Dental Implants In Midland, TX

During a consultation, we’ll take X-rays and check the overall health of your mouth to make sure that dental implants are a viable option for you. Once we’ve confirmed that you’re a good candidate for the procedure, we can create your treatment plan. After that, you might be required to undergo some preparatory treatments. For example, we may need to remove a tooth, or you could need a bone graft to ensure that there’s enough tissue for a successful surgery.

The implant placement procedure will be scheduled once all of the necessary preparations have been made. (You may be able to have the surgery done immediately following a bone graft, but this is not always the case.) The implant post is surgically positioned in the jawbone, and a protective cap is placed on it. This cap is meant to keep the implant post safe while the mouth heals around it, which is a process that can take several months to complete.

As you recover from the surgery, the bone in your jaw will slowly start to fuse with the titanium implant post. This gradual joining is called osseointegration, and it typically takes about three to six months, depending on how many posts needed to be placed. The next step after a successful integration is to place abutments. These small devices are what we’ll use to attach your prosthetic tooth or teeth to your implants.

You’ll return to our dental office for this final step. Any temporary restorations will be removed to make room for your new permanent teeth. Your crown, bridge, or dentures will be specially made so that they resemble real teeth so closely that most people won’t even realize that you’ve had dental work done.

Patients should be in suitable oral and overall health in order to qualify for dental implants. The jawbone should be sturdy enough to support the proper anchoring of each implant post. Many times, a bone graft will need to be performed to create the proper environment for dental implants. Your implant dentist, Dr. Drisdale, will assess your overall health to determine whether or not you are a good candidate for this tooth replacement option. If you are, we look forward to getting started right away!

If you are missing a single tooth, then you will likely only need a single post to support an implant-retained crown. The implant will be positioned in your jawbone beneath the open socket and in such a way that the most bone density is used to anchor the post.

For several missing teeth, two dental implants can support an implant-retained crown and bridge. The prosthetic is made of two dental crowns that attach to the implants and replacement teeth that fill the gap in your smile.

Patients who are in need of significant tooth replacement may benefit from selecting All-On-4 implant dentures as opposed to traditional dentures. This state-of-the-art procedure relies on a minimum of four precisely placed implants to create sturdy and confident results for patients. All-On-4 can be used in the upper or lower jaw, and the treatment is typically reserved for patients who have lost all of their teeth.

The roots of your teeth actively stimulate blood flow in the jaw, ensuring that the bone receives the nutrients it requires to stay healthy and strong. No teeth means that the jawbone will start to deteriorate. After a while, it will reach the point where it can no longer support dental implant posts. Bone grafting replenishes the tissue that was lost in order to strengthen the jaw. All we have to do is open the gums to access the parts of the jaw where bone loss has occurred and apply bone tissue taken from elsewhere in your body or a donor. It can take several months after bone grafting for your mouth to heal to the point that implant surgery can be performed.

The upper jaw often offers its own unique challenges during implant surgery. In some cases, the sinus cavity might be located too close to the spot where the implants need to be inserted. This can make it difficult or impossible to place the posts without poking into the cavity. We can address this issue with a specialized bone graft called a sinus lift. After opening the gums, we push the thin membrane supporting the sinuses out of the way in order to place the necessary grafting material. Implants can normally be placed about four to nine months after this procedure.

Using platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) helps speed up the recovery process after implant placement and other types of oral surgery. It’s highly recommended for patients who are at a particularly high risk for post-surgical infection; faster healing time means less of an opportunity for harmful bacteria to enter the body. This treatment also reduces the need for pain medication and anti-inflammatories after implant surgery; many dentists report a decrease in reported discomfort when PRP and PRF are used.

Is there not enough room in your jaw for the implant posts? A ridge expansion can help create the space required. The ridge bone will be divided into inner and outer segments that are carefully wedged apart. Then bone graft material is placed in the space between them. Once recovery is complete, implant surgery can proceed. There are certain situations where dental implants can be placed on the same day that ridge expansion is performed, but we’ll have to consider all of your options before we decide on this course of action.