Dental Implants Albuquerque
Superior Dental Prosthetics & Optimal Function
Dental implants are widely considered the premier tooth replacement solution. Unlike traditional options (i.e., dentures and dental bridges), these advanced prosthetics restore teeth from the roots to the crowns, allowing for smiles that can last decades or even a lifetime. Using sophisticated technologies, the entire process can be completed in-house at Valer Dental & Braces so that you can feel more comfortable and confident about your treatment. Call us to schedule a FREE consultation today to find out if dental implants in Albuquerque are right for you.
Why Choose Valer Dental & Braces for Dental Implants?
- Free Dental Implant Consultation
- Start-to-Finish Implant Placement & Restoration
- Dental Insurance Welcome
What Are Dental Implants?
Designed to mimic natural tooth roots, dental implants are small titanium posts that look like screws but fit into the jawbone, fusing over the course of 4-6 months. Their ability to restore function and last 30+ years make them far superior to other forms of tooth replacement, especially since they are versatile in treating all types of tooth loss.
The 4-Step Dental Implant Process
Every patient’s dental implant journey is unique, but the steps we follow are carefully designed to ensure the best possible success. At Valer Dental, we’re proud to complete the entire process in-house, so you can feel confident knowing you’re cared for by the same trusted team from start to finish. Continue reading to learn what to expect.
Initial Dental Implant Consultation
Your journey begins with a one-on-one consultation with our experienced implant dentists. We’ll thoroughly examine your oral health, overall health, and the condition of your jawbone to determine if you’re ready for implants.
If needed, we may recommend treatments such as gum disease treatment or bone grafting to prepare your mouth for surgery. Every detail of your personalized treatment plan will be carefully explained, including the steps ahead and financial options.
Dental Implant Surgery
Unlike many practices that refer you out, we perform your dental implant surgery right here in our office. To ensure you stay comfortable, we’ll begin by administering local anesthesia. Then, we’ll make small incisions in your gums and precisely place the implant posts into the best areas of your jawbone for stability.
Once in place, your gums will be closed, and healing caps will be added to protect your implants during the recovery phase. With everything done under one roof, you’ll save time and enjoy continuity of care.
Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment Placement
Next comes a crucial healing period of about 4 to 6 months. During this time, your implants will undergo osseointegration – a natural process where they fuse with your jawbone to create a lasting foundation.
After healing, you’ll return to our office for a second minor procedure to place abutments. These small metal connectors will attach your new teeth to the implant posts. We’ll also take precise impressions to design your custom restoration, ensuring a seamless fit and natural look.
Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations
Finally, after you’re fully healed, it’s time for the big reveal! Depending on how many teeth you’re replacing, we’ll provide a custom-made crown, bridge, or denture that’s securely attached to your implants. We’ll make sure your bite feels right and your smile looks fantastic. Once everything is perfect, you’ll leave our office ready to enjoy the full benefits of your restored teeth.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Gaps in your grin detract from your quality of life in several ways. For instance, you might feel self-conscious about the changes in your appearance, develop a lisp or other changes to your speech patterns, or even experience gastrointestinal issues if you can’t thoroughly chew your food.
Fortunately, our Valer Dental & Braces team can provide dental implants, a versatile solution for closing the spaces in your smile to restore its appearance and functionality. Continue reading to learn about several specific advantages of these replacement teeth, and feel free to contact us for more information.
Day-to-Day Benefits
If you struggle to accept how your grin looks in the mirror after tooth loss or have difficulty with basic tasks, like speaking and eating, you’re in luck! Dental implants can enhance your day-to-day experience by:
- Restoring bite force. Unlike dentures and dental bridges, this treatment can return an estimated 80% to 100% of your original bite force, so you can enjoy all your favorite meals.
- Improving enunciation. They fill in the spaces left by missing teeth so you can pronounce different sounds and words clearly and be understood easily.
- Boosting confidence. The crown (or other appropriate restoration) capping your implant is made from tooth-colored materials that can be customized to look lifelike to raise your self-esteem.
Health Benefits
These prosthetic teeth also provide additional benefits to your oral and overall well-being that may be less obvious, but just as significant, such as:
- Preserving your jawbone. Your jaw thins after tooth loss without roots to stimulate new bone growth to keep it healthy, but the titanium rod of your implant fulfills this function to sustain a strong foundation for your teeth and gums, preventing additional tooth loss.
- Maintaining your facial structure. Supporting your jawbone keeps your facial muscles and ligaments from growing slack, which causes sunken, hollow cheeks, a jutting jawline, and additional facial wrinkles.
- Preventing oral issues. It’s easy to brush and floss them to avoid common dental concerns, like gum disease or tooth decay, which often occur with alternatives like dentures or dental bridges.
Long-Term Benefits
One of the reasons that many experts in Albuquerque consider dental implants the ideal way to rebuild smiles is because of their incredible strength and resilience. Because they’re firmly embedded in your jawbone, you can enjoy the following long-term benefits:
- Extended lifespan. Depending on how well you care for them, these tend to last anywhere from 10 to 25+ years, longer than the 5 to 10+ years you can expect with dentures and dental bridges.
- High success rate. This procedure has an incredibly high success rate of more than 90% even years after its initial placement, meaning you’re unlikely to experience failure as long as you follow our team’s post-op instructions.
- Save money over time. There’s no need to invest in additional accessories, like adhesives or special cleaning solutions, that can add up over the years. Plus, implants are less likely to sustain chips, cracks, and other damage than the alternatives, so you won’t have to pay for costly repairs or replacements.
Who Dental Implants Can Help
Are you considering restoring your smile with dental implants? If so, we have good news: this state-of-the-art tooth-replacement solution can help patients at all stages of tooth loss. So, whether you are missing one front tooth, a few of your molars, or all of your teeth, there’s a good chance that you’re a candidate! The best thing to do is schedule a consultation with our dental implant dentist in Albuquerque, but you can also read on to learn more on the topic in the meantime.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?
As we mentioned above, dental implants can help patients at all different stages of tooth loss. In order to determine if you’re a good candidate, we will need to take X-rays, conduct a comprehensive oral exam, review your medical history, and learn about your lifestyle. With this information, we can determine several important factors, including the density of your jawbone, the health of your gums, and your willingness to commit to good habits, like brushing and flossing consistently.
If we determine that dental implants are the best tooth-replacement solution for you, then we will get to work on the next step: creating your custom treatment plan.
Missing One Tooth
If you are only missing one tooth, then we will likely recommend a single dental implant. That starts with inserting the post directly into your jawbone and ends with attaching a custom crown on top. Not only does this effectively replace both the root and crown of your missing tooth, but it also restores some of the strength of your bite that you lost. Plus, with the right maintenance, your dental implant can last for 30+ years!
Missing Multiple Teeth
Are you missing several teeth in a row? If so, you can opt for an implant bridge, which anchors the replacement teeth securely in position with two dental implants. If you are missing several teeth throughout your mouth, then we will either replace each gap with a single dental implant or create a partial implant denture. Both can effectively replace a large number of missing teeth in a way that looks and feels completely natural.
Missing All Teeth
The loss of all your teeth can make everything from smiling confidently to eating a healthy, well-balanced diet very difficult. Fortunately, that’s where implant dentures come in. In this case, your restoration will be secured in place with several strategically placed dental implants. One of the biggest perks of this tooth-replacement solution is that it can last for several decades with proper care. Plus, the entire restoration is custom-made with your face shape, dental needs, and smile goals in mind, ensuring that it doesn’t feel bulky or look unnatural.