Dental Implants – Lincoln, NE
Regain Lost Teeth Seamlessly
Having an incomplete smile can negatively influence a person’s life in various ways over time. Not only is their oral health directly affected, but they may also struggle with not being able to chew favorite foods, speak clearly with friends, or smile without embarrassment. At Weber Family Dentistry, we’d like to introduce these patients to a state-of-the-art method for lasting tooth replacement – dental implants.
Dental implants stand apart from more traditional services like dentures and bridges because they actually replace the entire natural tooth, including the root underneath the jawbone. This comprehensive approach is not only much better for a patient’s continuing wellbeing, but the finished result is virtually seamless in look, and feel, and function when compared to the original tooth. If you’d like to learn more about this transformative service or schedule an implant consultation with Dr. Weber, contact us today in Lincoln, NE.
Why Choose Dr. Steven Weber for Dental Implants?
- Surgical Dental Implant Placement & Restoration in One Dental Office
- Digital Technology for Added Precision & Comfort
- Member of the International Dental Implant Association
Benefits of Dental Implants
There are many reasons why dental implants in Lincoln are considered the gold standard for tooth replacement. Not only are they capable of replacing the tooth’s root and crown, but they offer far greater durability, flexibility, and longevity, making them stand high above the rest. In fact, it is estimated that more than 3 million people have dental implants and more than 500,000 are placed each year. There has also been a more than 6% increase in the prevalence of dental implants from 2019-2020.
Some of the advantages you expect when receiving dental implants include:
Lifestyle Benefits
- There are fewer food restrictions, allowing you to eat what you like because of the improved bite force you will regain. You can even enjoy hard and crunchy foods that are often more difficult when wearing more traditional tooth replacement options.
- Unlike traditional dentures that can easily become damaged or warped, you are free to consume your favorite hot beverages without worrying about your implants becoming damaged.
- You can smile more confidently because your implants will look natural, feel comfortable, and act just like regular teeth.
- You never have to worry about your implants slipping or accidentally falling out while eating or speaking.
- Unlike 34% of denture-wearers who admit they find it difficult to live life to the fullest, you can embrace a better quality of life because your teeth are held firmly in place instead of resting solely on top of your gums.
Health Benefits
- Your dental implants mimic your natural tooth root, which helps to stimulate the jawbone and prevent deterioration over time, allowing you to maintain your facial shape and avoid collapse.
- You can avoid soft tissue irritation as well as the potential for wearing down your healthy, natural teeth.
- Dental implants are easy to maintain, allowing you to take better care of your oral health, which ultimately serves to improve your overall health and wellbeing.
Long-Term Benefits
- There is evidence that individuals with 20 teeth or more by the time they reach the age of 70 are likely to live longer than those with less than 20 teeth.
- It is believed that those who have lost 5 or more teeth by the time they reach the age of 65 are more likely to experience problems with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. But by taking proper care of your oral health and seeing a dentist in Lincoln for appropriate treatment to replace your missing teeth with dental implants, you can help reduce the risk of these common health problems.
- There is a 90-95% success rate of dental implant placement after 10 years.
- Unlike traditional restorative options like a fixed bridge or dentures, dental implants are designed to last a lifetime with proper care and maintenance.
- You can expect to save money on cleaning solutions, dental adhesives, repairs, and frequent replacements because your implants are firmly fused with the bone and tissues. With dentures, you can expect to replace your customized prosthetic every 5-8 years (this can vary depending on how well you care for your dentures); however, with dental implants, you can enjoy a lifetime without needing to replace your posts. Not to mention, you’ll never need added adhesive for extra security or special cleaning materials to keep your artificial teeth free of bacteria.
Indications for Dental Implants
Contrary to popular belief, patients with a wide spectrum of tooth loss can successfully regain their full smiles with dental implants, from a single gap to an entire arch. Take a look below to see what situation fits your circumstances best and what types of restorations are available:
Missing a Single Tooth
When replenishing a single tooth, pairing a state-of-the-art implant with an all-porcelain crown is the ideal solution. The crown will sit atop the implant without threatening the health of surrounding natural teeth, and its appearance will blend right in. In fact, it’s very likely that no one will even notice the “tooth” isn’t actually natural.
Missing Multiple Missing Teeth
If there are multiple gaps throughout the mouth that need to be filled, implant-retained crowns can still be successfully used to recreate functional, attractive teeth. If the lost teeth appeared in a row, an implant-retained bridge is also available. We’ll place two dental implants – one on either side of the gap – to serve as anchors that hold the new prosthetic securely in place.
Missing All of Your Teeth
Instead of replacing each individual tooth with its own implant and restoration, an implant-retained denture can work wonders by helping patients recreate an entire arch of lost teeth in a reliable and cost-effective fashion. These prosthetics may be permanently fixed in place over a small number of anchored implants or kept removable in nature, which could be preferable for people who are already used to the convenience of a traditional denture.
The 4 Step Dental Implant Process
To provide their unique benefits, dental implants require a unique process. Unlike other tooth replacement options like dentures or a dental bridge, rebuilding your smile with dental implants is a multistep treatment that spans several months. However, the end result is a smile that looks, feels, and functions just like natural, and has the potential to last a lifetime! Every treatment plan will vary depending on the unique needs of the patient, but there are four general steps you can expect: initial consultation, implant surgery, osseointegration, and delivery of final restoration.
Initial Dental Implant Consultation
Your first step towards a new smile is to visit Dr. Weber for an initial consultation. He’ll take the time to understand your goals for your smile, review your medical history, and inspect your oral health. Issues like tooth decay, jawbone loss, and gum disease can threaten the success of your dental implant, so they’ll need to be treated first. Once you’ve recovered from any necessary preliminary treatments such as periodontal therapy, tooth extractions, or bone grafts, we can schedule your dental implant surgery.
Dental Implant Surgery
At Weber Family Dentistry, we enjoy providing our patients with a smooth, comprehensive care experience that doesn’t skimp on quality. With his advanced training and experience, Dr. Weber is fully capable of performing every stage of dental implant treatment – including the surgical insertion of the implant(s) into the jawbone – right here in his Lincoln area dental office, which means that you won’t have to worry about spending time in an unfamiliar specialist’s practice or unnecessarily traveling. We’ll take care of everything!
The surgery is relatively straightforward. Once Dr. Weber has numbed the area and ensured that you’re comfortable, he will make a small incision in your gums to access the jawbone. There, he’ll insert the small titanium implant post into its precisely predetermined spot. The number of implants you’ll have placed will depend on how many teeth you’re missing. Then, the gums are closed up and a cap is placed over the implant post to protect it and maintain the shape of your gums during the healing process.
Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment
After your dental implant surgery, you’ll need to heal for about four to six months before moving onto the next step of the process. While it will only take a few days for you to recover from the implant surgery itself, your dental implant needs to undergo osseointegration. This is where the post fuses with the surrounding bone tissue to form the stable, comfortable foundation for your new tooth.
If Dr. Weber didn’t place the abutment during your first implant surgery, you’ll need to come back for a second minor surgery to have it attached. As you heal over the next few weeks, your custom-made crown, bridge, or denture will be created.
Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations
Once your final restoration is ready, you’ll come back to our office for the last step. We’ll remove the protective cap and fasten your crown, bridge, or denture securely into place. Then, we’ll check to make sure your bite feels comfortable and you’re happy with your results. Afterwards, you’ll be ready to start enjoying your complete, confident smile for years to come!
Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants
There isn’t a clear-cut answer when it comes to estimating the cost of dental implants, at least not before you’ve undergone a consultation with Dr. Weber. Every patient’s needs are different, and there are several stages to the treatment process that will incur their own prices, such as the implant’s initial surgical placement, the addition of an abutment (connector between the implant and the restoration), and the custom-made restoration itself. After assessing the condition of your oral health and the scope of your reconstructive needs, our team can provide a confident treatment plan that includes financial information.
While dental implants may initially seem like a significant investment, it’s important to remember that they will last for decades and almost certainly pay for themselves as time goes on. While more traditional services may require costly replacement and repair over the years, an implant-retained “smile” stays strong!
Learn More About the Costs of Dental Implants
Maintaining & Caring for Your Dental Implants
Thanks to their unique structure, dental implants have a remarkable success rate. After more than 10 years, over 95% of dental implant patients are still enjoying their replacement teeth. That said, this solution can only last that long if you practice good dental implant care in Lincoln. Here at Weber Family Dentistry, Dr. Weber can give you the guidance you need to ensure your implants provide you with healthy smiles for many years to come. Here are the five simple steps you need to follow to keep your dental implants in good condition.
Make Oral Hygiene a Priority
Once your implants are in place, you can essentially brush and floss them just like you would natural teeth. Establishing a good oral hygiene routine is a great way to prevent bacteria from building up and compromising the tissues that support your implants. Not to mention, you can avoid getting cavities in your remaining teeth. Brushing twice daily for two minutes each time, flossing at least once a day, and rinsing with an antibacterial mouthwash can go a long way toward keeping your new smile healthy.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Just like with real teeth, consuming a diet rich in sugars and starches can spell disaster for your dental implants in Lincoln. Items like cake, potato chips, and sugary juices can cause the harmful bacteria in your mouth to thrive, increasing the risk that they’ll infect your gums and create cavities in your natural teeth.
Try switching these foods and beverages out for healthier ones, such as lean meats, leafy greens, and calcium-rich dairy products. They’ll strengthen your enamel and promote healthy gums, giving your dental implants a stable and lasting foundation.
Break Bad Habits
Smoking, eating ice, biting your nails, opening bottles with your teeth, and chewing on pencils or pens are all examples of bad habits that can damage tooth enamel as well as dental implants. Remember that you invested a great deal of time and money replacing your missing teeth, so engaging in these habits can put you right back where you started… with missing teeth.
Do your smile a favor and work on kicking these habits. Feel free to ask our team about resources to help you quit smoking. For the other habits, we recommend carrying sugar-free gum with you at all times to help you avoid the temptation to chew on harmful items.
Protect Your Dental Implants
Do you tend to grind your teeth while you sleep? Do you play contact sports? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, you’ll need a mouthguard. Dr. Weber can fabricate one of these oral appliances to fit comfortably over your teeth and protect them from sports-related injury or the pressure of teeth grinding.
Schedule Regular Dental Checkups
Perhaps the most important tip of all is to visit your implant dentist in Lincoln for a checkup every six months. At these appointments, Dr. Weber can closely examine your smile. If he detects any problems, he can treat them early on, potentially saving you a lot of pain, time, and money by preventing the problem from worsening.
Dental Implant FAQ’s
We want our patients to be well-informed before they commit to any restorative dental procedure. We’re here to answer any and all inquiries you have about dental implants in Lincoln and the process of getting them; feel free to contact us and schedule a consultation. In the meantime, here’s the answers to some of the questions we often get.
Who Can Get Dental Implants?
Not all patients are suitable candidates to receive dental implants. If the jawbone has already lost a lot of its density, there might not be enough of a foundation for the posts. In many cases, though, you can get bone grafts to reverse the effects of bone loss and make dental implants a viable option. Gum disease and other oral health problems will also need to be dealt with before the procedure can be performed.
Children can sometimes get dental implants if they’ve lost a permanent tooth due to an injury. This is usually done after their facial growth and development is complete (usually at age 16 for girls and age 18 for boys).
What are Dental Implants Made Of?
In most cases, the posts will be made of a titanium alloy, which is also used to create hip implants and shoulder implants. Titanium is very biocompatible (meaning it can safely join with the bone tissues), and while allergies to it exist, they’re very rare. In some cases, implants can be made of zirconia.
The prosthetic teeth supported by the implant will usually be made of porcelain. This substance is extremely similar to natural teeth in the way it’s colored and reflects the light, which helps give your restoration a natural look. Porcelain also carries the advantage of being stain resistant.
How Long Will It Take to Get Dental Implants?
It can be hard to give a general answer to this question because every patient is different. It depends on how many implants you need, the kind of restoration you get, your medical and dental history, the health of your jawbone and the techniques and material used. Usually, once the implant posts are in your mouth, you’ll need to wait a few months for integration to be complete before you receive a replacement tooth; the exact amount of time is affected by your body’s ability to heal.
What Can I Eat with Dental Implants?
One of the benefits of getting dental implants is that they can provide almost as much chewing power as natural teeth. This means that unlike with traditional dentures or bridges, you can eat all of your favorite meals without issue!
Of course, there will be a period of time after the surgery where you’ll need to limit your diet to soft foods (yogurt, pureed vegetables, ice cream, soup, mashed potatoes and so on) while your mouth is recovering. This usually lasts about 3 weeks; after that you won’t have to worry about damaging the site while eating.
How Do I Take Care of My Dental Implants?
You won’t need to do anything special to keep your implants in good shape. You can brush and floss like you normally would. Of course, regular checkups and cleanings at Weber Family Dentistry will be just as important as ever!