Dental Implants

Day-to-Day Benefits

• Enhanced Chewing Abilities: Because your prosthetics won’t move or shift in your mouth, you’ll be able to more comfortably and easily eat the foods you want, including those you wouldn’t be able to with dentures, like crusty bread and steak. Not only will this allow you to enjoy the simple pleasures in life more, but it will also help you maintain a well-balanced diet.
• Easier to Speak: Your prosthetic will have an unwavering foundation, so you won’t need to use denture adhesive to keep it in place, and you’ll have an easier time speaking and pronouncing words because they won’t shift in your mouth.
• Simple Maintenance: You’ll be able to take care of your implant-retained prosthetic just like you would with your natural teeth, so you won’t have to change your oral hygiene routine. Just continue brushing twice each day for two minutes, flossing daily, and visiting your implant dentist in Sunnyvale every two weeks for checkups and cleanings.
• Boosted Confidence: With a more reliable prosthetic, you’ll be able to speak and eat without facing embarrassing moments where you talk with a lisp or have to readjust your denture.

Health Benefits

• Prevention of Jawbone Deterioration: Dental implants are the only tooth replacement solution that restores the entire structure of your missing teeth, including the roots. This prevents the jawbone from deteriorating over time by providing it with stimulation and blood flow. This also preserves the appearance of your facial structure.
• Protect Surrounding Teeth: When you replace missing teeth, you’ll be able to preserve the alignment of your smile by preventing surrounding teeth from drifting out of place to fill the gaps.
• Systemic Health Benefits: When you replace missing teeth, you can reduce your risk of developing medical conditions associated with poor oral health.

Long-Term Benefits

The best long-term benefit of dental implants is that they last for over 35 years with the proper care, which is four times the average lifespan of traditional restorations. This means fewer visits to your dental office and more time out in the world enjoying your new, fully functional, natural-looking smile.

Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery

Some patients do not initially qualify for dental implants due to oral health issues like gum disease or jawbone deterioration (which commonly occurs after tooth loss). As a result, your implant dentist in Sunnyvale may have to perform certain preliminary procedures, such as periodontal therapy or bone grafting, to ensure your mouth is fully ready to accommodate your new teeth. While these treatments create a healthy foundation for your implants, they do increase your overall costs.

The implant placement surgery will also incur its own cost, which is normally influenced by the location of the posts within the mouth as well as the type of sedation received.

The Parts of Your Dental Implant

The overall price of your implant treatment will be affected by multiple variables, including:

• Number of implants – Dental implants are versatile enough to bring back any number of missing teeth. It goes without saying that the more implant posts you need to complete your smile, the higher your treatment cost will be.
• Type of restoration – Crowns, bridges, and dentures all come with different prices; naturally, the larger your restoration, the more it costs.
• Brand – Different dental implant manufacturers create products that can meet patients’ varying needs. Feel free to ask your dental implant specialist in Sunnyvale why they’re using the type of implant that they are.

How Dental Implants Can Save You Money

It can be tempting to try and save money in the short term by getting a denture or dental bridge, but over time, dental implants can pay for themselves several times over. Traditional solutions have to be adjusted or replaced entirely every five to ten years or so, multiplying their initial lower price. Dental implants can last a lifetime with the right care. Additionally, implants are easy to maintain, so they can help you avoid oral health problems, like gum disease, that would require expensive treatments.  

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

Often, dental insurance does NOT cover dental implants themselves, but they may partially cover some other portions of the treatment, like preliminary procedures. Our practice is a Premier Provider for Delta Dental, MetLife, and Cigna. However, we’ll also help you file claims and maximize benefits even if you have an out-of-network plan. 

Making Dental Implants Affordable

We also have non-insurance options for helping you afford dental implants in Sunnyvale. For example, we’re happy to partner with CareCredit. This trusted third-party financier has helped millions of patients split the cost of their dental implants into manageable monthly payments, often with little to no interest.

Plus, we offer a FREE dental implant consultation and payment plans starting at the low rate of $199 a month. Get in touch with us today to find out how affordable it can be to rebuild your smile!

What to Do Directly After Dental Implant Surgery

Dental implant surgery is one of the most taxing parts of the entire process. However, you can expect to make a speedy and comfortable recovery with the right care and maintenance. One of the most crucial things to keep in mind while you heal is to leave the blood clot that’s formed around your surgical site untouched. To do this, make sure you avoid:

• Spitting (use tissues or swallow your saliva)
• Drinking with a straw
• Smoking or using tobacco products
• Touching the surgical site with your fingers or tongue

Common Side Effects

If you’ve never had oral surgery before, it can be difficult to tell which symptoms are normal and which aren’t. During your recovery, you’ll likely experience some discomfort, but it will gradually fade over time. If it seems to be getting worse, don’t hesitate to contact our team for assistance.

Aside from that, here are a few other side effects you’ll likely experience in the days following your procedure:

• Intermittent Bleeding – You can manage it by placing clean gauze over the area and applying light pressure. This can continue for several days following your surgery.
• Swelling – This can occur for 72 hours following your procedure, sometimes even over a week. You can reduce swelling and minimize discomfort by applying a cold compress on the outside of your mouth.
• General Discomfort – You can alleviate discomfort by taking prescribed or over-the-counter pain medication as directed.

Diet

Make sure you stick to a soft-food diet for the first few days after your surgery! To prepare, stock up on these items beforehand:

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

You can return to your normal diet as soon as you feel up for it. However, it’s still a good idea to be cautious around chewy, crunchy, or tough foods. Avoid chewing on the dental implant site as well.

Health & Oral Hygiene

It’s incredibly important to keep your mouth clean after dental implant surgery. By doing so, you can avoid any complications and ensure your implant fuses successfully with the surrounding bone tissue. That said, make sure you brush your teeth like you normally (be careful around the surgical site) and rinse with warm salt water two to three times per day and after every meal. Avoid using mouthwashes with high levels of alcohol as they can irritate your oral tissues and dry out your mouth.

What to Do After Your New Teeth Are Attached

Once you’re healed and the implants have fused with your jawbone, you’ll return to the office and complete the last step in the process – the placement of your new teeth! Your dentist will attach your new bridge, crown, or denture and complete your smile. Some patients may experience mild sensitivity in the gum tissue, but it’s completely manageable with pain medication. If you notice any bleeding or swelling, let our team know right away. Those aren’t normal side effects and should be addressed as soon as possible.