Long-Lasting, Natural-Looking Tooth Replacement
Whether you’ve lost one natural tooth or several, the results can be devastating for your continuing oral health, your smile’s ability to function, and your overall sense of self-esteem. Thankfully, Framingham Family Dental Care is here to help with dental implants in Framingham. Implants are essentially as close to nature’s own design as we can get, seamlessly replicating every part of the natural tooth in a way that provides long-lasting benefits. To get started with an initial consultation, please don’t hesitate to contact our Framingham, MA office. Dr. Adelina Duka and Dr. Arvi Duka look forward to meeting you!
Why Choose Framingham Family Dental Care for Dental Implants?
- In-House Implant Placement and Restoration Available
- Modern Dental Technology in a Warm and Welcoming Office
- Multiple Financing Options Accepted
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants consists of three main components to replace teeth. This includes the implant post made from titanium, the restoration that sits on top, and the abutment (or connector) for these two parts. Because dental implants integrate with bone tissue, they provide a much more stable and long-lasting solution for a missing tooth or teeth. Performing basic functions like chewing, smiling, brushing, flossing, and other tasks feels more natural than traditional tooth replacements like bridges or dentures. As a result, dental implants have quickly become the gold standard for tooth replacement and one of the most commonly recommended solutions for eligible patients.
The 4-Step Dental Implant Process
Unlike dentures or bridges, getting dental implants involves a unique, multi-step process. It thus takes several months at a time. That said, the treatment’s long-term benefits are worth this time and effort! Our experienced dentists place implants in-house, meaning you can count on excellent results from the get-go. As for what to expect, placement relies on four key steps: consultation, surgery, osseointegration, and delivery of final restoration. If you’d like to learn more about them, just keep reading or contact our office for details.
Initial Dental Implant Consultation
At the consultation visit, Drs. Adeline and Arvi Duka assess your oral health and medical history. Doing so helps them see if you’re a good implant candidate. Plus, this review also lets our team learn your treatment goals, desired outcomes, etc. That way, we’ll know just how to customize the procedure to meet your needs.
We may find prior dental issues during your consult. Should that happen, we’ll work with you on preliminary procedures – gum disease therapy, tooth extractions, bone grafting, etc. From there, we can plan the rest of your treatment and walk you through what to expect step-by-step.
Dental Implant Surgery
As mentioned before, we at Framingham Family Dental Care place implants at our local office. Doing so helps you avoid the hassle of finding an outside specialist. Furthermore, this in-house setup means we can rely on your dental records for the procedure.
The implant surgery itself is straightforward. Before treatment, our team will numb the affected area so it can’t feel pain. Next, they’ll make a small incision in your gums so the implant will have room. Once that’s done, the dentists will place your implant in the socket of your jawbone. They’ll then wrap things up by closing your gums and placing a protective cap over the post.
Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment
After implant surgery, your new teeth will gradually fuse with your jawbone. More specifically, this fusion — also known as osseointegration — will take 3-6 months. As such, you’ll need to be careful with your oral hygiene and dental habits at this juncture. You could risk implant failure otherwise.
Near the end of your implant’s fusion, you’ll return to our office for a minor abutment. This visit will require a small surgery that connects tiny metal pieces to your new teeth. As you heal from it, the final restoration will be crafted from impressions of your mouth.
Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s)
Implant treatment ends with a final visit that places your restoration. Based on your situation, this prosthetic might be a crown, a bridge, or a denture. It’ll all depend on how many teeth you were initially missing.
Once the restoration is placed, our team will make a few last-minute adjustments. That way, we can ensure your bite is comfortable. Afterward, you’ll be ready to enjoy your newly rebuilt smile!
Benefits of Dental Implants
If you’re eligible for dental implants, there are many reasons why our team will likely recommend them over traditional types of tooth replacement. Implants offer several advantages that traditional dentures and bridges just can’t provide on their own. If you’re still trying to decide whether dental implants are the best choice for your smile, read below to learn about some of the important benefits that they offer.
Day-to-Day Benefits
Dental implants can improve your daily life in a variety of ways. For example:
- They let you eat most foods: Dental implants can provide up to 70 to 90 percent of the chewing power that natural teeth have. This is more than enough to handle most foods, allowing you to eat whatever you want.
- They boost your confidence: Dental implant posts feel like real teeth once they’ve joined with your jawbone, and the restorations they support are designed to be as lifelike as possible. The result is a new smile that looks and feels natural, which makes it easier to be confident about your appearance.
- They let you speak easily: When traditional dentures don’t fit properly, they might slip around in your mouth, which can make it difficult to talk clearly. Dental implants will keep your new teeth anchored in place so that they don’t interfere with your speech.
- They make oral hygiene easy: Taking care of dental implants isn’t much different from taking care of your natural teeth, so you can continue with your regular oral hygiene routine.
Health Benefits
In addition to making everyday life easier, dental implants also have a number of advantages for your oral and overall health:
- They help preserve your jawbone: The jawbone tends to deteriorate after you lose your natural teeth. However, the stimulation from dental implants will help prevent bone loss, allowing you to maintain a healthy jaw.
- They stop your other teeth from drifting out of place: Teeth tend to shift toward any open space in your mouth. By filling in the gaps in your grin with dental implants, you can make sure that your remaining teeth stay put.
- They help you keep up a nutritious diet: Thanks to the chewing power that dental implants provide, you won’t have any diet restrictions to worry about. That makes it easier to get the nutrition you need to enjoy life to the fullest.
Long-Term Benefits
The true value of dental implants will become even more evident as time passes thanks to these benefits:
- They have a high success rate: Dental implants are considered an extremely reliable method for permanently replacing all of your teeth. About 95% of implants remain successful even two decades after their initial placement.
- They can last a lifetime: While dentures and bridges have to be replaced every few years, dental implants can potentially last the rest of your life if you give them the right kind of maintenance.
Who Dental Implants Can Help
No matter how many teeth you’ve lost, or where in the jaw they’re located, dental implants can replace them. Let’s take a closer look at what kind of restorations are typically used for dental implants.
Missing One Tooth
If you’re only missing one tooth, one of our dentists can top it with a state-of-the-art dental crown that is custom made just for you. This restoration will be shaded to match the color of the rest of your teeth to seamlessly blend into the rest of your smile.
Missing Multiple Teeth
For multiple missing teeth, an implant bridge is recommended. This restoration involves several crowns strung together and anchored by dental implants. It will prevent your remaining teeth from shifting and restore your ability to smile, eat, and talk with confidence and ease.
Missing All Teeth
If you’re missing all your teeth, not to worry. We’d suggest getting an implant denture. Unlike regular dentures, this appliance is held in place with dental implants, so you won’t have to worry about them slipping around while you try to chew or speak. We won’t replace every single missing tooth with an implant, just enough to hold your denture in place.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants
The cost of dental implants in Framingham can vary significantly from one patient to the next. During the initial consultation, we will carefully examine your teeth, discuss your unique smile goals, and provide you with an accurate cost estimate. Although the initial cost of dental implants may be higher than other tooth replacement solutions, they offer a range of benefits that alternatives just cannot match, such as maximum stability and a long lifespan.
Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery
In some cases, patients must first undergo preliminary treatments before they are ready for dental implants. Gums disease therapy, bone graft procedures, and tooth extractions contribute to overall costs but are critical to ensuring successful implant treatment.
Placing dental implants, a surgical procedure that typically involves anesthesia, plays a significant role in the cost of dental implants. Many dental practices must send their patients to an oral surgeon for this step. However, Dr. Adelina Duka and Dr. Arvi Duka have the skills and knowledge to perform start-to-finish implant treatment right here at Framingham Family Dental Care. Staying with one implant dentist in Framingham for the entire dental implant process helps you save time and keeps fees more compact and convenient.
The Parts & Type of Your Dental Implant
The cost of implant treatment will be affected by the number of teeth you want to replace and the materials used to make your dental implants. Most dental implants are crafted from titanium or zirconia. However, just like there are mid-market cars and luxury sedans, some implant brands and materials have advantages over alternatives. During your initial consultation, Dr. Adelina Duka and Dr. Arvi Duka will be happy to share with you details about the quality implants they use.
The restoration that attaches to your dental implants will also influence the overall cost of implant treatment. Implants are a versatile tooth replacement solution that can restore a single missing tooth, several consecutive missing teeth or an entire smile! There are three major types of implant-supported restorations:
- Crown – Replace a single missing tooth with a dental implant and custom dental crown.
- Implant Bridge – Eliminate a large gap in your smile with a dental bridge supported by two dental implants.
- Implant Denture – Restore an entire arch of teeth with just four to six dental implants and an implant denture.
How Dental Implants Can Help You Save Long-Term
One of the most notable benefits of dental implants is their longevity. While they can be quite expensive upfront, it’s important to see them as a long-term investment that pay for themselves. For example, while dental bridges and dentures need to be replaced every 10 years and every 5 to 7 seven years respectively, dental implants are designed to last for decades (30+ years and even potentially for life). This means you’re spending more money now to avoid spending a lot more in the future.
Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?
Many dental insurance companies do not provide coverage for dental implants. However, your insurance may cover preliminary treatments, such as gum disease therapy or a bone graft procedure. In addition, you may be able to apply your insurance to reduce the cost of dental restorations, such as a crown, bridge or denture.
Because every dental insurance plan is different, be sure to confirm your coverage before beginning implant treatment. Our knowledgeable staff will be happy to assist you in understanding the details of your specific plan and maximizing your benefits.
Making Dental Implants Affordable
At Framingham Family Dental Care, we believe everyone deserves the opportunity to restore their smile with affordable dental implants, regardless of their insurance status. That is why we are proud to partner with CareCredit, a trusted dental financing organization. CareCredit offers low-to-no interest payment plans so you can break down the overall cost of implant treatment into manageable chunks. For more details about CareCredit and other options to reduce the cost of dental implants in Framingham, do not hesitate to ask our staff!
Dental Implant FAQs
Are you ready to finally put your tooth loss behind you? If so, then you can’t go wrong with investing in dental implants. Because this treatment is so complex, we understand if you want to do your own research first – in fact, we recommend it! To make that process easier, we have answered a handful of frequently asked questions about dental implants in Framingham below.
Am I Too Young to Get Dental Implants?
In most cases, we do not recommend dental implants for very young patients whose jaws are not yet fully developed. If these patients were to receive dental implants, it may interfere with bone growth and cause complications.
Most dentists will not place dental implants in patients who are younger than 18. That said, some people’s jawbones do not finish developing until their mid-20s. During your consultation, we’ll perform a detailed exam to ensure your jaw is able to accommodate dental implants.
Can I Get Dental Implants if I Smoke
It’s certainly possible to get dental implants if you smoke, but dentists typically recommend quitting smoking for at least two weeks (ideally longer) beforehand. Whether you smoke it, chew it, or vape it, tobacco greatly increases your risk of dental implant failure. It hinders your body’s healing abilities and may even prevent your jawbone from properly fusing to the implant posts. To make sure your implants last, we strongly suggest quitting tobacco prior to beginning treatment. Don’t be afraid to ask our team for resources to help you kick this habit!
Do Dental Implants Decay?
All of the parts of your dental implant are made from inorganic materials, such as titanium and porcelain. As a result, they cannot develop cavities.
However, the gum tissue supporting your implant can still become infected, which may lead to implant failure. Any natural teeth you have remaining can still become decayed. For these reasons, oral hygiene is still crucial when you have dental implants. You’ll need to brush and floss your teeth (real and artificial) in addition to visiting your implant dentist in Framingham regularly for checkups and cleanings.
Does Getting Dental Implants Hurt?
The prospect of dental implant surgery can seem intimidating, but rest assured that our team will make sure you’re completely comfortable before we begin. We’ll numb your mouth with a local anesthetic and possibly administer sedation to help you relax. Coupled with the fact that the jawbone doesn’t actually contain that many pain-sensing nerves, most patients report that the procedure is much more comfortable than they had expected!
That said, your mouth will probably feel a bit sore for a couple of days after your surgery, especially if you received a large number of implants at the same time. We’ll provide you with personalized instructions on how to care for your smile during the recovery period, but we typically recommend taking it easy and taking your prescribed (or over-the-counter) pain medications as directed.