Dental Implants Cambridge
A Lifelike Replacement for Missing Teeth
At Harbor Dental Center, you'll know from the moment you enter the doors that our team is dedicated to serving your needs with hometown hospitality and expertise. Many patients dealing with the impacts of tooth loss come to us looking for a way to restore their smile as well as improve its function. With dental implants in Cambridge, our team can help you enjoy a full set of teeth that you feel confident using and showing off. To learn whether this gold standard of tooth replacement is right for you, call today to schedule a consultation.
Why Choose Harbor Dental Center for Dental Implants?
- Start-to-Finish Dental Implant Treatment
- Lifelike, Long-Lasting Replacement Teeth
- Precisely Guided Implant Placement Using the Latest Technology
- Top-of-the-Line Implants & Crowns for Ideal Function & Aesthetics
- Dr. Todd Has 10+ Years Experience in Implantology
What are Dental Implants?
A dental implant post is an artificial tooth root made of titanium. Because titanium is biocompatible, the post will fuse naturally with the bone. This creates a long-lasting and strong foundation for your replacement teeth, and it’s what makes dental implants the most natural looking and feeling option for restoring smiles. After osseointegration has occurred, customized restorations are secured to the implant to restore both the roots and crowns of the teeth.
The 4-Step Dental Implant Process
Dental implants have a multi-step treatment process that takes place over the course of a few months. That being said, the benefits make them worth the time and effort! Our practice does the whole treatment in-house to ensure you get the best results for your smile. With Dr. Todd at the helm, you can trust that you’ll be in skilled and experienced hands. The treatment itself involves four core steps: consultation, surgery, osseointegration, and delivery of the final restoration.
Initial Dental Implant Consultation
Before you get an implant surgery, you need to see Dr. Todd or Dr. Bhatt for a consultation. Your dentist will use that session to learn about your treatment goals, oral health history, and medical history. Once we have those details, we will review them to see if dental implants suit you and adjust your final treatment.
If one of our dentists decides you don’t qualify for dental implants, don’t worry. You may still become a good candidate with preliminary treatments like tooth extractions and gum disease treatment. By receiving such services, which our team can provide, your mouth would be strong enough for implant posts.
Dental Implant Surgery
As mentioned earlier, we will surgically place the dental implant posts in the comfort of our own office. We will begin by numbing the treatment site so you won’t feel any pain during the procedure. Our team will place the implant in the perfect position for the most biocompatible and aesthetic outcome using a precision guide, then complete the surgery by putting a protective cap over the post.
Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment
Following your surgery, your dental implant will fuse with your jaw through a process called osseointegration, which takes between four and six months on average. When it does, your post should be fully secure and a permanent part of your mouth. After osseointegration has occurred, we’ll place the abutment – a special metal connector piece – that secures your restoration. A dental lab will craft your final prosthetic.
Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s)
Finally, our team will attach your restoration. This could be either a free-standing dental crown, dental bridge, or a complete denture. Ultimately, which of these you get will depend on how many teeth are being replaced and what you desire. It shouldn’t take long for our team to attach your replacement teeth to your implant posts. Then, you’ll be able to leave our office with a complete smile!
Benefits of Dental Implants
Dental implants have a number of unique benefits when compared to traditional dentures or dental bridges and are viewed as the gold standard of tooth replacement. The metal posts are even popular enough for dentists to place 500,000 every year in the United States alone. To learn more about what makes this treatment stand out from others, continue reading below!
Day-to-Day Benefits
- Aesthetically Lifelike – Dental implants are capped with customized restorations to match the size, color, and shape of your existing teeth. That means they’ll blend seamlessly with your smile.
- More Confidence – By restoring your smile, dental implants boost your confidence, especially when talking with friends and eating your favorite foods!
- Better Chewing Ability – Since dental implants fuse with your jaw, they’re able to restore most of your bite power.
- Low Maintenance – Patients can maintain their dental implants like natural teeth. As such, caring for them only requires twice-daily brushing and once-daily flossing.
Health Benefits
- Better Oral Health – When smile gaps go untreated, they let harmful bacteria breed and put you at risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Dental implants fill those spaces to make your mouth healthier.
- Support for Existing Teeth – Gaps between teeth cause dental drift, leading to dental misalignment. When an implant restoration is secured within the mouth, you won’t have to worry about this occurring.
- A Stronger Jaw – Untreated tooth loss slowly erodes the jaw, resulting in facial collapse and similar issues. The good news is that dental implants stop (and reverse) such erosion.
- Improved Nutrition – By restoring your bite, dental implants expand your range of foods you can eat for a more balanced diet.
Long-term Benefits
- High Success Rates– As long as it’s done by a qualified dentist, dental implant treatment almost always succeeds. The procedure even has an average ten-year success rate of 98%!
- Long-Lasting Results – When they’re well-placed, dental implants usually last for quite a long time. Even the average implant post usually has a lifespan of 15-20 years; a well-maintained one can work for more than 30 years!
- Cost-Effectiveness– While dental implants cost more upfront than other options, they save you a lot of money in the long run. Their long lifespans keep them from needing costly repair or replacement work.
Who Dental Implants Can Help
Whether you have one tooth missing or an entire arch, we have the solution you need to smile confidently: dental implants! This state-of-the-art solution to tooth loss can help patients missing one, several or all of their teeth. Better yet, they can last for 20 years or more with proper care. If you are interested in learning more, including whether you’re a good candidate, keep reading or get in touch with us to schedule a consultation.
Who is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?
Since dental implants are inserted directly into your jawbone, the quality, density, and amount of the bone is an important consideration factor. We also need to take into account the health of your gums, your commitment to good oral hygiene habits, and your willingness to quit existing unhealthy ones, like smoking. The easiest way to find out if this tooth replacement solution is right for you is by scheduling a consultation at our Cambridge dental office. That way, we can review your medical history, conduct an oral exam, and learn about your smile goals.
Missing One Tooth
If you are missing one tooth, then we can fill the open space in your smile with a custom dental implant. The first step is surgically inserting the implant. Then, we will allow time for osseointegration, which is when it fuses with your jawbone. The final step is securing a dental crown in place to restore the entire structure of the tooth.
Missing Multiple Teeth
Replacing multiple teeth in a row previously required a traditional bridge, which is anchored in place with two dental crowns. Now, patients have another option: an implant bridge. The primary difference is that the replacement teeth are secured using two dental implants. In addition to having a longer lifespan, this tooth replacement solution comes with additional stability and doesn’t require your healthy teeth to be altered.
Missing All Teeth
What if you are missing all of your teeth? In that case, we can place several dental implants throughout your mouth and secure a full denture on top. Your restoration will be custom-made to ensure it fits comfortably and looks great too. That way, you have newfound confidence as well as a stronger bite!
If you are interested in learning more about who dental implants can help, don’t hesitate to let our Cambridge dental team know! Once we know more about you and your needs, we can determine if this is the best tooth replacement solution for you. If it is, we can begin the process of rebuilding your smile!
Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants
Dental implants represent a significant investment of time, money, and resources in your appearance and oral health, and the overall cost of an implant can vary dramatically based on the patient’s needs. While dental implants are usually more expensive than traditional restorations, they work just like real teeth and can last a lifetime if they receive proper care. During your consultation, our team will make sure that you understand the costs associated with your treatment before you commit to it. We’ll also help you go over your insurance policy and your payment and financing options so you can find the best way to fit your dental implant into your budget.
Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery
Some patients may need preliminary treatments such as gum disease therapy, tooth extractions, or bone grafting before their dental implants can be placed. The cost of these procedures will be noted on your estimate. These treatments are necessary to ensure that your implants work well and last for as long as possible, and they are sometimes covered at least partially by dental insurance.
The cost of the surgery itself will be largely determined by where the implant is placed in the jaw and the local anesthesia and sedation services administered. We are equipped to carry out the entire implant process in-office, so you won’t have to worry about being referred to an outside surgeon.
The Parts of Your Dental Implant
The overall cost of your dental implant treatment also depends on factors like:
- The number of implants placed: Each implant will be noted separately on your bill.
- The restoration needed: Dental implants can support dental crowns, bridges, or dentures. Bigger restorations are more expensive.
- Bone and tissue quality: If there is not enough bone or soft tissue, additional procedures may be recommended to allow us to place implants and improve the long-term outcome.
How Dental Implants Can Save You Money
While traditional restorations may have a lower up-front cost, dental implants are more cost-effective in the long run. Traditional dentures and bridges will need to be replaced more frequently due to the changing shape of the jaw and mouth, and the cost of needing a new restoration every few years can add up significantly.
On the other hand, dental implants are permanent, and they won’t injure other teeth or cause gum irritation by sliding around in the mouth. They are also easier to keep clean and healthy. By brushing, flossing, using antibacterial mouthwash daily, and visiting our office regularly, you can keep your implants in great shape for decades to come.
Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?
While dental insurance does not typically cover dental implants, there are a few exceptions. During your consultation, our team will carefully go over your plan to determine if it covers any part of your treatment. Your policy may pay for a portion of your restoration or preliminary treatments.
Making Dental Implants Affordable
We offer several ways to help make dental implants more affordable:
- Our $99 implant consultation special.
- Our VIP Smile Savings Plan that includes 15% off dental implants.
- Flexible financing options from Cherry.
To get a precise cost estimate for your dental implant treatment, please contact our staff to schedule a consultation.
Maintaining & Caring for Your Dental Implants
While dental implants aren’t “real” teeth, they still need proper maintenance and care. Failing to look after them can increase your risk of implant failure. With that said, there’s good news – Harbor Dental Center has tips to help you get the most out of your improved smile!
Make Oral Hygiene a Priority
Just like with your natural teeth, taking care of your dental implants is key to keeping them healthy. When gum infections develop, it could jeopardize their health and erode the bone that holds them in place. Daily brushing, flossing, and routine professional checkups and cleanings will help keep your gums and implants healthy and stable.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Certain foods, such as those high in carbohydrates like sugar, can also increase your risk of gum infections. This is because bacteria love to feed off of carbs! To prevent accumulation of bacteria within the mouth, it’s important to maintain a balanced diet and eat foods that are rich in calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin C to give your oral health a little extra boost.
Break Bad Habits
While your dental implants are incredibly durable, failure is still possible if you aren’t mindful of your habits. Smoking, using your teeth as tools, and teeth grinding and clenching can compromise the stability of your implant post as well as damage your restoration. You should try to quit these practices as soon as possible.
Protect Your Dental Implants
Dental implants can break if put under enough force. Perhaps the best protective method is to use a custom mouthguard. If you’re playing a sport, a mouthguard can shield your implant posts and restoration from tackles and collisions. A nightguard worn while sleeping could also keep chronic grinding and clenching from damaging your restored smile.
Schedule Regular Dental Checkups
Don’t forget, dental checkups are the best form of preventive oral care. Because each one can diagnose and treat small problems, they prevent major threats to your dental implants. Attending them every six months will ensure your implant posts last a long time.
Advanced Dental Implant Procedures
Sometimes additional procedures may be performed to prepare your smile for dental implants. For example, if we detect gum disease during your initial assessment, we may recommend scaling and root planing to help restore the health of your gums. By removing tartar from above and below your gumline and then smoothing the surface of your teeth to promote gum regeneration, our team helps create a healthy foundation for placing your implants. After successfully treating your gums, our implant dentist in Cambridge will reassess your oral health and determine your eligibility.
Advanced Dental Implant Technology
Using specialized intraoral scanners, our experienced team can capture detailed and accurate digital impressions of your teeth and gums. These scans provide us with high-resolution images that we can use to create 3D models of your teeth, which we can then use to design and fabricate custom dental restorations. They are faster, more comfortable, and less messy than traditional impressions, which can be especially beneficial for patients who have a sensitive gag reflex.
Dental Implant FAQs
How Long Do Dental Implants Last?
Dental implants can last for 20 years or longer with proper care, but their longevity depends on your health and lifestyle. To ensure that yours last as long as possible, brush, floss, and rinse with mouthwash daily, and don’t skip your bi-annual exam and checkup with Dr. Bhatt or Dr. Todd.
To keep the crowns of your implants healthy, avoid chewing on anything too sticky or hard, using them to open packaging, and smoking.
Can I Take Dental Implants Out?
No, you cannot take your dental implants out. The titanium posts are permanently fixed in your jawbone and cannot be removed except by a dental professional. Do not attempt to remove them yourself.
There are certain types of implant dentures that can be removed for cleaning; however, the posts they attach to are still permanent. If you have this type of denture, Dr. Todd or Dr. Bhatt will show you how to remove it.
Does Getting Dental Implants Hurt?
You should feel comfortable during dental implant surgery since your mouth will be numbed using local anesthesia before the procedure starts. You will likely be under sedation, which means your body’s ability to register pain will be lowered.
You may feel some soreness or discomfort for a few days after the procedure. To alleviate pain, take prescription or over-the-counter pain reliever as directed, and apply cold compresses as needed.
Should any discomfort worsen instead of improving after two or three days, contact Dr. Bhatt or Dr. Todd as soon as possible.
What Can Cause Dental Implants to Fail?
Dental implant failure is very uncommon nowadays. In fact, there is a 90 to 95 percent success rate for new dental implants. When they do fail, however, it’s usually for one of two reasons: peri-implantitis or failed osseointegration
Peri-implantitis is a form of gum disease that can develop from poor oral hygiene and damage the jawbone and gum tissue supporting your dental implant, while failed osseointegration occurs when the implant doesn’t integrate with your jawbone.
Other causes of dental implant failure could include:
- Chronic teeth grinding
- Tobacco use
- Poor oral hygiene
- Taking certain medications
- Radiation to the head or neck
- Untreated conditions like diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, autoimmune disorders, etc.
Dr. Bhatt and Dr. Todd will review your risk factors and provide you with a full list of guidelines to help you avoid implant failure. Be sure to pay attention to these guidelines to increase your odds of success.