What are dental implants in Oro Valley, AZ?

Dental implants are specially designed to replace missing teeth permanently, and Dr. Robert S. Wood and Dr. Nicholas J. Coles are experts at placing dental implants from our office in Oro Valley, AZ. Each dental implant replaces both the root and the crown of your tooth, allowing you to smile and eat as if your teeth were never missing.

Dental implants can replace one or many teeth, depending on your needs. Your implants will look identical to healthy teeth while preventing oral health problems such as bone loss and dental shifting. No other tooth replacement option preserves your facial bone structure like dental implants, which is why many dental professionals recommend implants as the healthiest tooth replacement option for patients who can undergo outpatient dental procedures.

How do dental implants work?

Dental implants essentially mimic the way a natural tooth’s root works: the roots of your teeth create a firm hold so that you can bite and tear foods. Dental implants are inserted beneath the surface of your gums to replace the roots of missing teeth. The medical-grade titanium post naturally integrates with your bone, creating a strong foundation for your replacement teeth. Your beautiful new teeth will be secured onto the implant posts using an abutment piece. Patients who receive dental implants can smile confidently knowing that their teeth will never slip out of place or fall out while they eat or speak.

Why dental implants?

Dental implants offer many benefits over dentures and other tooth replacement options. Some of the advantages of dental implants include

Beautiful new teeth
Ability to eat virtually anything you like
Preserving bone structure by preventing resorption
Preventing dental shifting and bite problems
Permanent, non-removable prostheses

Unlike other tooth restorations that require replacement after five to seven years, dental implants can last a lifetime with proper care. To find out if dental implants are right for you, schedule a consultation with one of our oral surgeons in Oro Valley, AZ. Our surgeons will evaluate your condition to help you choose a treatment that fits your needs.

What happens during a dental implant procedure?

Most of the time, the process of getting implants requires two or three visits to the office: one consultation appointment, one surgery appointment, and a follow-up visit/abutment placement procedure. The process differs for everyone, and you may have more or fewer visits depending on if you need immediate implants, bone grafting, or extractions.

During your consultation, your surgeon will go over your condition and take scans to determine the best treatment plan. These scans may also be used to create custom 3D surgical guides for your procedure. If you have any questions about your treatment or anesthesia options, this consultation is the perfect opportunity to discuss them with your surgeon.

Next, you will return for your surgery. After administering your anesthesia, the surgeon will lift the gum tissue and carefully place the implants into the bone. Then, the surgical sites will be sutured, and you will rest until your anesthesia wears off. Usually, the entire procedure is done within 30–60 minutes for a single implant. If multiple implants are placed or a full-arch restoration – often called Teeth-in-a-Day, DIEM^® full-arch replacement, or All-on-4^® treatment – is performed, the procedure will probably take between one and three hours.

After surgery, there will be a healing period of several weeks before you can resume full chewing function. A soft diet may be necessary for some time, but most patients find that they can return to their normal routines within just a week or two. Once the surgery sites have healed enough, your abutments and permanent teeth can be fitted onto your implants. Some patients don’t want to go without teeth during the healing period. In these cases, your dentist may be able to make temporaries for you to wear while you wait.