Dental Implants – Woodbridge Township, NJ

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

The long-term success of dental implants depends on taking the right steps before the implants are even placed. To that end, you’ll need to meet with Dr. Aquino for a consultation. During this appointment, he’ll examine your mouth and jaw, evaluate the state of your oral health, and go over your tooth replacement options. Good dental implant candidates need to have a healthy mouth and a strong jawbone to support the posts. If you don’t initially meet these criteria, we can often fix that with one or more preparatory treatments, such as bone grafting.

Dental Implant Surgery

When we’ve given you the green light to move forward, we can schedule your implant placement surgery. Thanks to Dr. Aquino’s expertise, you can get this procedure done in the same building and with the same team you already know and trust rather than seeing an outside oral surgeon.

We start by numbing your mouth and jaw. Next, we create tiny incisions in the gum tissue, which we open up to access your jawbone. Based on the images we’ve taken of your jawbone, we insert the implants at precise locations and angles. Then, we seal up the gum tissue, place protective caps over the implant posts, and send you home to begin healing.

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment

Next comes osseointegration. This near-magical process – the jawbone growing around the implant posts – is responsible for the incredible benefits of dental implants. It can take between four and six months on average.

After we have deemed that your implants have sufficiently merged with your jaw, we’ll perform a second oral surgery. This involves reopening your gum tissue and attaching metal connectors called abutments onto the implants. These pieces are what allow your restorations to stay in place.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s)

Recovering from your abutment placement should only take a few weeks. During this time, a dental lab will be hard at work designing your brand-new dental crown, bridge, or denture. Once you and your replacement teeth are ready, you’ll return to our dental office and we’ll complete your smile by attaching your restorations onto your abutments.

Day-to-Day Benefits

Many denture wearers claim that their prosthetic limits their ability to enjoy life to the fullest. With dental implants in Avenel, you don’t have to worry about them affecting your day-to-day routine. In fact, you can look forward to these incredible benefits:

• Regained ability to eat most foods. Since dental implants replace the entire missing tooth structure from the root up to the chewing surface, they provide stability unlike any other tooth-replacement solution. Because of their unique placement, they’re able to withstand the chewing of virtually any food!
• Easy maintenance. With dental implants, you don’t have to worry about incorporating complex steps into your oral hygiene routine. All you need to do is brush, floss, and rinse like you would with natural teeth. Practicing good oral hygiene and investing in routine dental appointments will ensure your newly rebuilt smile stays in its very best shape for years to come.
• Increased confidence. Unlike dentures, implants won’t move at all once they’re firmly rooted in place. That means you can eat, speak, and smile with complete confidence once again!

Health Benefits

One of the advantages of dental implants is that they offer benefits beyond appearance. Here are a few health benefits you can look forward to:

• Jawbone preservation. Because dental implants are surgically inserted into the jawbone, they provide it with internal support to prevent its deterioration. That means they can help maintain the face’s overall shape for years to come!
• Protection for natural teeth. It’s very common for natural teeth to shift after tooth loss. Fortunately, implants serve as a placeholder to ensure every tooth stays exactly where it belongs.
• Improved overall health. Studies have revealed a correlation between tooth loss and an increased risk of multiple diseases. Since dental implants are extremely similar to natural teeth, it’s safe to assume that they can help lower such risks.

Long-Term Benefits

Patients who choose to get dental implants in Avenel can expect to enjoy several long-term benefits, including:

• High success rate. Believe it or not, dental implants have an impressive success rate of about 90-95%. That holds true even 20 years after they’ve been placed!
• Youthful appearance. Because implants stimulate blood flow in the jawbone, they help prevent the sunken, aged appearance that often accompanies tooth loss.
• Long lifespan. Unlike dentures and dental bridges, implants can last for several decades without needing a replacement!

Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery

Before you can undergo dental implant surgery, you’ll need to have good oral health and no existing dental problems, such as gum disease or tooth decay. These issues must be handled first before dental implants can be placed. As a result, your total costs can be higher if you need gum disease therapy or cavity treatment prior. Additionally, the surgery and anesthesia costs can vary based on your specific needs. Because we keep the entire process in-house, you can expect your fees to be more straightforward and compact compared to visiting an offsite oral surgeon.

The Parts of Your Dental Implant

The more implants you need to rebuild your smile, the higher your final price tag will be. Not only is this because of the additional materials needed to create your implant posts, but the amount of time necessary to place each implant and prepare for your surgery. Keep in mind that dental implants can come in many different models and from individual manufacturers who have their own fees. If you’d like to learn more about the implants we use and why, feel free to ask!

Final Dental Implant Restoration

The final restoration will also have a major impact on the cost of your care. For example, creating a single implant crown from a block of dental ceramic is relatively cheap compared to a more complex implant bridge or denture. Implant crowns don’t require as much material nor time and effort to fabricate, which is why you can expect to pay far more for larger implant restorations.

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

In a majority of cases, dental implants do not receive coverage from dental insurance since they are not considered medically necessary. However, there are a few exceptions depending on the treatment plan and insurance you purchase. For example, preparatory treatments (i.e. bone grafts, gum disease therapy etc.) and the restorations themselves could get partial coverage. This means that only a percentage of the costs will be covered by your insurer, but you’ll want to contact them directly to confirm this is the case.

Making Dental Implants Affordable

If you don’t have dental insurance, there are ways you can still make your tooth replacement affordable. A common option is CareCredit, a service that allows you to pay for dental treatments over the span of several months. Not only does this make it easier to pay for dental implants on a budget, but you can expect little to no interest depending on the plan you choose. At White Oak Dental & Orthodontics, we also offer an in-house membership plan that provides discounts on services performed at the dental office!

How Long Do Dental Implants Last? 

One of the biggest perks of dental implants is that they can last for several decades. Of course, their success in the short and long term rests heavily on how well you care for them. Good habits, such as brushing twice a day, flossing daily, and visiting your dentist in Woodbridge every six months for a checkup, will go a long way in keeping yours in pristine condition. Bad habits, on the other hand, will shorten their lifespan significantly. That’s why it’s important to avoid smoking, using your teeth as tools to open things, chewing on ice, and the like.

How Can I Tell If My Dental Implant Is Failing?

Inflamed gums, pain around the implant, and other abnormal symptoms are often a sign of dental implant failure. So, call your dentist the moment they surface. Most often, this is the result of peri-implantitis (a form of gum disease) and failed osseointegration (the unsuccessful fusion of the jawbone and dental implant).

How Long Does It Take to Recover from Dental Implant Surgery?

Naturally, the length of your recovery will depend on several important factors, including how many dental implants you’re getting. Typically, however, you’ll be able to resume your normal routine within a day or two of surgery. The best way to speed up the recovery time is by following all of your aftercare instructions, like not exercising for the next week and getting plenty of rest.

Can I Get Dental Implants If I Smoke?

While smoking won’t automatically disqualify you, it’s something our Woodbridge dentist will need to seriously consider. After all, smokers have a higher rate of dental implant failure and dry socket! That’s why it’s recommended that you refrain from using tobacco products (including e-cigarettes) for at least two weeks before the procedure and at least two months afterward.

Do Dental Implants Feel Natural?

They do! One reason they feel natural is because they replace the root and crown of the missing tooth. As a result, they provide a level of stability that other tooth-replacement options don’t. Additionally, dental implants are custom-made to be an exact replica of the missing tooth, ensuring it won’t protrude or feel bulky in any way. Lastly, they are crafted from lifelike materials, which means that you may not even be able to tell a difference once enough time has passed!