At Oak Lawn Smiles Family Dentistry, your trusted provider for dental implants in Hickory Hills, we understand the importance of a healthy, complete smile.
Dental implants are a permanent tooth replacement solution that can fully restore your smile. If you’ve experienced tooth loss or significant damage to your teeth, contact us to schedule an appointment. By providing compassionate care and advanced procedure techniques, we help patients regain smile function and beauty.
Why Replacing Missing Teeth is Important
A beautiful smile does more than just make you look good. It’s crucial to your oral health and confidence.
Missing teeth can significantly affect your life by impacting how you chew and speak, and diminishing your self-esteem. You might struggle to feel comfortable posing for pictures or sharing a meal with a friend. You may even feel insecure about smiling when you laugh or meet new people.
Tooth loss can also harm your oral health as a whole. Over time, jawbone loss occurs and surrounding teeth start to shift to fill the gaps left behind by missing teeth. This can result in an improper bite and crooked teeth that are more susceptible to decay. Untreated tooth loss can also cause an increased risk of gum disease and infection.
What are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are a durable, natural-looking tooth replacement solution. Unlike dentures, which are removable, dental implants are permanently anchored into your jawbone. They are small titanium posts that act as the roots for new, artificial teeth. These implants can provide a stable foundation for single tooth crowns, dental bridges, or implant-supported dentures.
How Dental Implants Work
At our dental office near Hickory Hills, implant dentistry involves surgically placing an implant into the jawbone before attaching a durable dental prosthesis to the top.
The process begins with your dentist removing gum tissue around the treatment area, as well as any remaining tooth fragments. Then, a small hole is drilled into the jawbone to hold a titanium post (the implant).
Over a period of 3-6 months, this post naturally integrates with the bone, a process known as osseointegration. Once the implant bonds sufficiently, the dentist attaches a custom-made crown that matches your natural teeth. This completes the restoration and allows you to smile, speak, and eat more naturally and comfortably.
The Benefits of Dental Implants
Dental implants from Oak Lawn Smiles come with several benefits:
- Durability — Implants are designed to last. They’re as durable as natural teeth. Even if a crown or bridge is damaged, the implant(s) remains intact and a replacement prosthesis can be attached.
- Functionality — Implants restore full functionality to your smile, allowing you to enjoy the foods you love, speak clearly, and smile confidently.
- Natural Appearance — Dental implants look and feel just like natural teeth. This means they are virtually indistinguishable from the rest of your smile.
- Improved Jawbone Health — Implants help preserve jawbone health and prevent bone loss. This maintains the natural structure of your face, prevents premature facial sagging, and helps ensure a proper bite.
- Improved Dental Health — Dental implants help reduce the risk of tooth decay, gum disease, bite misalignment, infections, and other issues.
- Simple Daily Care — Implants require the same care you give the rest of your teeth: Brushing twice a day, flossing daily, and visiting the dentist for regular check-ups.
- Reliability — Unlike dentures, which can be difficult to keep in place and require special adhesives, implants cannot be removed. This means they never shift unexpectedly while you’re eating or talking.
The Procedure Process
A dental implant procedure is a multi-step process that involves the following:
- Consultation — You’ll receive a dental exam with X-rays to assess your candidacy and plan out the surgery.
- Implant Placement — The implant will be surgically inserted into your jawbone.
- Healing — You’ll wait 3-6 months for the surgery site to heal and the implant to fuse with the bone.
- Abutment and Crown Placement — Once the healing phase is complete, an abutment will be placed on top of the implant. This acts as an attachment point for the custom crown or bridge. Your dentist will then secure your new dental prosthesis to the abutment, and the implant restoration will be complete.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?
Anyone who has one or more missing teeth, or significantly damaged teeth requiring extraction, can benefit from dental implants. To be a good candidate for this procedure, you should be in good general health and have sufficient jawbone density.
Non-smokers are ideal candidates, as smoking can hinder the healing process. Individuals with gum disease or those undergoing immunosuppressive therapies may not be eligible for implant surgery.
Choose Oak Lawn Smiles for Hickory Hills Dental Implant Surgery
At Oak Lawn Smiles Family Dentistry, you’ll receive personalized care when you visit us for implant dentistry. We understand that every patient’s smile is unique. We take time to listen to your concerns and address your dental health needs before creating a custom treatment plan. It’s our number one goal to help you achieve a healthy, functional, and beautiful smile.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment with our highly trained and experienced dental professionals.
