Dental Implants – Bakersfield, CA
Replace the Entire Structure of Missing Teeth
Over the last several decades, dental implants have emerged as one of the most popular and effective methods of replacing missing teeth. When paired with dental implants, traditional restorations can feel, look, and function more naturally, because they’ll be restoring the entire structure of your missing teeth, not just the visible biting surface. To learn whether you’re a good candidate for this procedure, don’t hesitate to contact our dental office and schedule a consultation with Dr. Carlson to discuss tooth replacement with dental implants in Bakersfield, CA.
Why Choose Dominic Carlson, DDS for Dental Implants?
- We Accept Dental Insurance
- Dentist Born & Raised in Bakersfield
- Friendly & Highly Experienced Dental Staff
What are Dental Implants?
Dental implants themselves are small titanium posts that are surgically placed below the gumline to replace the missing root structure of a tooth. Due to their biocompatible nature, they’re able to naturally fuse with the jawbone through a process called osseointegration. This provides the bone with necessary stimulation and blood flow to keep it from deteriorating. Then, we’re able to attach the restorations, which will anchor to a small, metal connector piece called an abutment. Since the prosthetic is anchored to the strong and sturdy implant, you won’t have to worry about shifting or failing restorations.
The Dental Implant Process
- Initial Consultation. During this initial consultation, Dr. Carlson and our team will examine your mouth and take X-rays to determine if you’re a good candidate for dental implants.
- Dental Implant Placement. We refer all of our dental implant patients out to our trusted oral surgeon located right down the street from us. We’ll work closely with them to plan the procedure. Once it’s complete, you’ll return to us for your care.
- Osseointegration & Abutment Placement. After your implants are placed, they’ll undergo a process called osseointegration, where they fuse with the jawbone. Then, we’ll place small connector pieces called abutments onto them.
- Placing the Final Prosthetic. As soon as your permanent, final prosthetic arrives at our dental office, we’ll call you in to place it and complete your smile.
Benefits of Dental Implants
It would be amazing if our teeth would last a lifetime, but for many of us, this hasn’t been the case. Some people end up losing one or more of their teeth for a variety of different reasons. This can include decay, injury, gum disease, and more. Fortunately, dental implants can restore the roots and crowns of the teeth. Because of this, there are all sorts of benefits you can experience. Read on to learn more about the advantages of choosing dental implants.
Day-to-Day Benefits
Dental implants feel identical to natural teeth once they have completely healed. You may even forget that they are there! Ultimately, you should be able to enjoy all of the same things you did before you experienced tooth loss. Here are a few benefits that you can experience every day:
- Restore Bite Force: Your bite force can be restored by 80% or even more! This is much more than you can experience with dental bridges and dentures.
- Easy Maintenance: You care for dental implants the same way as you care for natural teeth. Brush, floss, rinse, and see your dentist for regular checkups.
- Increased Confidence: You don’t need to worry about visible gaps in your smile or ill-fitting restorations.
Health Benefits
By getting dental implants, your health will be positively influenced. Here are just some of the benefits that you will experience:
- Improved Oral Health: This means a lower risk of cavities, gum disease, infection, and additional tooth loss. None of your natural teeth need to be altered for this restoration either.
- Better Overall Health: Having excellent dental health has a positive influence on your overall health. It even lowers your risk of serious medical problems, like diabetes and heart disease.
- Prevents Bone Loss: When you’re missing teeth, jawbone deterioration will follow. Dental implants stimulate the jawbone just like natural tooth roots to keep it strong.
Long-Term Benefits
With dental implants, you are making a long-term investment in your smile. Here are some of the benefits that will affect you many years down the road:
- Implant Success: Dental implants are very successful with a success rate of over 95%. Your chances of experiencing an implant failure are very low.
- Permanent: Dental implants can last upwards of three decades with proper maintenance.
- Save Money: You no longer need to worry about stocking up on adhesives or soaking solutions. There won’t be frequent repairs or replacements either. Dental implants also reduce your risk of many oral health issues, so you are less likely to need costly treatments that will add up over time.
Who Can Dental Implants Help?
It’s important to recognize that every dental implant treatment differs, because no two tooth-loss situations are identical. From the initial consultation all the way to the placement of your final prosthetic, Dr. Carlson will custom-tailor your dental implant treatment to meet your unique needs. Depending on whether you’re missing one or all of your teeth, we may suggest a version of any of the treatment suggestions listed below.
Missing One Tooth
For a single missing tooth, we can place a dental implant below the gumline to replace the missing root structure. Once it has fused to the jawbone, we can attach the abutment, followed by a customized dental crown that will fill the gap between your teeth.
Missing Multiple Teeth
Instead of needing to alter your healthy existing teeth by getting a traditional bridge, we can place two dental implants on either side of the gap in your smile. These will hold the restoration in place instead of your healthy existing teeth.
Missing All Teeth
If you’ve had dentures for a while and noticed that they move in your mouth when you eat or speak, dental implants may be a perfect solution to your problem. Instead of relying on natural suction, your dentures can be secured to anywhere from four to eight dental implants placed along your arch.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants
As mentioned above, every dental implant treatment is customized to fit your needs. That’s why we provide pricing for each step of the process during the initial consultation. Once we’ve had an opportunity to examine your mouth and determine how many dental implants need to be placed and what type of restoration you’ll need, we can schedule your surgery with our local specialist. Our team is more than happy to answer any cost-related questions you may have while you’re here as well!
Dental Implant FAQs
Modern dental implants have been used to replace teeth for several decades and have only gotten more advanced since then. Of course, we understand if you have questions about the treatment process. Dr. Carlson will gladly go over the procedure step-by-step during your consultation. However, if you have a question, we encourage you to look over our FAQ section for dental implants below, where we’ve addressed a handful of concerns we’ve heard over the years.
Are Dental Implants Safe?
Most patients with positive oral and overall health can expect a safe and successful dental implant treatment when the procedure is performed by a trained professional, such as the trusted oral surgeon you are referred to by our office. In the event your jawbone density is low or you have a preexisting dental condition (i.e. gum disease), we can fix these issues ahead of time to ensure your treatment is safer. Keep in mind that having a condition that affects your body’s ability to heal, such as diabetes or cancer, can influence the success of your treatment. We’ll speak with you directly to discuss your current health status and your eligibility for dental implant treatment during your consultation.
Can I Get Dental Implants If I Smoke?
While it’s possible for smokers to receive dental implants, the risk for implant failure goes up significantly. It also doesn’t matter if you’re smoking, chewing, or vaping tobacco as all three can cause dry mouth, slow down the healing process, and interfere with the implant’s ability to fuse with bone. Smoking also increases the risk of dry socket, where the blood clot newly formed over the treatment site dislodges. If you smoke, you should quit the habit for at least two weeks ahead of your surgery, then wait another two to three months after treatment to use tobacco again. However, we strongly advise you to consider quitting entirely.
Will People Be Able to Tell That I Have Dental Implants?
In order to create the most natural-looking implant restorations possible, our office captures digital impressions of your mouth. Then, we use these scans to design a crown, bridge, or denture that attaches to your implants. Our restorations are color-matched to your neighboring teeth exactly. After they are fabricated and placed, no one should be able to tell that you received a tooth replacement.
Do Dental Implants Feel Natural?
Keep in mind that dental implants are designed to not only look lifelike, but feel this way as well. This is because they effectively replace the tooth roots and constantly stimulate the jawbone. However, dental implants also contain no nerve endings, which means any sensations you notice after they have healed are likely coming from the gum tissue surrounding the implant. These sensations are more commonly noticed when teeth are exposed to heat, cold, or pressure.