Dental Implants – Newark, DE

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

Your journey to your brand-new smile begins with a consultation with your dentist in Newark, either Dr. Ganfield or Dr. Bond. As a rule of thumb, if you have adequate oral and general health, you’ll be a good candidate for dental implants. However, there may be certain lifestyle factors and health conditions that could put you at risk for implant failure, such as habits and disorders that hinder your body’s ability to heal or fight off infections.

At your consultation, we’ll thoroughly examine your oral structures and take detailed x-rays of your mouth. This allows us to determine whether you’ll need any preliminary procedures, like a sinus lift or a bone graft, before your implants can be placed. These images also let us pinpoint precisely where your implants will be placed.

Dental Implant Surgery

For your implant placement, we’ll refer you to a specialist you can trust. They’ll surgically place however many implants you’re receiving into your jawbone. These titanium posts are completely biocompatible, meaning they’re practically guaranteed to be well-accepted by your body.

During the surgery, you’ll receive plenty of local anesthetic and perhaps even sedation to ensure your comfort. The oral surgeon will drill tiny holes into your jawbone where each post will be inserted. After your gum tissue is closed up, your body will then begin the truly remarkable process of osseointegration. 

Dental Implant Osseointegration/Abutment

The implant posts stimulate your jawbone to grow around them until the two essentially become one structure. This process is known as osseointegration, and it’s what allows dental implants to be the most successful form of tooth replacement. Although this process can take several weeks to a few months, it’s well worth it to create a stable foundation for your new prosthetic teeth.

After your jawbone has fully recovered, you’ll undergo a second minor surgery where you’ll receive an abutment on each of your implant posts. An abutment is a metal attachment that connects your implant to your new prosthesis.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations

Once your mouth has thoroughly healed from abutment placement, you’ll return to our office. We’ll take impressions of your mouth and send them to our dental lab, where they will carefully craft your restoration, whether it’s a crown, bridge, or denture. The result will be a beautiful, long-lasting smile you can be proud of.

Day-to-Day Benefits

Many denture wearers claim that their prosthetic limits their ability to live life to the fullest. Well, dental implants can change that. Since they’re so similar to natural teeth, you can expect to reap several incredible benefits, including:

• Regained ability to eat most foods. Dental implants replace the entire structure of a missing tooth, meaning they’re able to withstand the chewing power of virtually any food.
• Increased confidence. Because implants are carefully designed to complement your natural facial structure, they’ll allow you to smile with confidence.
• Lower maintenance. You don’t have to worry about incorporating complex steps into your oral hygiene routine. All you have to do care is for your new smile as you would care for natural teeth!

Health Benefits

With dental implants, you can enjoy more benefits beyond improving your daily quality of life. Here are a few significant health advantages they offer as well:

• Jawbone preservation. Since dental implants are surgically inserted into the jawbone, they stimulate it to prevent the bone loss that’s common after tooth loss. They also help maintain the face’s overall shape.
• Protection for remaining teeth. It’s common for teeth to shift after tooth loss because there’s nothing to keep them in place. Luckily, implants serve as a placeholder to ensure every member of your smile stays exactly where it belongs.
• Improved overall health. Studies have revealed a correlation between tooth loss and an increased risk of multiple diseases. Because implants are so similar to natural teeth, it’s safe to assume that they can help lower such risks.

Long-Term Benefits

You can expect to reap multiple long-term benefits with dental implants, including:

• High success rate. Dental implants have an impressive success rate of about 95 percent even 20 years after they’ve been placed.
• Youthful appearance. The implant post stimulates blood flow in the jaw, preventing deterioration and the sunken, aged look that often comes with tooth loss.
• Long lifespan. With proper care and maintenance, implants can last for decades – sometimes even a lifetime!

Missing One Tooth

If only one tooth needs to be rebuilt by our team, pairing a single implant with an all-porcelain crown will likely be the best way to go about it. Unlike a traditional bridge, the crown won’t threaten the health of the surrounding natural teeth, and the finished result will be so seamlessly lifelike that those around you likely won’t even be able to point out the new addition!

Missing Multiple Teeth

While implant-supported crowns can also be successfully used to restore several missing teeth throughout the mouth, our team may recommend an alternative if a multi-tooth gap needs to be filled in: an implant-supported dental bridge. Two implants will be placed on either side of this gap to serve as “anchors” that hold the new restoration sturdily in place. As a result, the biting strength is restored, and nearby healthy teeth are no longer able to drift out of their positions.

Missing All Teeth

Contrary to popular belief, many patients missing most or all of their natural teeth can be great candidates for dental implants. Instead of replacing every single missing tooth with its own individual implant (a process that can quickly become very expensive), our dentists will recommend an implant denture that attaches to a small number of strategically angled implants throughout the mouth. This type of denture can be permanently fixed in place or kept removable if a patient is already used to wearing a traditional prosthetic.

Learn More About Implant Dentures

Types of Dental Implants

No matter the number of teeth you have missing, it’s important to have them replaced. That’s because any absence, over time, can lead to the troublesome shifting of the other teeth. Some of the results of this can be a poor bite, difficulty performing oral hygiene and a greater chance of developing a gum infection.

When you visit us for an initial examination, Dr. Ganfield will work with you to determine which dental implants in Newark are best suited for your needs. Here are your options:

• Traditional Dental Implants – This is used when there is only one tooth missing, and the full fixture consists of the post and abutment (anchor), which are both constructed from durable titanium. The final piece is the porcelain crown that leaves the tooth fully restored.
• Implant-Retained Bridge – For situations where two or more teeth are missing, an implant-retained bridge is a viable option. The replacement crown fixtures are attached to a single apparatus, and it is securely affixed to the abutment.
• Mini Dental Implants – For a less invasive form of replacement, there are mini dental implants. They are attached beneath the gum line like traditional implants; they’re just smaller. This is especially an option to consider for patients who are more cost-sensitive.
• All-on-4 Dental Implants – If you’re missing an entire set of teeth, Dr. Ganfield offers the All-on-4 method for implant placement. Instead of placing a dental implant for each missing tooth, he’ll instead insert four strategically positioned implants along the upper and lower gums. They will attach to a set of custom-designed dentures that securely snap into position.

What Are the Stages of Dental Implant Treatment?

One of the more attractive features of affordable dental implants in Newark is that after the 10-year mark, the average success rate is 95 to 98 percent. This is greatly attributed to the careful and conservative approach Dr. Ganfield takes to performing each step of the procedure.

Before any work commences, he’ll conduct a thorough examination. The condition of your overall health, the number of teeth you have missing, the amount of healthy bone mass that remains and whether you’ll need a bone grafting procedure, will all be considered.

Then, once you’re cleared to undergo the procedure, the first step will be to attach the implant to the jawbone. Then, you’ll be allowed time to heal, and we’ll provide you with instructions on how to encourage the process. Later, we’ll invite you back to our Newark office to have the abutment placed so the final restoration can be securely added.

With your smile fully restored, you can get back to leading the type of life you want!

Are Dental Implants Worth the Investment?

To assess the value of the dental implant procedure, you have to determine how important your happiness is to you. Then, take into consideration the fact that no other form of tooth replacement offers the functionality, aesthetic appeal, and longevity of the dental implant process.

It’s also a big plus that, with proper care, a dental implant can last 20 years or more. Therefore, if you’re careful to practice excellent oral hygiene, which includes brushing and flossing on a regular basis, and you maintain regular visits with your dentist in Newark for preventive care, you’ll definitely see an excellent return on your investment.

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

The best way to determine whether your dental insurance will cover your dental implant placement is to review your individual coverage. Typically, though, if benefits are provided, it will be for any restorative care that may be needed pre-surgery or for a final prosthetic. Thus, you’d be responsible for the implant placement.

We have partnered with CareCredit for situations such as these, so you don’t have to miss out on the vital care you need. As a form of low-to-no-interest financing, it allows you to undergo care and pay the balance over a six-to-24-month time period.

Can I still get dental implants if I smoke?

Yes, but there is a higher risk of your body rejecting the implant. The success of your dental implants in Newark depends on your jawbone’s ability to grow around the implant post. Smoking or chewing tobacco slows down the oral healing processes, making your implants more likely to fail. If you have been looking for a reason to quit smoking, getting dental implants would be it. If you’re having trouble quitting, ask one of our dentists for resources. We are here to help you.

What can cause a dental implant to fail?

Many factors besides smoking can result in implant failure, such as the implant not being placed correctly and the site being unable to heal. The other main reason is infection. If you have infections in your bones or soft tissue, such as gum disease, it’s imperative that you get those dealt with before starting your treatment, to ensure the success of your implants.

Why do I need a bone graft before getting dental implants?

The longer you have been missing teeth in Newark, the more likely your jawbone will start to deteriorate due to lack of stimulation from your natural tooth roots. The amount of jawbone mass you have is a crucial factor in the success of your dental implants. If you don’t have much jawbone mass left, your implant is very likely to fail due to not having enough support. A bone graft involves grafting artificial bone material onto your jawbone and allowing it to heal for a few months before your implant procedure can begin. Afterwards, your jawbone should have more than enough strength to support your implants.

How Long Do Dental Implants Last?

Dental implants are designed to easily last for several decades. If you maintain them properly with regular brushing, flossing, and checkups and cleanings, they can even last for the rest of your life. So, although implants might seem like an expensive option up front, keep in mind that they are the only solution to tooth loss that can last for this long without needing to be replaced.

Does Getting Dental Implants Hurt?

Most patients report only minimal discomfort during the implant placement procedure. Afterwards, you can expect some soreness, as with any type of oral surgery. This can usually be managed with over-the-counter pain relievers. Your oral surgeon might also prescribe some more powerful painkillers, depending on how complex your case is. Just remember to only take them as directed on the bottle.