchers have discovered there is a close tie between tooth loss and many systemic issues, your decision to replace your missing teeth with dental implants allows you to move forward with greater health and well-being.

Long-Term Benefits

• Successful Implant Placement: The success rate for dental implant placement is about 95%. If you commit to maintaining optimal oral health in the next 10 years, you can expect that rate to remain between 90 and 95%!
• Increased Longevity: Dental implants are known for their long lifespan. This is one of their greatest benefits. Instead of worrying about replacing your teeth every few years (like you would with dental bridges or dentures), you can enjoy a more permanent smile for at least 30 years or more!
• You’ll Save Money: There are no denture adhesives or special cleaning supplies necessary when wearing dental implants. As a result, you’ll actually save money in the long run by choosing this permanent solution.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

While nearly any healthy adult can get dental implants, the ideal candidate has good oral and general health, a strong jawbone that can support the implants, and no autoimmune disorders that can interfere with the healing process. Before some patients can be good candidates for dental implant surgery, they may need preparatory procedures such as a bone graft, sinus lift, tooth decay treatments, or periodontal therapy.

After the healing period for these treatments is over, the surgery can be scheduled. It’s important that your gums and jawbones are healthy before your implants are placed because they are the foundation for your replacement teeth. Without good oral health, you will have a higher risk of dental implant failure down the road.

Missing One Tooth

A single-tooth implant consists of a titanium post, a metal abutment, and a customized dental restoration that sits above the gumline. No healthy teeth are altered because the implant is placed into the exact socket of the missing tooth, allowing the implant to stimulate the jawbone and restore the entire tooth structure from the root up. This solution is sturdier and more durable than a traditional dental bridge.

Missing Multiple Teeth

An implant bridge can be created to close a larger gap in your smile. When one or more consecutive teeth are missing in a row, we can place two implants into your jawbone before fitting a customized bridge on top of the implants, bringing back all the teeth at once without altering the dental structure around them. In some cases where the patient is missing several teeth throughout the mouth, several implants can anchor a partial denture in place.

Missing All Teeth

If you think removable dentures are the only way to replace all your teeth, guess again. We can provide an implant denture that looks and feels just like your regular teeth, only you won’t need to worry about buying dental adhesive to keep it in place. By securing your denture with four or six implants, you can enjoy a fully functional, more stable smile that allows you to eat whatever you want without the risk of it falling out when you speak. This creates a strong restoration that stimulates your jawbone, allowing it to work well and look great for years to come.

Learn More About Implant Dentures

Learn More About All-On-4 Dental Implants

Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery

The process of getting dental implants occurs in several steps, which can take many months to complete. This can make it easier to budget for dental implants because you won't have to pay a lump sum.

After your initial consultation, your implant dentist in Denver may recommend a little prep work, like gum disease therapy, tooth extractions, or bone grafting.

Once you've healed from any preliminary treatments, you'll have your placement surgery. Sedation or anesthesia will be used to keep you comfortable as titanium posts are surgically placed into your jawbone.

The Parts of Your Dental Implant

Besides prep work and your placement surgery, the number of teeth you're treating will also affect the cost. You'll have to pay for each part of the dental implant, which includes:

• Implant post
• Abutment
• Restoration

Based on how many teeth you're replacing, you may need more than 1 implant. Each implant will require an abutment to attach your restoration, whether a crown, bridge, or denture.

How Dental Implants Can Save You Money

You may pay more for dental implants upfront, but they are the most cost-effective long-term. They have an average lifespan of 30 years or more, so you won't have to pay for replacements. Dental implants will also preserve your jawbone to prevent common issues caused by missing teeth. You'll lower your overall oral health expenses by preventing costly treatments later.

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

Every insurance plan differs, but most can be used to offset the cost of dental implants. It's unlikely your benefits will cover the entire cost, but they can lower your out-of-pocket expenses for certain steps in your plan, like your consultation, imaging, preliminary treatments, or your restorations. A member of our team will work on your behalf with your dental insurance to maximize your coverage to keep your treatment within your budget. They'll explain how your benefits are being used and your payment options for any remaining balance.

Making Dental Implants Affordable

Besides using your dental insurance, we accept many payment methods to keep dental implants in Denver affordable, including:

• Traditional Payments: Our office accepts all traditional payment methods, including cash, personal checks, and credit cards.
• Monthly Payments: You can pay any out-of-pocket fees using a monthly payment plan through a third-party financing company, like CareCredit. You can enjoy little or no interest in financing based on your credit approval.

If you have questions about your payment options, or you're ready to schedule your consultation, contact our office today.

Trios Digital Scanner

Have you ever gotten a dental crown, bridge, denture, or any other dental restoration? If so, you’ve probably gone through the process of getting impressions, which is traditionally done using a messy and uncomfortable putty. This creates a mold of the area, which is used for the restoration.

Thankfully, the Trios digital scanner eliminates the discomfort, hassle, and poor taste of traditional putty impressions. Instead, we take all-digital impressions of the smile for the most seamless and predictable dental implant treatment. This amazing piece of technology allows us to take a variety of digital, color images, which we can combine to contribute to treatment planning. The best part is that this instrument is easy to use – it takes a matter of minutes for the Trios digital scanner to get all the information we need. Please don’t hesitate to contact our office if you have any questions about the technology we use.

Does Dental Implant Surgery Hurt?

At Pearl Dentistry in the Highlands, we partner with highly skilled local oral surgeons for dental implant placement. Before the surgery even begins, they’ll use local anesthesia to ensure that you remain completely numb and can’t feel a thing. If it’s your first time having surgery, we can walk you through the procedure so you know exactly what to expect and answer any questions you may have. Our goal is to remain by your side throughout every step of the process so you always have someone to turn to in case you have any concerns.

How Long Do Dental Implants Last?

Research has shown that with the proper care and maintenance, dental implants can last for up to 35 years, which is several times longer than the average lifespan of traditional restorations like dentures. That means that you’ll have to spend less time at our office and get to spend more time enjoying your beautiful new teeth!