Dental Implants
Have you or a loved one lost a tooth? Are you missing multiple teeth? Or perhaps you are looking for a completely new smile? If so, the wonderful professionals at Dental Solutions of Encinitas have a long-lasting and natural-looking solution to complete your smile: dental implants.
Quickly becoming one of the most requested treatments for tooth loss, our dental implants are made from the highest quality of materials like medical grade porcelain and biocompatible resins. Not only can our dental implants completely restore functionality to your tooth, but are artistically shaped and shaded to provide you with a picture-perfect smile.
Discover how you can benefit from this fantastic solution to tooth loss and contact our office today to schedule a consultation.
Dental Implants: Where Art and Advanced Technology Meet
At Dental Solutions of Encinitas, you can depend on our dedicated dental professionals to provide treatment that exceeds expectations. Our dental implant restorations are a prime example: beautifully crafted, built to last, and most importantly, made to completely restore any functionality lost due to missing teeth.
The secret to the success of this astonishing procedure is its ability to simulate every section of your original tooth. By gently but firmly affixing a dental implant to your jaw, it replicates a tooth’s root and provides similar health benefits and even a few additional perks.
The Parts of a Dental Implant
Dental implants have many different parts. We can help you understand how they work and what they can do for your smile.
- Titanium Implant | This implant is placed into your jawbone, creating stability for your restoration and giving your jawbone something to anchor to. This anchor helps your jawbone maintain its bone density.
- Abutment | The abutment is the connection between the dental implant and the restoration. It either rests inside the implant or connects to it. They are often ball-shaped and rest just above your gum.
- Restoration | Restorations are the visible part of the implant. They can be a dental crown, dental bridge, or even an entire denture. Our bridges and crows are made out of e.max or zirconia press.
When you come in for an implant consultation, we can tell you about the different parts of the implant, the benefits of implants, and the process for getting one.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Dental implants are the most advanced tooth replacement option available. Here are just a few of the advantages you can look forward to when receiving our dental implants:
Natural Comfort
While traditional restorations attach to natural teeth or the surface of your gums, implant-retained prosthetics attach to the jawbone, just like your natural teeth. This allows patients to enjoy restored natural chewing function.
Secure and Stable Smile
Many of our Encinitas patients dislike how wobbly dentures can be. Even a traditional bridge doesn’t replace the feel of natural teeth. Our dental implants won’t slip or shift like more traditional tooth replacements.
Jawbone Preservation
They provide essential stimulation to the alveolar bone, preventing and even reversing any jawbone atrophy following tooth loss. Tooth roots provide an important function by naturally stimulating jawbone growth. This is one reason why elderly individuals eventually develop “caved-in” cheeks.
Comfortable Chewing
Enjoy your favorite foods once again by being able to chew comfortably with the stability that dental implants provide. Once your dental implants have healed and your prosthetic has been attached, you can begin eating and speaking with confidence.
Restored Confidence
Achieve a complete and beautiful smile, restoring your sense of confidence.
The Dental Implant Process
Once your candidacy for dental implant surgery has been established, a date will be set for your oral surgery. Your surgeon will use local anesthesia and possibly sedation to help you relax. Once you are comfortable, an incision will be made in your gums. A small pilot hole will then be drilled and your titanium post will be placed in your jaw. Following placement, the incisions will be sutured and gauze will be used to control bleeding. You will be provided recovery guidelines that should be followed closely. The outpatient procedure has a minimal risk of complications.
Over the course of the next three to six months, the implant will fuse with nearby bone through a natural process called osseointegration. At some point during the healing process, a small metal attachment called an abutment will be placed on the implant. This allows the crown or prosthetic to attach to the implant. Once your abutment is healed, your custom crown, bridge, or denture will be placed and you will be able to enjoy fully restored oral function.
Caring for Your Dental Implant
Once your dental implant has been placed and restored, proper care is essential to ensure its longevity and maintain your overall oral health. While implants are durable and designed to last, they still require the same level of attention as your natural teeth.
- Brush and Floss Daily | Make sure to brush twice a day and floss daily, focusing on the area around your implant to keep the gum tissue and surrounding teeth healthy. Special floss or interdental brushes can be helpful for cleaning around the implant crown.
- Maintain Regular Dental Visits | Routine dental checkups and cleanings are key to monitoring your implant and catching any potential issues early. Your dentist will assess the implant, the surrounding gums, and the overall health of your smile.
- Avoid Hard or Sticky Foods | To protect your implant crown, avoid chewing on extremely hard items like ice or sticky candies that can place unnecessary stress on the restoration.
- Protect Against Teeth Grinding | If you grind your teeth at night, consider wearing a custom night guard to prevent damage to your implant and surrounding teeth.
By incorporating these simple steps into your routine, you can keep your dental implant and your entire smile in excellent shape for years to come. A little care goes a long way in preserving the confidence and functionality of your restored smile.
Restoring Your Smile Your Way
One of the greatest advantages of dental implants is just how multifaceted they can be. Implants allow you to select the restoration that best serves your needs and helps you achieve your dental care goals. Here are the dental implant restoration options available at our office:
Implant-Supported Crowns
This method replaces a single tooth. Your single implant will be placed, and then a custom crown will attach to your implant using an abutment. We make the crown in-office to match your implant and surrounding teeth.
Implant-Supported Bridges
Traditionally, bridges have used surrounding teeth to bridge a gap in your smile. This required that the teeth on either side of the gap be capped with crowns, and did not address the issue of jawbone deterioration. Now, we can bridge a gap with a couple of missing teeth with a bridge supported by implants on either side instead of your natural teeth.
Implant-Supported Dentures:
If you are missing or need to replace the majority of teeth along a dental arch, this method is recommended. For full arch replacement, we may place only 4–6 implants in an arch, and attach your custom denture to your implants, making recovery easier, all while supporting the health of your jaw.
Placing and Restoration All in One Convenient Location
Not every dentist can place implants and restore implants. Oral surgeons often only place an implant, and then you have to find a cosmetic dentist somewhere else to help you restore your implant with your chosen restoration. Fortunately, Dr. Vakilian is skilled in both restorative and cosmetic dentistry. At Dental Solutions of Encinitas, we can place and restore your implant, making it easier for you to replace your missing teeth. You won’t have to schedule with multiple doctors, and Dr. Vakilian can get to know you and your unique health history and oral health needs.
Our Technology for an Easier Implant Process
Jawbone Imaging
As we mentioned, we use CBCT scans to determine your jawbone density. We can even use the scans to plan out the placement of your implant, giving you reassurance that we have a detailed plan for your smile.
Intraoral Pictures
It is important to understand your oral health and your restorative dentistry needs before suggesting implants At our dental clinic we can take detailed intraoral pictures. This camera is a small wand that we can simply place inside your mouth to get detailed information about things that we cannot easily see while conducting an exam.
Digital Impressions
Instead of using goopy cement to take impressions, we can use our scanning technology to create your restoration. You won’t have to worry about taking a physical impression and making sure that it is accurate. We let the computer do the math to make a precise impression.
CEREC Crowns for Quicker Restorations
Traditionally, creating a crown for an implant required multiple appointments and weeks of waiting while the crown was made in a lab. With CEREC technology, this process is significantly faster. Using advanced digital imaging, your dentist can design and create a custom crown for your implant in a single visit.
The crown is milled from ceramic blocks, ensuring it matches the size, shape, and color of your natural teeth. Once complete, the crown is placed securely on your implant, restoring both the look and function of your smile.
CEREC crowns not only save time but also eliminate the need for temporary crowns, making the process more convenient and comfortable. It’s a fast and efficient way to complete your dental implant, so you can get back to enjoying your smile sooner.
E.max and Zirconia Presses
Our e.max press is a material that we use to make your crowns and bridges. It is a ceramic material that is highly durable and gives an attractive translucency to your restoration, mirroring a natural tooth more closely than any other material. We will choose between e.max press and zirconia-based on where your implant is and how many teeth need replacing.
Dental Solutions of Encinitas is Here for You
We understand that missing teeth or a damaged smile can be a source of discomfort or even shame. Our team is compassionate and committed to giving you the care you need. It isn’t just about your oral health or a cosmetic upgrade, it is about giving you a better life.
Meet Dr. Vakilian
Dr. Vakilian has KOIS training; she is on the leading edge of clinical education and care. She loves dentistry and the opportunity it provides to be creative and technical all at once. When you meet with her, she will make sure that you get involved in your oral health and have a thorough understanding of the procedures you choose to receive.
Call Today for a Completely Restored Smile
Dental implants allow you to eat and speak with renewed confidence. There’s no need to choose between oral health benefits or a cosmetically beautiful smile. The dedicated professionals here at Dental Solutions of Encinitas have elevated dentistry into an art form so you can get a picture-perfect smile that revitalizes your dental care.
So why go another day with an incomplete smile? Contact our office today and schedule your dental implant consultation.