Dental Implants – Goodyear, AZ

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

The first portion of your treatment requires us to determine if dental implants are a viable option for you. Dr. Hong will complete a comprehensive exam, which involves capturing digital X-rays as well as examining your bone tissue and gum health. As long as you have sufficient jawbone density and are free of issues like gum disease and decay, you should be eligible for the procedure. If we detect any underlying problems, we’ll be sure to address them before moving forward. Once you’re ready, we can review the details of your treatment plan, including the timeline and overall cost.

Dental Implant Surgery

Our team performs the entire dental implant procedure in-office, so you won’t have to worry about driving to multiple locations to rebuild your smile. This means you’ll be able to receive the care you need from a team and dentist you already know and trust. To start, we’ll numb your mouth completely with a local anesthetic to keep you pain-free. We may also administer sedation dentistry to help you relax throughout the procedure.

Dr. Hong will make a small incision in your gums to access the jawbone. He’ll place the implants in their pre-planned locations and angles before suturing your gum tissue around them. We’ll place a protective cap atop the implants before we send you home to recover.

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment

Your implant will need to bond with your jawbone in a process called osseointegration. This is what will allow your new teeth to have the foundation they need to offer a natural-feeling bite. This process can take four to six months to finish.

After you’ve properly recovered, you’ll come back to us to get your abutments. These are the small metal connector pieces that will link your restoration(s) to your implants. We’ll take impressions of your smile again and start fabricating your custom teeth while your gums heal.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s)

After a few weeks of recovery, you’ll return to our office to receive your new dental crown, bridge, or denture. Once we’ve fitted them to your dental implants, we’ll want to confirm that your bite is comfortable and that you’re satisfied with the results. We’ll also answer any questions you might have before leaving. Then, you’ll be free to show off your brand-new pearly whites for many years to come!

Day-to-Day Benefits 

We use our teeth everyday to speak, eat, and show happiness. For that reason, it only makes sense that you’d want a tooth loss solution that’ll allow you to do those things with ease. Luckily, dental implants can help you freely enjoy your day-to-day life by offering the following benefits:

• Ability to Eat Most Foods – Because implants fuse with your jawbone (something that cannot be said for other options), you can maintain the fullest biting force possible to eat your favorite foods and prevent changes in your jaw shape and facial appearance.
• Increased Confidence – With dental implants, you don’t have to worry about them moving out of place while in use. They’ll stay in your jawbone while you eat, talk, and smile.
• Easier Maintenance – Caring for dental implants is as easy as caring for natural teeth! You don’t have to worry about purchasing special products or incorporating complex steps into your oral hygiene routine. All you have to do is brush, floss, and rinse like you normally would.

Health Benefits

Beyond appearance, dental implants offer many incredible health advantages. Some of those include:

• Jawbone Preservation – Since implants stimulate the jawbone, they help prevent the bone loss that’s common after tooth loss.
• Protection for Natural Teeth – It’s normal for teeth to shift after tooth loss. Luckily, dental implants serve as a placeholder to ensure every member of your smile stays exactly where it belongs.
• Better Overall Health ­– Studies have discovered a correlation between tooth loss and an increased risk of multiple diseases. Because implants are so similar to natural teeth, it’s reasonable to assume that they can help lower such risks.

Long-Term Benefits

With dental implants, you can expect to enjoy many long-term benefits, such as:

• High Success Rate – Implants have a success rate that falls between 95% and 98%, meaning you can have confidence in your replacement tooth.
• Long-Lasting Results – Dental implants offer the best longevity compared to other tooth replacements and typically last anywhere between 30 years and a lifetime with proper care.
• Youthful Appearance – Because implants stimulate blood flow in the jaw, they prevent the sunken, aged look that often accompanies tooth loss.

Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery

Several factors influence the overall cost of dental implants. For instance, if you aren’t initially a good candidate for the treatment, then you might require preliminary procedures to make you eligible, such as gum disease therapy and bone grafting. Though these solutions will be essential for ensuring the success of your renewed smile, they will also stack on the final price of your restorations.

The dental implant surgery itself will also affect how much you’ll pay. The price may change based on factors like the location in your mouth the metal posts will be placed and the kind of sedation therapy provided. Fortunately, our team can perform the entire dental implant treatment process in-office, including the surgery, saving you time, money, and headaches of visiting an outside specialist.

The Parts of Your Dental Implant

The price of your restorations will also be affected by the parts themselves, including:

• Number of dental implants – The more metal posts you’ll require, the higher the cost of your treatment.
• Type of restoration – Once your dental implants are fused to your jawbone, you can renew your smile with custom-crafted crowns, bridges, or dentures which all come at unique price ranges.
• Material and size – Dental implants can be made out of multiple materials, such as zirconia and titanium. Some are also longer or shorter than average, which can change the amount you’ll end up paying.
• Brand of dental implant – While several companies manufacture dental implants, our team only uses the highest quality brands to restore your pearly whites.

How Dental Implants Can Save You Money

While there is a higher upfront cost to dental implants, this treatment can save you much more time and money in the long term. Traditional restorations like bridges and dentures may be more affordable at first, but you’ll have to replace them every several years. With dental implants, however, you’ll have the potential to enjoy your new smile for several decades to the rest of your life. This can also save you thousands of dollars on restorations in the long run, as you won’t even need to buy special cleaning products or adhesives to maintain them. Most importantly, the boost in your confidence and quality of life with dental implants is simply priceless!

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

Although dental implants aren’t usually covered by dental insurance, you might expect your benefits to help with parts or percentages of your procedure. For instance, the initial consultation, preparatory treatments, and restoration(s) typically receive some or partial coverage. Feel free to consult our knowledgeable staff, and we’ll be glad to help you navigate your insurance policy and make the most of your benefits.

Making Dental Implants Affordable

Since dental implants are one of the most effective and comprehensive ways to restore missing teeth, we understand the importance of being able to afford your treatment. Fortunately, even if you don’t have insurance or your plan won’t cover your procedure, there are alternative financing options. We offer plans through CareCredit which can help split up the overall cost of your treatment into small monthly installments with little to no interest. This means you’ll be able to receive the care you deserve without having to break the bank!

Make Oral Hygiene a Priority

Brushing and flossing daily is key to keeping your smile healthy, and there’s certainly no exception when it comes to your dental implants. To keep them clean, make sure to brush for at least two minutes at a time and clean along the gum line. Use floss to remove food debris that gets stuck in between teeth. For an extra thorough cleaning, consider using an oral rinse as well as a water flosser during your regimen.

Eat a Healthy Diet

The foods you eat can have a bigger impact on your smile than you may realize. For example, eating foods containing lots of sugar or starch will make it easier for plaque to buildup on your teeth, gums, and tooth replacements. While the restorations themselves cannot develop decay, gum disease can still cause them to fail in the most serious stages. On top of brushing and flossing, eat a diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and lean proteins. Drink plenty of water throughout the day to reduce dry mouth, a condition that increases the risk of dental disease.

Break Bad Habits

Using your dental implants to chew on your nails, open packages, or bite down on very hard foods like hard candy or ice cubes are sure ways to damage your natural teeth as well as your dental implants. Make sure to always have the right tool for the job nearby when you need it, whether it be nail clippers to trim your nails or box cutters and scissors to open boxes or packaging. Additionally, you should discontinue the use of all tobacco products and avoid eating extremely hard foods known for damaging teeth.

Protect Your Dental Implants

Wearing a mouthguard or nightguard is in your best interest if you are particularly active or you have a teeth grinding and clenching issue while you sleep. While mouthguards are ideal when playing contact sports like football, basketball, soccer, hockey, or wrestling, nightguards provide additional cushion for your teeth when you grind and clench throughout the night. Both can be customized to fit your mouth exactly using our office’s advanced digital impression software.

Schedule Regular Dental Checkups

Regular dental appointments are necessary to ensure the long-term health of your smile and tooth replacements. Visit our office once every six months so our team can examine the state of your oral health, catch problems early if they appear, provide treatment if necessary, and recommend tips for maintaining and caring for your oral structures in the best way possible at home.

What to Do Directly After Dental Implant Surgery

You may feel groggy after undergoing sedation dentistry during your appointment, so you’ll have to arrange for someone to drive you home. We will likely recommend taking your first dose of prescribed pain relievers before the numbing agent in your mouth completely wears off. Since your mouth will be numb, avoid chewing on any foods, and only drink lukewarm beverages like water. Once you get home, be sure to get plenty of rest to help your body recover.

Common Side Effects When Recovering From Dental Implant Placement

It’s natural to feel tired after your oral surgery. You’re likely to experience some discomfort, swelling, or even intermittent bleeding. Even so, these symptoms should be easily managed with at-home remedies like over-the-counter pain relievers, ice packs, and gauze. If your situation doesn’t improve or clear up within a week or so, or if things worsen, feel free to contact us right away for help.

Your Diet After Dental Implant Surgery

You’ll need to keep your implant site and mouth clean and safe after your oral surgery. For this reason, you should stick closely to our dietary restrictions. Make sure to choose soft, nutrient-dense, and vitamin-rich foods and beverages, including:

• Pasta and scrambled eggs
• Lukewarm pureed soup
• Mashed potatoes, pudding, and baked veggies
• Applesauce, yogurt, and smoothies

Post-Op Health & Oral Hygiene

During your recovery time, you’ll want to avoid the risk of developing an infection around your new dental implant(s). Should bacteria accumulate around the surgical site, they can end up infecting and damaging your tissues. Not only can this disrupt osseointegration and your healing process, but it can also result in dental implant failure. To avoid these complications, be sure to brush your teeth at least twice a day, and be gentle around your implant site. Try flossing regularly and rinse your mouth frequently with water or mouthwash. Don’t spit out forcefully, but instead let the liquid pour out of your mouth.

What to Do After Your New Teeth Are Attached

You should feel quite normal after a week or two following your implant surgery. Your jawbone, however, will still need to heal and fuse over your metal post(s) for several months. After the osseointegration is finished, you'll come back to our office to have your restorations attached. Your gums may feel somewhat sensitive for a day or so as you get accustomed to your new pearly whites. Before you know it, you’ll be able to show off and fully enjoy your restored smile!