Dental Implants – Greenfield, MA
The Top Choice to Replace Missing Teeth
The American College of Prosthodontists estimates that around 178 million Americans are missing at least one tooth, while 40 million are missing all of their teeth. Tooth loss can have dire consequences on not only your oral health, but also the quality of your life. Our team loves helping patients restore the function of their smiles, along with their confidence and ability to effortlessly eat and speak, with the latest golden standard for tooth loss, dental implants. Call our office today to schedule a consultation and learn whether you’re a candidate.
Why Choose BGH Dental for Dental Implants?
- Convenient & Cost-Effective In-House Savings Plan
- Dentists with Several Decades of Combined Experience
- Convenient In-House Dental Implant Placement
What are Dental Implants?
Advances in dentistry have made replacing teeth easier than ever. Dental implant technology enables us to place a small, titanium fixture in the space left by a missing tooth. This post mimics the lost root structure of the tooth and can support a crown, bridge, or denture. Healthy teeth adjacent to the space are uninvolved, which is not the case with other tooth replacement prosthetics.
Because dental implants feature a crown and root structure like natural teeth, they offer patients a prosthetic that looks and feels totally natural. This versatile tooth replacement solution may not be right for every patient, but it does offer an option that restores lost tooth structure while helping to maintain gum tissue volume and jawbone density.
The 4-Step Dental Implant Process
Dental implants in Greenfield are the most reliable option to treat missing teeth because they rebuild the entire structure of a tooth, including the root. This treatment will require you to undergo a multi-step process that includes oral surgery. Although it will take several months to complete, it’s time well spent because you will enjoy a solution that can last for decades. Learn more about what your journey may look like below.
The Consultation
Generally, if you have good oral and overall health, you’re a candidate for dental implants if you’re missing one or more teeth; however, you’ll still need a comprehensive consultation. Your dentist in Greenfield performs a visual examination and takes diagnostic images to assess your oral health. Based on the results of the consultation, you may need additional treatments before undergoing your placement surgery, such as tooth extractions, periodontal therapy, or bone grafting. After you’ve healed from any previous treatments, you’re scheduled for your placement procedure.
Dental Implant Surgery
If you have a single tooth that needs to be replaced, you may only need a local anesthetic, but if you’re having several teeth treated or your case is complex, you might require sedation or general anesthesia. Rest assured, you won’t feel any pain or discomfort during the placement of your posts. Once you’re numb, your gum tissue is opened to expose your jawbone. Small holes are strategically made into precise locations to insert each post into the bone. Your gum tissue is sutured closed, and you’ll spend the next several weeks healing.
Osseointegration & Abutment Attachment
Over the following three to six months after your surgery, your implant posts will begin to fuse with your jawbone through a process called osseointegration. This will allow them to act as new tooth roots, stimulating your jawbone and providing it with necessary blood flow to keep it from deteriorating over time. It’s normal to feel some slight discomfort, but typically, it can be managed with over-the-counter pain relievers. You may also notice some bruising and inflammation. These can be addressed by applying a cold compress on the outside of the face in 10-minute intervals.
Once osseointegration is complete, our team will attach small metal connector pieces, called abutments, to the top of each of your implants. Over a couple of weeks, your gums will heal around the abutments, and you’ll be ready for your final prosthetic.
Securing the Final Restorations
The final step of your treatment will be awaiting your restoration. Once it arrives to our office from our dental laboratory, we’ll call you back in to attach it to the abutments and complete your smile. Our team will also show you how to properly care for your new teeth. In many cases, this is just keeping up with routine brushing and flossing like you would with your natural teeth!
Benefits of Dental Implants
Countless patients choose dental implants in Greenfield to replace their missing teeth because of the many unique and life-improving benefits that they offer. These include:
- Restore up to 80 percent of your original biting power.
- Regain a smile that looks and feels completely natural.
- Prevent jawbone deterioration and preserve your facial structure.
- Eliminate any chance of your prosthetic slipping or shifting.
- Enjoy your dental implants for 35+ years with good hygiene.
- Easy maintenance.
Who Dental Implants Can Help
While dental implants aren’t for everyone, this incredibly versatile and modern treatment can provide a solution to tooth loss in many cases. Whether you’re missing one, several, or all of your teeth, this treatment has the ability to restore your smile’s full potential. Based on the position of your missing teeth and what type of restoration you require, we may recommend one or more of the pathways mentioned below.
Missing One Tooth
For a single missing tooth, we can secure one dental implant below the gumline and into the jawbone. Once it has fused with the bone, we can attach a free-standing dental crown to the abutment, filling the gap in the arch.
Missing Multiple Teeth
Instead of having to alter the structure of the existing teeth, we can secure two dental implants on either side of the gap in the smile to anchor a dental bridge. This is an effective method to replace between two and four missing teeth in a row.
Missing All Teeth
While dentures are a reliable and trusted option for many, when combined with dental implants, patients can enjoy lifelike stability and strength from their replacement teeth. By being anchored to dental implants, you won’t have to worry about your denture slipping or shifting in your mouth.
Dental Implant Failure & Salvage
While it is rare, there are instances where a dental implant can fail and needs to undergo a salvaging process. It’s true that they have an average success rate of 95 percent and higher, but that doesn’t mean they can’t also fail as a result of improper placement or tobacco use following surgery. They can also fail if you suffer a bad fall that leaves your implant damaged. Regardless of the cause, we’ll do everything possible to save it!
Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants
Dental implants are well known for their exceptional benefits, but they are also attributed to a hefty price tag. However, they are more affordable than you might think. Many factors affect the cost of dental implants in Greenfield, but BGH Dental has the solutions you need to keep them within your budget.
Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery
No two situations are identical, so there's no flat rate for dental implants. Your implant dentist in Greenfield will create a personalized treatment plan. Besides your initial consultation and diagnostic services, your estimate will also include any preparatory treatments. It's not uncommon to require preliminary procedures, like tooth extractions, bone grafting, or gum disease treatment. You'll also require sedation or anesthesia to keep you comfortable during your implant placement surgery.
The Parts of Your Dental Implant
Depending on the number of teeth you're replacing, your estimate will also include each component of your dental implant, which includes:
- Implant Post: A titanium post is surgically placed into your jawbone to serve as a root.
- Abutment: Every post requires an abutment to connect your restoration.
- Restoration: You will require a restoration, like a dental crown, bridge, or denture.
How Dental Implants Can Save You Money
Dental implants may cost more upfront than traditional treatments, but they are the most affordable overall. They don't have to be replaced every few years. Dental implants are proven to last for decades, so you'll never need to budget for replacements. They also stop many common issues caused by tooth loss, improving your oral health. You'll be less likely to need dental work later. Not to mention the priceless benefits you'll gain from investing in the next best thing to real teeth.
Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?
Your dental insurance will not cover the entire cost of your treatment, but it can reduce the amount you’ll pay out-of-pocket. Your benefits may include your initial consultation and diagnostic services for dental implants in Greenfield. After meeting your annual deductible, your insurance can pay some of the costs for medically necessary treatments until reaching your yearly limit. We will work on your behalf with your dental insurance to maximize your coverage to lower the amount you’ll pay.
Making Dental Implants Affordable
Every step of your treatment has separate fees, which means you don’t have to come up with a lump sum. You’ll have more time to pay. Our office also offers various financial solutions, including:
- Traditional Payments: BGH Dental accepts cash, credit cards, and personal checks for your convenience.
- Financing: You can make monthly payments for any out-of-pocket expenses with a third-party financing company, like CareCredit.
- In-House Savings Plan: You can benefit from reduced costs by joining our in-house savings plan.
Advanced Dental Implant Procedures
When you lose teeth and don’t replace them right away, your jawbone will begin to deteriorate. That’s because it isn’t receiving the same type of stimulation that it once was from all of your teeth. So, patients who want dental implants may not be able to get them because they don’t have enough bone for support. Thankfully, we can perform procedures like bone grafting, allowing for the placement of dental implants, giving you beautiful and lasting results. Keep reading to learn about bone grafting and sinus lifts, which can be the key to a replacement smile that lasts a lifetime.
Bone Grafting
For patients without enough jawbone to receive implants, bone can be grafted onto the jaw. This adds tissue to the area with deficit, creating enough volume for the placement of implants. This extra bone can come from other parts of your body, a bone bank, or even synthetic materials. First, we will place a thin collagen membrane to prevent the bone graft from shrinking from growing gum tissue. In some cases, bone grafting can be performed on the same day as dental implants, but that will all depend on your smile.
For more substantial bone loss, we can place a block of bone that is supported with screws. This block can come from your chin or even behind the back of your teeth. For this procedure, we recommend that patients wait a few months to heal for the successful growth of their new bone. After, we can place dental implants to achieve desired results.
Sinus Lifts
When patients need replacements in the back parts of their arches, it’s common for their sinuses to collapse into the space where their teeth once were. This eliminates any room they once had for dental implants, leaving just a thin wall of bone left. Thankfully, we can provide a sinus lift, which gently creates space for the placement of new bone. After a few months of healing, patients can successfully receive a bone graft. Then, they can enjoy the beauty and stability of dental implants.
Dental Implant FAQs
No matter where you are in your decision-making process, our team at BGH Dental wants you to feel confident and knowledgeable, which is why we’ve compiled a list of some of the most frequently asked questions about dental implants. After reading through this page, we encourage you to contact us with any additional questions.
Does getting dental implants hurt?
Having dental implants placed is a surgical procedure, so, during the aftercare portion of your treatment, you can expect some pain. Thankfully, your dentist in Greenfield will prescribe the appropriate medications to relieve some of the discomfort. However, during the actual procedure, we’ll administer anesthesia to ensure you are comfortable and completely at ease.
Am I a good candidate for dental implants?
Although there is no age limit for receiving dental implants, there is one factor all candidates must have – good bone and oral health. It’s important that you have sufficient bone density, so it can serve as a solid foundation for the implant. If an implant is placed and the bone cannot support it, the implant will fail.
If we find that you don’t have enough bone support, not all hope is lost. You may be eligible to undergo a bone graft to help add additional support.