Dental Implants — Orange, CA
The Gold Standard of Tooth Replacement
If you have a missing tooth that causes you anxiety or affects your self-confidence, consider getting dental implants in Orange, CA to fill the gap in your smile. The advanced technology of dental implants ensures a permanent, stable tooth replacement. The synthetic tooth will improve your appearance and will also restore your ability to chew and speak.
If you are missing one or more teeth, call our dentist in Orange, CA, for a free consultation about dental implants. Michelsen Dental is a leader in the dental implant industry, and we are proud to perform every step of this advanced treatment right here in our office. We will make sure your procedure runs as smoothly as possible so you can get back to your normal schedule right away with the complete set of pearly whites you deserve. Your full, brilliant smile is just a few visits away! We are happy to serve patients in Orange, Tustin, and the surrounding communities.
Why Choose Michelsen Dental For Dental Implants?
- #1 FREE Dental Implant Consultation
- #2 Skilled Team of Dentists with Advanced Implant Training
- #3 Permanently Replace Any number of Teeth
What Are Dental Implants?
A dental implant is a small titanium rod that’s used to replace the roots of a missing tooth. One or more dental implants can be inserted into the jawbone where missing teeth once were, where they will fuse with the natural structure. Once fully healed in place, dental implants can be topped with a dental crown, bridge, or denture to replace any number of missing teeth. Rebuilding lost teeth from the roots up like this provides a solution that looks, feels, and functions just like the real thing!
What’s more, immediate dental implants represent a revolution in dental implant technology. In the past, after an extraction, you would have waited at least six weeks before we could place your implant. Now, in some cases, we can perform the extraction and fit you with a dental implant at the same appointment.
Receiving an immediate implant provides you with a host of benefits. The first benefit is convenience. You won’t have to have multiple appointments, and you won’t have to wait for your implant. You’ll also have a shorter recovery time after your surgery. Finally, the process allows us to more easily preserve your natural gum tissue.
The Dental Implant Process
Dental implants replace the entirety of the missing teeth, including the roots. To achieve this, they require a multi-step process that takes several months. Then you will be able to experience all of the amazing benefits that dental implants have to offer. While each patient’s dental implant experience is slightly different, the entire process can be broken down into four steps. Here’s what you can expect.
Initial Dental Implant Consultation
The first step in getting dental implants is the initial consultation. This is when we examine your smile and determine whether or not you are a good candidate for this tooth replacement option. Some patients require preparatory work before they are able to get dental implants, like gum disease treatment or bone grafting. If these apply to you, we can help you get them scheduled. Once your jaw and gums are strong and healthy, we can move forward to planning the rest of your treatment. This includes discussing the cost and timeframe.
Dental Implant Surgery
The next step is your dental implant placement surgery. This portion of the procedure is completed by our in-house dental surgeon, Dr. Kiet Minh Tran. First, your mouth will be numbed with a local anesthetic, so you don’t feel a thing. We also have dental sedation options to help patients feel extra comfortable during their procedure. Next, an incision is made in the gum tissue and the dental implants are inserted into the jawbone. Lastly, the gums are closed, and protective caps are placed over the end of the dental implants to keep them safe as the area heals.
Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment
After your dental implants are placed, they can take up to six months to fuse with the surrounding bone tissue. This process is known as “osseointegration,” which allows dental implants to be so stable and long-lasting. Once healed, metal abutments are attached to the dental implants, and impressions are taken of the area.
Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations
Your restorations are customized for you at the dental lab. Once they are ready, you can return to the dental office where we will affix them to your dental implants, completing your smile. If everything looks and feels as it should, you will be free to leave the practice and show off your pearly whites to the world!
Benefits of Dental Implants
Dental implants offer one of the most complete and lifelike solutions for replacing missing teeth from the roots up. Not only will you restore your bite, but you can also expect to preserve most of your oral health functions that can typically deteriorate after tooth loss. While the procedure might take months to complete, you can be sure to appreciate a wide range of advantages that you just won’t find with other traditional restorations. Below, you’ll find some of the biggest benefits of dental implants, ranging from daily and cosmetic gains to lifelong factors that can improve your oral health and quality of life.
Day-to-Day Benefits
- Simplified Maintenance: Instead of needing to remove prosthetics or use special cleaning tools or products, you’ll just have to take care of your dental implants like your natural teeth. Simply brush, floss, and rinse with antibacterial mouthwash like usual, and you can maintain them for many years to come.
- Improved Chewing Ability: Other traditional options like dentures might require you to watch out for certain foods that could accidentally make them shift out of place. With dental implants, however, you can expect to regain 80% or more of your natural chewing ability, meaning you can enjoy almost all of your favorite meals without much worry.
- Increased Confidence: Dental implants are designed to work and look the same as your natural teeth. Not only does this mean you’ll be able to appreciate a restored bite, but you can also feel much more confident when showing off your new pearly whites.
Health Benefits
- Jawbone Preservation: One of the most important things dental implants do for your oral health is to help retain your youthful face structure and jawbone. After tooth loss, the bone tissue in the jaw can begin to deteriorate, causing your jawbone to shrink over time. By embedding titanium posts that will serve as your new tooth roots, you can end up preventing this from happening while promoting stronger bone tissue in the long run.
- Prevent Dental Shifting: Once the jawbone begins to deteriorate after tooth loss, any remaining pearly whites could be in danger of moving out of place to fill the gap in your smile, which can lead to further tooth loss. Dental implants can serve as placeholders and keep dental shifting from happening.
- Better Overall Health: Since dental implants serve as your new natural teeth and they’re easier to maintain than other treatment options, you can expect to enjoy much better oral health with a reduced risk of developing issues like gum disease, decay, and infection.
Long-Term Benefits
- Long-Lasting Treatment: Not only will dental implants come with a high success rate of 95% or higher, but your posts can last several decades to even the rest of your life so long as you take care of them. This is much longer than other treatment options like dental bridges and dentures, which typically need to be replaced after 10 years or so.
- Cost-Effective Method: Dental implants tend to come with a higher upfront value compared to other options. However, they won’t require you to buy special tools or products to maintain them. Additionally, since you won’t have to replace them as often, you can end up saving more money in the long
run.
Who Dental Implants Can Help
If you are a good candidate for dental implants, the entire procedure can be done in our office. Our office will help with the entire process, from diagnosing and planning to placement and restoration. We have a specialist that will come in to perform the surgical placement. When it comes to implant dentistry, we will do everything we can to help you feel relaxed and comfortable during your procedure.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?
The best way to know if dental implants are right for you is to visit our office for a FREE dental implant consultation. Our dentists will carefully examine your smile, the number of teeth you’re missing, and the condition of your jawbone. This appointment also catches any preexisting oral health issues like gum disease, which must be treated before getting dental implants.
Good candidates for implants are usually those missing at least one tooth who have a strong enough jawbone for surgery. That being said, we also have several options for patients who are lacking the necessary jawbone density. Procedures like bone grafts and All-On-4 implants can allow even those with weaker jawbones to enjoy implants, which is why the initial consultation is so important.
Missing 1 Tooth
If you are missing a single tooth, we can likely replace it with a single dental implant and a custom-made dental crown. The dental implant will be inserted into the jawbone where the missing tooth once was. Once it has healed, we’ll place a dental crown atop it to complete your smile. This restoration is precisely crafted and color-matched in order to blend in seamlessly with the rest of your natural teeth.
Missing Multiple Teeth
Dental implants can also replace several missing teeth, whether they’re right next to each other or spread around the arch. Instead of using a traditional dental bridge or partial denture, which rely on healthy tooth and gum structures and can cause discomfort, we can support these classic restorations with dental implants.
Missing All Teeth
We also provide dental implants for patients needing dentures. Implants get rid of any shifting or sliding you might experience with traditional dentures. Several rods may be used to hold the dentures in place, allowing you to eat, speak, and smile without worrying about a denture that won’t stay in place.
One style of implant-supported denture is the All-on-4 structure. This is simply a method of placing four implant rods around the mouth in strategic locations. These will anchor the dentures effectively while keeping the number of implants to a minimum.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants
Dental implants are known as the “gold standard” for tooth replacement options. If you’re considering getting these restorations to rebuild your missing teeth, you might want to consider how much they’ll cost. Since dental implant treatments are tailored to each patient’s specific situation, you won’t expect a set fee for the procedure. The only way to determine the overall cost is to visit our team for a consultation. We’ll assess your oral health, discuss your smile goals, and provide you with an estimate as well as walk you through your financing options. Until you visit us, here are several factors to consider about the cost of dental implants in Orange.
Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery
If you require preliminary treatments such as tooth extraction, bone grafting, or gum disease therapy, then these will naturally add to the overall price of your dental implants. That said, these are crucial for ensuring the success and long-lasting results of your new pearly whites.
Your dental implant placement surgery will also influence the cost of your treatment. The price can change depending on factors like where it’s located in your mouth and the kind of sedation therapy you undergo. Our team is proud to help you save time, money, and headaches by providing your implant procedure in practice, helping you avoid needing to visit multiple places for your treatment.
The Parts of Your Dental Implant
Next, you’ll want to consider certain variables regarding the implants themselves, including:
- The type of restoration:
Larger tooth replacement options like dentures will cost more than smaller ones, such as crowns. - The number of dental implants
The overall price of your implants will change based on how many of them are placed. - The size or material:
Dental implants that are constructed out of zirconia, or that are shorter or longer than average, will impact the cost of your procedure. - The brand of dental implant:
We’ll only use high-quality implants from trusted brands to ensure you have the lifelike and long-lasting results you need.
How Dental Implants Can Save You Money
While it may be tempting to opt for dental bridges or dentures for their convenient prices, they won’t offer the same crucial benefits you can find with implants. While dental implants do come at a higher price value, they can actually save you more money in the long run. Since dentures and bridges will need to be replaced every few years, this can hike up the overall cost of their treatment. Dental implants, however, offer a one-time expense with results that can last several decades to a lifetime, saving you hundreds of dollars. You also won’t have to pay for special products to maintain your new teeth.
Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?
Although dental insurance doesn’t usually offer coverage for dental implants, there may be some exceptions. In some cases, your provider may be able to cover portions or percentages of your treatment, such as your consultation, restoration, and the sedation used. Speak with our knowledgeable team and we’ll be more than happy to walk you through the details of your benefits to ensure you make the most of them.
Making Dental Implants Affordable
Don’t have dental insurance? No worries. You may be eligible for alternative financing options that’ll help you avoid having to break the bank. We are proud to work with CareCredit—a third-party financier that can break up the cost of your dental treatment into smaller monthly installments. Many of these plans also come with little-to-no interest, meaning you can have a stress-free experience paying for dental implants to restore your missing pearly whites!
Dental Implant Post- Op Instructions
At Michelsen Dental, we have an experienced specialist come in to perform the surgical placement of your dental implant. That means we can complete the entire dental implant process from start to finish in one convenient location! Following your oral surgery, we’ll provide you with a list of post-op instructions to help you make a speedy and smooth sailing recovery. If you’d like to know what to expect throughout the healing period, continue reading or give our office a call today!
What to Do Directly After Dental Implant Surgery
While recovering, you must ensure the blood clot on your surgery site remains completely untouched. That way, the gums can heal properly around the implant. Make sure you avoid:
- Spitting (use tissues or swallow your saliva)
- Drinking with straws
- Smoking
- Touching the surgical site with your fingers or tongue
Common Side-Effects When Recovering from Dental Implant Placement
If you’ve never had oral surgery before, you may not know which symptoms are normal and which ones you should be concerned about. Generally, any initial discomfort you experience should gradually improve over time. If it ever seems to be getting worse, don’t hesitate to give our office a call.
Here are some side effects you can expect in the first few days following your procedure:
- Intermittent Bleeding
Although this can last for multiple days, you can alleviate it by applying a slight amount of pressure on the gauze that’s on the surgical site. - Swelling
It can last over a week, but you can make it go down quicker by using a cold compress on your cheek or
jaw. - General Discomfort
You can easily manage this by taking over the counter or prescribed pain medication.
Your Diet After Dental Implant Surgery
It’s strongly recommended that you stick to a soft-food diet for the first few days following your oral surgery. Before your procedure, you should stock up on foods like:
- Mashed potatoes
- Yogurt
- Ice cream
- Pudding
- Scrambled eggs
- Pasta
Although you can return to your usual diet as soon as you feel up for it, you should avoid chewing directly on the implant site.
Post-Op Health & Oral Hygiene
If you want your implants to successfully fuse with the surrounding bone tissue, you must keep your mouth as clean as possible after your surgery. It’s okay to brush your teeth as you normally would. However, make sure you’re gentle and careful near the surgical site. Don’t forget to rinse your mouth with salt water two to three times a day! Avoid using any mouthwash that has high levels of alcohol in it, such as Scope or Listerine.
What to Do After Your New Teeth Are Attached
Once fully healed, you’ll be able to move on to the last step of the process – the attachment of your prosthetic! After your new crown, bridge, or denture is attached to the implant, you may experience minor sensitivity in the gum tissue. Luckily, you can easily manage your discomfort with over-the-counter pain medication. You’ll be ready to make the most out of your new smile that same day!
Dental Implant FAQs
Dental implants are ideal when it comes to tooth replacement thanks to their numerous benefits. However, they are a huge investment, so it pays to be well-informed. Here are the answers to some of the most common questions we receive about dental implants in Orange. If you don’t see the information that you’ve been looking for below, don’t worry!
Give us a call
and we’d be happy to walk you through the treatment process 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 implants last, it’s important to brush, floss, and rinse with mouthwash on a daily basis. Attend regular cleanings and checkups and avoid chewing on things that are particularly hard or sticky. With proper maintenance, dental implants can last upward of 30 years. That’s several times longer than traditional bridges and 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. While the surgery shouldn’t be painful, you may experience some soreness for a few days afterward. By taking recommended over-the-counter and prescribed pain relievers as directed, the discomfort should lessen. Cold compresses can also help. If discomfort persists after three days, give us a call.
AM I TOO YOUNG TO GET DENTAL IMPLANTS?
If dental implants are placed before the jaw has finished growing, they can interfere with further bone development and potentially result in complications. Most dental professionals will not place implants in patients younger than 18, as most people’s jaws aren’t fully developed until adulthood. Some people’s jaws take until their mid-20s to develop. During your consultation with us, we can discuss whether or not dental implants are the best option for you at this time.
WILL I HAVE TO TAKE OFF WORK FOR DENTAL IMPLANT SURGERY?
Most patients only need to take one or two days off to get dental implants. If your job is physically demanding, you may want to take three or four days off, as heavy exercise can divert blood from the implant site and delay healing. However, every case is different. During your consultation with us, we can give you a more specific recommendation to meet your unique needs.
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