Dental implants are known as “the gold standard” in restorative dentistry, and for many good reasons. They are without a doubt the closest dental restoration to your natural teeth, providing most of the same benefits as a natural tooth.
Dental implants consist of a titanium root, similar to a hollow screw, that is surgically implanted into your jawbone. On the root, your dentist will place an abutment that allows different uses; a dental crown for single tooth replacements or attachments to implant-supported dentures or other dental prosthetics. In each option, your new teeth are anchored into your jawbone for secure, stable, and totally functional new teeth, and they look completely natural.
A major benefit of dental implants is how they mimic your natural tooth to maintain oral health. The titanium screw becomes embedded into your jawbone through a process called osseointegration. The pressure of this screw into the bone as you chew acts to stimulate the jawbone, causing continued bone growth and stability – just as your natural teeth perform this same service. This means you maintain a stronger jaw and facial bone structure to maintain a healthy appearance.
Mini Implants
Similar to a regular dental implant, a mini implant is a titanium post that is surgically placed in the jawbone. However, mini implants are smaller, requiring less jawbone and a less-invasive procedure for placing them. Our dentist can place mini implants in a minimally-invasive dental procedure that only requires a few days for healing and recovery.
Typical dental implants require enough bone structure to secure them in place, so patients who have some levels of bone loss cannot get traditional implants. Mini implants offer a solution for these Spokane patients, allowing them to choose implants or implant-supported restoration options to remake their smiles.
All-On-3 Dental Implants
Like the immensely popular All-on-4 dental implants, sometimes called the “teeth in a day” procedure, All-on-3 dental implants use just a few implants to support a full hybrid denture. Instead of several implants to replace missing teeth or to support an overdenture, our dentist uses only three strategically placed implants using a specialized method.
If you have been told that you are not a candidate for traditional dental implants or implant-supported dentures, All-on-3 dental implants may be right for you.
All-On-4Ⓡ Dental Implants
If you are ready to restore a complete smile in Spokane, All-on-4Ⓡ dental implants are a fully functional and aesthetically beautiful method for replacing teeth. These hybrid dentures are fixed into place and require no messy adhesives to seal them. The implants support the dentures, which look and feel more natural than conventional dentures. You then care for your new smile just like your natural teeth – with routine brushing, flossing, and regular dental checkups and do not have to remove them for cleaning.
All-on-4Ⓡ implant-supported dentures are a wonderful investment into your health and appearance. With your new smile, you can eat the foods you love and feel confident in social situations. Plus, as an added bonus, your implant procedure can be completed in one day at our state-of-the-art dental clinic in Spokane, WA. We can place provisional dentures right after placing your implants, while you wait for your permanent dentures to be created at the dental lab.
Implant-Supported Overdentures
Implant-supported overdentures are an excellent solution for replacing missing teeth. These overdentures are screwed to between four and eight supporting dental implants on each arch. This is a good option if your bone structure cannot support a full arch of dental implants or several implants to support dentures.
The 4-8 dental implants provide needed stimulation for bone growth, helping you to maintain a healthy and younger-looking facial structure. This is a significant benefit over traditional dentures that do not stimulate new bone growth, leaving the facial structure to atrophy over time and show more aging.
Our dentist and his team at Downriver Smiles in Spokane, WA can offer multiple options for replacing missing teeth with overdentures. We believe in providing our dental family as many choices as possible to fit their preferences, needs, lifestyles, and budgets. Overdentures supported by a few dental implants are a good, affordable solution for replacing missing teeth.
Implant Repairs
Smaller problems with your implant can mean only repairs are necessary. You may break a crown biting onto a popcorn kernel, or impact can cause it to come loose. Our team can perform simple implant repairs at our state-of-the-art dental clinic in Spokane. Sometimes the crown can come loose and simply need to be bonded back into place. If it is broken, we can affix a temporary crown while the dental lab creates a new one.
Downriver Smiles is your premier source for implant dentistry in Spokane, and that includes implant repairs or restorations. Contact us today if you have a problem with your dental implant – we may be able to see you today to make repairs or offer assistance until a restoration can be performed.
Bone Grafting
Bone loss is a significant problem for many patients who have lost teeth in the past. Many adults lose teeth and ignore the problem, chewing food on a different side or in some modified way to avoid going to the dentist. Over time, the jaw bone deteriorates from the lack of stimulation provided by the missing tooth or teeth. Our skilled team offers professional bone grafting to reverse this degenerative process.
Many people may not realize that losing teeth affects your facial appearance over time, even with your mouth closed to hide missing teeth. As the jaw bone deteriorates, it provides less support for your facial muscles and tissues. They begin to droop, creating a hollow, older appearance. Your neighboring teeth can also shift out of place, and into the gap of the missing tooth and become weak. When a person who is missing several teeth decides to replace them with dental implants, they are usually surprised to discover they do not have sufficient bone structure to support the implants, and some of their existing teeth are also in danger of being lost.
Although dental implants are a relatively new and innovative means for replacing missing teeth, earlier patients were not eligible for implants if they had lost too much jaw bone structure. Therefore, many people with missing teeth had to choose from other replacement options. Downriver Smiles offers advanced methods of bone grafting to provide sufficient bone structure for supporting dental implants.
What Is Bone Grafting?
Bone grafting is a straightforward, yet advanced, procedure where our restorative dentist obtains donor bone from elsewhere on your body and implants it onto your jawbone. This procedure is painless – your dentist will ensure you are well sedated with a local anesthetic before performing any operations.
Bone grafting is an oral surgical procedure, albeit a minor one. An incision is required so your dentist can access the jawbone and implant the donor bone in the proper location. Then the incision is closed and you are sent home to heal. A period of a few months is required for the donor bone to graft successfully into your jawbone, a process called osseointegration.
Your dentist will provide you with care instructions to follow while your jaw bone heals and the bones grow together. He can also provide information about dental implants and the many options available after your jaw bone develops sufficient density and support.
Contact Downriver Smiles in Spokane today if you were previously told you were not a candidate for dental implants. We can perform a bone graft to improve your jaw bone density and facial structure.
