If you no longer have all of your permanent teeth, dental implants can restore your smile to its near-original condition. Furthermore, they can reduce the risk of potentially serious issues like gum recession and bone loss. At his self-titled practice, experienced general and cosmetic dentist Jeffrey Busch, DDS, boasts years of experience placing and restoring dental implants. To make an appointment in Houston, Texas, call the office or click the online booking feature today.
Dental implants are small titanium posts. They replace your natural tooth roots, providing a foundation for restorations like crowns, bridges, or implant-supported dentures.
Dental implants don’t rely on your existing teeth for support. Instead, your provider inserts them into your empty tooth sockets during an outpatient procedure. After implant placement, the posts integrate with your natural bone.
Dental implants offer various benefits, including:
Dental implants even improve your oral health. By filling the gaps where teeth used to be, it’s possible to reduce the risk of gum recession and bone loss.
At the practice of Jeffrey Busch, DDS, getting dental implants takes three visits.
During your first visit, your provider conducts an oral exam and takes a series of X-rays. These measures help them determine if you have enough jawbone to support the implants. If you have gum disease or low bone volume, your provider might first recommend a bone graft.
If everything looks good, your provider numbs your mouth with a local anesthetic and places the dental implants into your jaw. The number of implants you get depends on various factors, including how many teeth you’re missing and the type of restoration you want.
After surgery, your provider writes a prescription for pain medication and antibiotics. You go home and recover for several months.
When your mouth finishes healing, you return to the practice of Jeffrey Busch, DDS. Your provider takes impressions of your mouth with a digital scanner and sends the impressions to a laboratory that designs and manufactures your custom restorations.
When the laboratory finishes your crowns, implant-supported dentures, or fixed bridge, you visit the office for the last time. Your provider connects your restorations to your dental implants, polishes them, and provides care instructions.
You take care of dental implants like they’re your natural teeth. To keep yours in optimal condition, Jeffrey Busch, DDS, recommends:
If you play contact sports or participate in other physically strenuous activities, it’s also important to wear a mouthguard. Doing so can reduce the risk of chips, cracks, or other types of damage.
To see if you’re a candidate for dental implants, make an appointment at the practice of Jeffrey Busch, DDS, by calling the office or clicking the online booking feature today.