Dental Implants — Owasso, OK

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

Generally, if you have good oral and general health, you’re a candidate for dental implants; however, you’ll still need an initial consultation with Dr. Jayson Voto to ensure they are right for you. Besides a visual examination, he’ll also review diagnostic images, including a CT scan of your mouth. This allows us to look for any potential issues that may create a complication, like low jawbone density or gum disease.

Based on the results of your consultation, you might require additional treatments to become a candidate for dental implants in Owasso, like tooth extractions, bone grafting, periodontal therapy, or a sinus lift. Then, once you’ve healed from any necessary preliminary procedures, we’ll plan your dental implant surgery.

Dental Implant Surgery

Thanks to his advanced training, Dr. Voto can personally perform your dental implant surgery right here in our Owasso office. On the day of your surgery, he will ensure your comfort with the help of local anesthetics as well as sedation. He will make a small incision in your gums to expose the jawbone. He will then locate the areas that were precisely planned out by our advanced technology and insert the dental implant or implants. Once they’re in place, he’ll suture your gums closed and the healing process will begin.

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment Placement

Dental implants are made of biocompatible materials like titanium, which are used in other surgeries like hip replacements. This means that they are very likely to be accepted by the body. In a process called osseointegration, the jawbone and dental implant will fuse together. This can take several months; however, it’s time well-spent because it ensures your new smile has the sturdy foundation it needs to thrive for decades.

After your bone has healed, you’ll need a second minor surgery to place abutments on each post. These special fixtures are connector pieces between your implant posts and your restoration. It takes about 2 weeks for your gum tissue to heal after abutment placement. While you’re recovering, we’ll be hard at work crafting your new teeth to meet your specifications.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations

Lastly, you’ll return to our office to have your new smile completed. Our restorations are carefully crafted out of all-ceramic materials, which are both reliably strong and beautifully natural-looking. Whether you need a crown, bridge, partial, or full denture, your restoration will be fabricated with care to ensure that the color, size, and shape of your new teeth look as lifelike as possible. We’ll attached your restoration to the dental implant(s) via the abutment(s) and check to make sure that your bite is comfortable. Then, after we’ve checked that you’re pleased with your results, you’ll be ready to go out and enjoy a complete, confident smile.

Day-to-Day Benefits

• Because your new teeth will be anchored onto posts that are embedded within your jawbone, you can trust that they won’t slip around while eating. This is something that cannot always be said for regular dentures! With dental implants, you’ll be able to freely enjoy all of your favorite chewy and crunchy foods.
• Taking care of dental implants is just as easy as caring for natural teeth. All you have to do is brush and floss on a daily basis. Better yet, you don’t have to take your implants out of your mouth to clean them or purchase special cleaning products.
• Poorly fitting dentures often result in speech difficulties such as clicking, whistling, or slurring your words. Dental implants in Owasso allow you to speak just as clearly as you did before tooth loss.
• Having a complete smile makes you feel more confident about yourself. You’ll be able to go about your day without feeling self-conscious of gaps in your grin.

Health Benefits

• Unlike dental bridges, dental implants can be placed without filing down enamel from any of your remaining teeth. This means that you can retain as much of your natural tooth structure as possible.
• When you have greater chewing power, it’s easier than ever to maintain a healthy, balanced diet. Denture wearers often have to forgo healthy fruits and vegetables because they’re difficult to chew, but dental implants let you eat all sorts of nutritious foods with ease.
• After a tooth is lost, the part of the jawbone that it once supported starts to lose stimulation and break down. Dental implants are the only tooth replacement that gives your jawbone the stimulation it needs to remain strong. Not only does this minimize your risk for future tooth loss, but it also prevents your facial features from wrinkling or sagging prematurely.

Long-Term Benefits

• The replacement teeth that we secure on top of your dental implants are made out of lifelike materials that are designed to mimic your natural teeth in size, shape, and color. In the end, only you and your implant dentist in Owasso will even know that you had teeth replaced!
• While a conventional bridge or denture has to be replaced every five to seven years, dental implants can last for 30+ years with the right care and maintenance. This makes dental implants a more cost-effective solution that saves you a great deal of money over the years.
• Dental implants boast a remarkably high success rate of more than 95 percent in most cases. If you’re looking for a tooth replacement that you can trust in the long term, then dental implants are the perfect solution!

Who is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

If you are missing one, multiple, or all your teeth, there is a good chance you’ll be eligible for dental implants in Owasso. During your initial consultation, Dr. Voto will determine the status of your oral health, overall health, and jawbone density. If you show signs of gum disease or tooth decay, periodontal therapy or tooth extraction may be necessary. If you lack enough jawbone to support your implants, a bone graft may be recommended before moving forward with dental implant surgery. Your overall health is equally as important, as you will undergo minor oral surgery when receiving your dental implants.

You might assume you’re not eligible for one reason or another, but don’t let your assumption keep you from meeting with Dr. Voto.

As one of the most versatile forms of tooth replacement, dental implants are capable of treating all types of tooth loss:

Missing One Tooth

It is believed that an estimated 69% of adults in America between the ages of 35 and 44 are missing at least one tooth. Even one missing tooth can cause difficulties eating and speaking. Without a full set of teeth, your healthy ones may try to shift and close the gap, resulting in the need for orthodontic treatment later on. But you can prevent this by having a single dental implant put into place. Once the new root is positioned in the jawbone, an abutment is used to attach a porcelain crown. The crown is custom-made to blend in seamlessly, both in function and appearance.

Missing Multiple Teeth

Traditionally, dental bridges were the go-to treatment for bringing back multiple teeth. The only issue was they need to cut down 2 healthy teeth to hold the appliance in place. Dental implants allow your healthy teeth to remain untouched when closing the gap. One or two implant posts anchor the bridge to your jawbone to restore strength and stability to your bite. But if you have missing teeth that are not consecutive, we can also create an implant partial that works similar to the traditional kind, only it attaches to your dental implants instead of using metal clasps to attach to healthy teeth.

Missing All Teeth

If you are ready to stop dealing with a denture that slips and causes irritation, dental implants are the solution for you. Using multiple dental implants, Dr. Voto can secure a full denture directly to the jawbone using between 4 and 6 implant posts to provide a level of security traditional dentures cannot match. Not only do the posts support the denture, but they also stop bone loss to protect your facial structures.

Types of Dental Implants

A major factor that impacts the cost of your procedure is how many teeth you’re missing and what type of restoration you need. For example, if you’re missing a single tooth, you’ll just need one implant topped with a custom-crafted crown. That procedure will be significantly less than replacing an entire arch of teeth with a denture that requires the placement of four to six titanium posts. The best way to learn which restorative option is the best for you is to visit your dentist in Owasso, Dr. Voto, for a consultation. This way, he can present possible solutions that best fit your budget and lifestyle.

Are Dental Implants Worth the Investment?

You’ve probably gathered that dental implants have a higher up-front cost than most traditional restorative solutions. Even though this may be the case, since dental implants have over triple the lifespan than regular dentures, bridges, and crowns, they’re the most economical choice. They’ll even save you multiple visits with your dentist for readjustment, relining, and repairing as well. They keep your jawbone from deteriorating after tooth loss, which can save your teeth from becoming misaligned, crowded, and reduce your risk of decay, which ultimately lowers your overall oral healthcare costs.

No matter how you look at it, this procedure has countless lifelong benefits to offer you and can save you time, money, and hassle in the long run, making them well worth the investment.

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

Usually, most dental insurance benefits won’t cover implants because they’re still considered a cosmetic procedure. However, nowadays, we’re noticing that this is beginning to change, which is why it’s always important to double-check with your provider. Our team would be more than happy to help maximize your benefits and walk you through applying for additional financing options if needed, so don’t hesitate to contact us!

Will I Need a Bone Graft Before Getting Dental Implants?

In order for your treatment to be successful, it’s essential that your jawbone is dense enough for dental implants to integrate with. This is one of the main things we’ll look for during your consultation. If you’ve only recently lost a tooth, your jaw will likely still have most of its mass. However, if you’ve been struggling with tooth loss for some time now, parts of your jawbone may have naturally deteriorated. In these cases, a bone graft can be used to strengthen the area so that it can support dental implants. Healing from this procedure takes a few months, which can delay the implant procedure itself. However, it will be worth it when your implant thrives and does not fail due to inadequate jawbone.

How Long Will It Take for My Dental Implants to Heal?

As mentioned above, if you need a bone graft or other procedures like a tooth extraction before getting your implants, you’ll need to add a few months into your total healing time. The implant procedure itself takes an additional few months, since your jawbone requires time to fully integrate with the implant posts before the restorations can be successfully placed. Ultimately, healing time will depend on each individual patient. Contact your trusted dentist in Owasso, Dr. Voto, for a consultation to determine about how long you’ll need.

I Smoke. Can I Still Get Dental Implants?

Yes, but there are extra risks involved. Smoking slows down the body’s natural healing process, so you’ll need to stop a few weeks before your dental implant surgery and refrain from picking it up again for at least a month afterward. However, we highly recommend that you take this opportunity to finally quit smoking altogether! Smoking dramatically increases your risk of oral health issues and complications that cause dental implants to fail. In fact, some studies suggest that success rates for dental implants in smokers is only about 85%. So if you’ve been looking for a good reason to quit, this would be it!

What Can Cause Dental Implant Failure?

Besides smoking or chewing tobacco, there are a few other things that can cause your dental implant to fail. Gum disease and a similar condition called peri-implantitis can damage the jawbone and connective tissues that help hold your dental implant in place, which can cause it to fail. That’s why it’s imperative that your teeth and gums are healthy before receiving your implant.

Make Oral Hygiene a Priority

Dental implants don’t get cavities, but the teeth around them still can. You are also still at risk for developing gum disease, which can cause your implants to fail. Remember to maintain an excellent oral hygiene routine at home. This includes brushing twice, flossing, and rinsing with mouthwash every single day.

Eat a Healthy Diet

You can eat whatever you want when you have dental implants, so you can feel free to eat a full, nutritious diet. However, overindulging in hard, sticky, or sugary foods can be problematic. Be sure to include plenty of foods that are rich in calcium and vitamin C to keep your jawbone strong and your gum tissues healthy.

Break Bad Habits

Bad dental habits can cause your dental implant to break or fail! You should refrain from smoking and chewing tobacco. This slows down healing and encourages infection. You should also avoid using your teeth as tools and chewing on hard objects. Instead, find scissors, a bottle opener, or another tool to help you complete your task safely. If you want to chew on something, choose sugar-free gum.

Protect Your Dental Implants

Your dental implants may be strong, but they aren’t completely indestructible. You should wear a sports mouthguard to protect your dental implants during sports. If you grind your teeth at night, you may want to consider investing in a nightguard to prevent extra wear and tear.

Schedule Regular Dental Checkups

You should see us for regular cleanings and checkups every six months. This way, we can monitor your dental implants and keep an eye out for issues as early as possible. If we detect any abnormalities, we can address them right away for the best chance of success.