Dental Implants – Corte Madera, CA
Rebuilding a Beautiful, Healthy Smile
Missing one or more teeth is not only frustrating from an aesthetic point of view, but also from a functional one. In addition to having gaps in your grin, eating or even speaking might prove difficult. When a tooth is lost, the density of that area of the jawbone degrades as time goes by, which can cause further complications down the road.
One of the best ways to preserve bone growth and density in the jaw while also maintaining a complete smile is by replacing missing teeth with dental implants in Corte Madera, CA. Dental implants are the only tooth replacement that brings back the entire structure of missing teeth. As a result, they can look, feel, and function exactly like real teeth. Contact our dental office today to learn how Dr. Julie Young can start rebuilding a beautiful, healthy smile with dental implants!
Why Choose Corte Madera Dentist Julie Young, DDS for Dental Implants?
- Partnered with Local Dental Implant Specialists
- Fair Pricing with Zero Hidden Fees
- Advanced Dental Technology for Accurate Treatment Planning
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are small titanium cylinders that are surgically inserted into the jaw to take the place of a missing tooth’s roots. As the only tooth loss solution to replicate the roots, dental implants are able to stimulate the jawbone to preserve your remaining teeth as well as your facial structure. After one of our partnered dental implant specialists places your implants, you’ll wait a few months for the biocompatible posts to merge with your jawbone. This creates a reliable foundation for Dr. Young to place a dental crown, bridge, or denture on top of the implants to complete your smile with a solution that can last a lifetime.
The 4-Step Dental Implant Process
The complex structure of dental implants necessitates a more complex and lengthy treatment process than that of traditional prosthetics like dentures or dental bridges. In fact, the dental implant process might take anywhere from several months to a year or more. However, your new teeth should last for decades to come, making them worth the wait.
Dr. Julie Young partners with a local implant dentist in Corte Madera to ensure that you receive the highest standard of care. Every patient’s tooth replacement journey will look different from the next, but you can count on four basic steps: initial consultation, implant placement surgery, osseointegration, and the delivery of your final restoration.
Benefits of Dental Implants
While conventional bridges and dentures sit on top of the gums, dental implants take it one step further by also recreating the hidden roots of lost teeth. This allows them to essentially fulfill all of the functions that real teeth do. In fact, most dentists, including Dr. Julie Young, consider dental implants the gold standard of tooth replacement. From making eating and smiling easier to encouraging better long-term oral health, it’s no wonder more than three million Americans have chosen to reconstruct their smiles with this solution! Read on as we go over some of the reasons why our patients love dental implants.
Day-to-Day Benefits
- Eat All Your Favorite Foods: Dental implants are firmly anchored in the jawbone and restore 80% or more of your natural biting force, allowing you to eat steak, apples, nuts, and anything else on your plate!
- Smile with Complete Confidence: Over time, dental bridges can begin to feel loose and dentures may begin to pop out of place. Dental implants are designed to stay securely in place for decades, allowing you to eat, speak, and smile with complete confidence.
- Enjoy Stunningly Lifelike Results: We cover dental implants with custom restorations made of high-quality dental porcelain for beautiful, durable results that are virtually indistinguishable from natural teeth.
- Take Care of Your New Smile with Ease: There’s no need for extra cleaning solutions, brushes, or tools to keep your dental implants clean. Just brush and floss regularly and visit us every six months for checkups to keep your smile sparkling and strong!
Health Benefits
- Look Younger with a Strong Jawbone: Dental implants stimulate circulation in the jawbone, which prevents deterioration and shrinkage. In turn, this prevents the sunken, aged facial appearance that typically accompanies tooth loss.
- Prevent Future Tooth Loss: As your dental implants keep your jawbone strong, they also help support the foundation of the rest of your natural teeth, which lowers your risk of future tooth loss.
- Say Goodbye to Gum Irritation and Tooth Sensitivity: Dental implants are completely self-supporting, which means remaining teeth don’t need to be altered and your gums won’t be exposed to extra pressure and abrasion, like with traditional options.
- Lower Your Risk of Systemic Health Issues: Studies show that with better oral health thanks to dental implants, you can lower your risk of systemic health issues like heart disease, diabetes, memory loss, and many more.
Long-Term Benefits
- Rely on a Successful Tooth Replacement: With over a 95% success rate even 10 years after placement, dental implants are one of the most reliable tooth replacements available.
- Expect Long-Term Results: Thanks to their unique placement, most patients can easily expect their dental implants to last them a lifetime.
- Save Thousands of Dollars: Dentures and dental bridges need to be replaced every 5-7 years, but dental implants can last for decades, which can save you thousands of dollars in replacements alone!
Who Dental Implants Can Help
If you’re wondering whether dental implants in Corte Madera are right for you, there’s a very good chance they are! The vast majority of generally healthy adults are eligible for dental implants, whether they’re hoping to replace just one tooth or an entire mouthful. When you come to visit us for a consultation, Dr. Young can examine your mouth and evaluate your oral health before coming up with a treatment plan based on your circumstances.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?
Generally, we’ll consider a few different things when evaluating you for dental implants. An ideal implant candidate possesses the following:
- Good overall health – Since the dental implant process involves surgery, though minor, patients still need to be well enough to undergo it.
- Great oral health – Issues like tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease can all potentially threaten dental implants, meaning that they’ll need to be treated before implants become a realistic option.
- Adequate jawbone density – If your jawbone isn’t strong enough to successfully integrate the implants (which are fully biocompatible), they’ll likely fail prematurely.
In some cases, patients who don’t immediately qualify for dental implants can gain eligibility by completing certain preliminary procedures, including but not limited to dental bone grafts, periodontal therapy, or even tooth extractions. Our team is happy to help you incorporate these into your treatment plan if it’s been deemed necessary so that you can begin the process of rebuilding your smile with dental implants!
Missing One Tooth
In the majority of cases, a single implant post is capable of seamlessly replacing one missing tooth. This solution is impressively sturdier and longer-lasting than other options, such as dental bridges—and better yet, the process doesn’t require the removal of healthy enamel from adjacent teeth, which is necessary when placing a bridge! After the implant post has been embedded and the bone and gum tissue has fully healed, the abutment is placed on top, which attaches the permanent crown to the implant and keeps it sturdy.
Missing Multiple Teeth
If you need to replace multiple teeth, we’ll try to use as few dental implant posts as possible; generally, two dental implants can be used to support a bridge that’s intended to replace three or more teeth in a row. If you’ve lost teeth in different areas of a single arch, we can combine dental implants with a customized partial denture; the exact number of implant posts needed will depend simply on how many teeth have been lost and where they were situated.
Missing All Teeth
Dental implants can also be used to effectively replace an entire row (or two) of lost teeth! Usually, 4 to 6 implant posts are needed to support a full denture that’s used to replace an arch; thanks to all of the additional strength provided by these posts, you’ll be able to use your new teeth with significantly restored bite force, not to mention, unparalleled beauty. Depending on your needs, these can be either removable or fixed in place.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants
No two smiles are exactly alike, so the cost of dental implants can vary dramatically from one patient to the next. It depends on a number of factors, such as the number of implants you need, which type of restoration we place, and whether you require any preliminary procedures (bone grafting, tooth extractions, gum disease therapy, etc.) before implants can be placed. Our team can help you come up with the solutions you need to fit the cost of your new smile into your budget.
Dental Implant FAQs
If you’re missing teeth, dental implants could be the solution that you’ve been looking for to restore your smile. However, they are quite an investment, so it pays to be well-informed about the procedure. We’re here to help. Here are the answers to some of the most common questions we are asked about dental implants in Corte Madera. If you don’t see the information that you’re looking for below, don’t worry. Give us a call and we’d be happy to answer your questions and get you started with an initial consultation.
How Long Do Dental Implants Last?
The lifespan of dental implants typically depends on the health and lifestyle choices of the patient. To ensure that dental implants last, be sure that you are brushing twice, flossing, and rinsing with mouthwash on a daily basis. Come see us regularly for cleanings and checkups, and avoid chewing on anything particularly hard or sticky. When cared for properly, dental implants can last upwards of three decades. This is several times longer than traditional bridges or dentures.
Does Getting Dental Implants Hurt?
The jawbone doesn’t have very many nerve endings, and your mouth will be numbed with a local anesthetic before the procedure begins. You will also most likely be sedated, lowering your body’s ability to register pain. Even though the surgery won’t be uncomfortable, your mouth may be sore for a few days afterwards. Take recommended over-the-counter and prescribed pain relievers as directed. Cold compresses can also help. If discomfort worsens instead of improving after a few days, give us a call so we can help.
How Successful Are Dental Implants?
When placed by a skilled professional, dental implants can have a success rate of over 95%! How successful they are ultimately depends on how well you take care of them with oral hygiene, routine checkups, and your diet. Success can also vary depending on the location of the implant in the mouth. Because molars receive more strain from chewing than the front teeth, they may be slightly more likely to fail.
Will I Have to Take Off Work for Dental Implant Surgery?
Most patients only need to take a day or two off work to get dental implants. If your job is physically demanding, you should probably take at least three or four days off. However, every case is different. During your initial consultation with us, we will be able to give you a more specific recommendation to meet your unique case.
