Dental Implants – Novi, MI
A Modern Solution to Tooth Loss
The modern dental implant treatment we know today has been nearly perfected over the last several decades, boasting an impressive 95 percent success rate and allowing dental patients to restore not just the look of a smile, but also the feel of it. Dr. Geller offers a variety of dental implant-retained dental restorations to address different tooth loss situations and custom-tailors each of his tooth replacement treatment plans to his dental patient’s individual needs. To learn whether you’d be a good candidate for this procedure, schedule a consultation with us today to discuss tooth replacement with dental implants in Novi, MI!
Why Choose JMG Dentistry Family and Cosmetic Care for Dental Implants?
- In-House Dental Implant Placement & Restoration
- CBCT Scanner for Optimal Treatment Planning
- Dentist with Years of Experience
What are Dental Implants?
Dental implants themselves are small titanium posts that are surgically placed below the gumline and into the jawbone to provide a strong and secure foundation for dental restorations to be attached to. Because titanium is a biocompatible material, they’re able to chemically fuse with the jawbone through a process called osseointegration, allowing them to function just like your natural tooth roots do.
The 4-Step Dental Implant Process
- The Initial Consultation. During the initial consultation, Dr. Geller will capture X-rays and a cone beam CT scan of your mouth and facial structure to determine whether you’re a good candidate and create a treatment plan. After presenting you with a plan customized to address your unique needs, our team will schedule your surgery.
- Dental Implant Surgery. In most cases, Dr. Geller can perform the dental implant surgery himself, meaning you won’t have to worry about traveling to another provider in the middle of the process.
- Osseointegration/Abutment Placement. Once the implants are placed, they’ll undergo a process called osseointegration, where they fuse with the jawbone. After this is complete, we’ll attach small metal connector pieces to the top of the implants, called abutments.
- Attachment of Restorations. After your restoration has been crafted, we’ll secure them to the abutments that are connected to the dental implants, completing the process.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Whether you’re missing all of your teeth or you are only missing one or two, it’s likely that you’ll have more than one option to choose from when it comes to rebuilding your smile. So, why choose dental implants? In short, they offer a variety of benefits that set them apart from traditional tooth replacement procedures, including:
Day-to-Day Benefits
Below, you’ll find a few of the many day-to-day benefits you’ll enjoy with dental implants:
- Easier Maintenance: Unlike some of the other tooth-replacement solutions out there, dental implants don’t require special oral hygiene products. In fact, you can use all of the same best practices you use for your natural teeth, like brushing with fluoridated toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush consistently.
- Increased Confidence: One of the biggest perks of dental implants is that they look and feel identical to natural teeth, which can boost your confidence significantly. They also function identically to natural teeth since they get their support from your jawbone, not your gums.
- Ability to Eat Most Foods: Since dental implants are inserted directly into your jawbone and crafted from durable materials, there are little-to-no limitations on what you can eat with your new replacement teeth.
Health Benefits
In addition to benefiting your self-esteem and diet, dental implants provide the following health benefits:
- Jawbone Preservation: We mentioned a few times above that dental implants are unique because they are inserted directly into your jawbone. As a result, it’s stimulated every time you chew, preventing bone loss in the process.
- Protection for Natural Teeth: One downside of dental bridges is that they require the teeth surrounding the gap to be altered. That’s not the case for dental implants. They are self-supporting, so none of your healthy teeth need to be treated in the process of rebuilding your smile.
- Better Overall Health: Tooth loss has been linked to malnutrition, indigestion, and several other health issues. The good news is that dental implants can restore the strength of your bite, helping prevent these problems from surfacing.
Long-Term Benefits
Lastly, dental implants offer patients several long-term benefits, including:
- High Success Rate: Simply put, dental implants have an extremely high success rate (around 95%). It’s actually even higher among non-smoking patients!
- Youthful Appearance: In addition to helping prevent facial structure change over time, dental implants fill the gaps in your smile seamlessly so you look more youthful.
- Lifespan of 30+ Years: With proper care, dental implants can last for several decades. In fact, some patients enjoy theirs for a lifetime!
Who Can Dental Implants Help?
While dental implants aren’t the ideal solution for every patient dealing with tooth loss, this versatile treatment may be a great option for you. The best way to find out is to schedule a consultation with Dr. Geller and discuss all of your options. We may recommend getting dental implants in Novi if you’re in any of the following situations and have adequate jawbone support, good oral hygiene, and no untreated autoimmune conditions that could impact your body’s healing ability after surgery.
Missing Single Tooth
To replace a single tooth, we’ll secure one dental implant below the gumline and into the jawbone and attach a dental crown to it to fill in the gap between teeth.
Missing Multiple Teeth
To replace one or more consecutive teeth, instead of needing to alter your natural teeth to secure a bridge, we can place two dental implants on either side of the gap in your smile. These will act as the foundation of your restoration.
Missing All of Your Teeth
To replace an entire arch of your teeth, we can secure anywhere from four to eight dental implants along your gumline. These will hold a full denture in place, eliminating the need for denture adhesive and any chance of slipping or shifting restorations.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants
The cost of your dental implant treatment will depend on a variety of factors, like how many teeth you’re looking to replace, what type of materials your restorations will be crafted from, whether you require dental sedation, etc. We’ll be sure to discuss all of these details with you during your initial consultation and present a detailed cost estimate, so you know exactly what to expect. We’re also happy to verify any benefits you may have through your dental insurance; however, many plans don’t cover the cost of the implants themselves.
Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery
Sometimes, before patients are able to undergo dental implant surgery, preliminary treatments like gum disease therapy, tooth extractions, bone grafting, and sinus lifts may be necessary. These will ensure that your oral health is in good enough shape to support your newly placed implants and restorations. These also incur separate costs apart from the rest of your procedure.
A unique feature of receiving dental implants from Dr. Geller at JMG Dentistry is that he’s able to complete the dental implant surgery in-house. This often results in a less costly overall treatment due to not having to travel to an oral surgeon or periodontist’s office, which would have their own, likely higher fees.
Different Factors That Impact the Cost of Dental Implants
There are several additional factors that can impact the cost of dental implants in Novi, including the following:
- The number of dental implants you need will play a large role in your overall treatment price.
- What type of restoration you require will also determine cost, as smaller ones, like dental crowns, tend to be less costly than dentures and bridges.
- The materials that your dental implants are made from. Some dentists prefer using zirconia, while others prefer titanium.
A Long-Term Investment for Future Savings
Although dental implants have a higher up-front cost than other traditional methods of tooth replacement, like dentures, they also last longer and provide a number of unique benefits to patients. While traditional dentures tend to last for around seven years, dental implants can last for 30 or more years with good maintenance, meaning you’ll be spending less on replacement prosthetics and dental visits.
Does Dental Insurance Cover the Cost of Implants?
Dental insurance typically doesn’t cover the cost of implants, although your benefits may apply to other parts of your procedure, like your prosthetics. Our team at JMG Dentistry can file claims on your behalf with your insurance to help you get the most out of your coverage.
Making Dental Implants More Affordable
If you’re paying out-of-pocket for your treatment or you have a high out-of-pocket cost through your insurance, we also work with CareCredit. CareCredit is a trusted, third-party financier that offers low monthly payment plans at little-to-no interest so you can easily fit the cost of restoring your smile into your budget.
Maintaining & Caring for Your Dental Implants
Like many other patients, you may have heard that dental implants have the potential to last a lifetime and were sold. That’s certainly true; this state-of-the-art tooth-replacement solution can last for 30 years or more with the right best practices in place. More specifically, we recommend adopting the following habits into your routine to maintain both your smile and your restorations.
Make Oral Hygiene a Priority
Remember, just because your dental implants are decay-resistant doesn’t mean you no longer need to commit to good oral hygiene habits. Quite the opposite considering peri-implantitis (a form of gum disease) is one of the leading causes of dental implant failure. In short, if you want your dental implants to last, you need to take good care of your smile by brushing twice a day, flossing daily, and rinsing with mouthwash consistently.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Eating healthy, well-balanced meals won’t just benefit your overall health; it will benefit your oral health. So, do your best to fill your plate with nutrient-dense foods, like cooked carrots, plain yogurt, and scrambled eggs. Simultaneously, avoid anything that has the potential to cause your restoration to break, like chewing on hard pretzels or ice cubes.
Break Bad Habits
Speaking of chewing on ice cubes… It’s important that you break bad habits that dramatically increase your risk of dental damage. A few other examples include biting your nails, smoking, and using your teeth as tools to open things. Although some of these may seem harmless, they can have a serious impact on the look, health, and function of your smile. So, make quitting a priority.
Protect Your Dental Implants
It goes without saying that you need to wear a mouthguard if you play football, you wrestle, or you participate in any kind of contact sport. We also recommend wearing one if you run, hike, ride your bike, or even lift weights. That way, your smile is protected from unforeseen impact – whether it’s a bad fall or consistent grinding.
Schedule Regular Dental Checkups
Lastly, make your biannual visits with our dentist in Novi a priority. This is crucial for several reasons, including that Dr. Geller uses these appointments to examine the condition of your dental implant, assess the health of your gums, and screen for oral cancer. Plus, your dental hygienist will remove built-up plaque and tartar, helping to keep your smile healthy between visits as well.
Dental Implant FAQs
The information on this page can help give you an idea of how dental implants work and what the process will look like. However, you might still have a few questions regarding the treatment. Our team is filled with helpful individuals who want you to have a smooth dental experience, so please contact us right away if there’s anything you would like to know about dental implants. Here are some useful answers to a few implant questions that we often get.
Are Dental Implants Safe?
Dental implants as we know them today have been in use for decades, and they are a highly successful solution for tooth replacement. As long as your mouth is healthy and the procedure is performed by a trained professional, dental implants are a safe option.
There are certain conditions that could increase the odds of complications occurring before or after your surgery; for example, diabetes could slow down the healing process and put you at risk for infection. When you come to our office for a dental implant consultation, we’ll ask about your medical history to see if there are any health issues that we need to be concerned about.
Am I Too Young to Get a Dental Implant?
You can only get dental implants once your jaw has stopped growing, as placing them too soon could cause problems with the development of the bone. As such, many dentists will only consider dental implants for patients who are at least 18 years old. Even then, the minimum age isn’t the same for everyone; sometimes it might take until the mid-twenties for the jawbone to finish growing, and the process tends to take longer for men.
Before we schedule your dental implant surgery, we’ll examine your jaw to make sure that it’s ready for the procedure.
Do Dental Implants Decay?
Dental implants may be similar to your real teeth in several ways, but there are a few differences. One of the biggest is that dental implants, being made out of artificial materials, do not decay. Of course, the same will not hold true for your remaining natural teeth, and gum disease can still affect the tissues around the implant posts. In other words, even though you don’t have to worry about cavities on your dental implants, you will still need to stick to a thorough oral hygiene routine.
How Soon After a Tooth Extraction Can I Get Dental Implants?
Every mouth is different, so some patients can expect more of a wait than others between tooth extraction and implant placement. Sometimes you might be able to get your implants right away while in other cases the procedure is only performed once the mouth has healed, which can take three to six months.
We’ll be able to give you a more specific timeline after we have examined your jawbone and considered your unique circumstances. Additionally, we can give you instructions for making sure the recovery process after tooth extraction goes smoothly so that you don’t have to wait longer than necessary to get your implants.