Led by two American Board of Periodontology-certified periodontists, Darrin A. Rapoport and Ralf F. Schuler, Same-Day Implants is your top-rated dental implant practice here in Seattle. Our focus is on providing every patient with individualized care by working with you to understand your oral health goals as well as making you aware of all your options before going through with a procedure. Our team of periodontal experts is prepared to provide you with the highest quality of care in the industry while still fostering a comforting and welcoming atmosphere. Give us a call today or keep reading to learn more about our dental implant services.
What Are Dental Implants?
A dental implant is a titanium post that replaces a natural tooth root. It is surgically placed and held in place by the natural periodontal functions of the jawbone and the gums. This implant can be used to support a dental prosthesis like dentures, prosthesis, a crown, or bridge depending on a patient’s specific needs. Our periodontists usually recommend dental implants to people who are looking for a long-term solution for missing teeth. Unlike traditional dentures and other forms of tooth replacement, dental implants do not move around. They are secured in place and are maintained just like your natural teeth would be. Let’s take a look at some of the major benefits of dental implants.
Types Of Dental Implants
There are several types of dental implants we offer here at Seattle Same-Day Implants. These include single-tooth replacement, multiple teeth replacement, and All-on-4® (full-arch dental implants). Let’s take a look at each of these procedures.
Single-Tooth Replacement
If you have just one missing tooth or one tooth that needs to be extracted, we can replace it with one dental implant. With advanced dental technology, this procedure is minimally invasive and will cause no damage to the surrounding teeth or nerves.
Multi-Tooth Replacement
If you need multiple teeth side-by-side that need to be replaced, they can usually be supported by two dental implants on either side of the bridge. This reduces invasiveness but affords you the stability you need to bite down and chew.
All-on-4® Dental Implants
Just like it sounds, All-on-4® dental implants are four implants that support a whole arch of teeth (on either the maxilla or the mandible). Due to the way that All-on-4® dental implants are placed, there is oftentimes no need for bone grafting or other bone reconstruction methods. Patients can begin using their new teeth right away because the arch is designed to evenly distribute force across your whole jaw.
Traditional Versus Guided Dental Implant Surgery
There is one major difference between traditional and guided dental implants surgeries: traditional dental implant surgery takes a lot longer. For this procedure, several office visits are required. Several months are needed just for the dental implants to be made, for your gum and bone tissue to recover from extraction, and again, several months to recover after the implants are in. This all adds up and adds a lot of unnecessary stress and time for the patient.
Same-Day Implants is proud to offer Guided Dental Implant surgery which is a much better alternative to traditional implant surgery. This involves using advanced imaging technology and machinery in order to produce implants quickly and place them accurately and efficiently. Although not everyone is a candidate for this type of procedure, digital X-rays, CAD and Cam computer imaging, computerized tomography scans, and 3D imaging have all made same-day dental implants more widely available to patients.
During a computer-guided implant surgery, 3D images of your jaw and teeth will be loaded into a special program that will allow our doctors to map out exactly where, how deep, and at what angle your implants need to go in. This accuracy reduces the chance of complications after the procedure and nearly eliminates any discomfort you’ll experience.
Benefits Of Dental Implants
Aesthetics
One concern many patients have about tooth replacement is whether their new teeth will look natural or not. Dental implants will not only be capped with natural looking crowns, but the implant itself actually works to preserve the structure of your jaw and gums meaning you’ll have a natural looking jawline and smile. When one or several tooth are lost, either due to injury, tooth decay, or periodontal disease, a process called bone reabsorption begins in the jaw. This refers to the loss of bone tissue and structure due to a lack of stimulation from teeth. However, when a dental implant is placed in lieu of a tooth root, the stimulation is maintained and bone tissue is preserved.
Comfort
Aside from a slight discomfort after the procedure, dental implants provide optimal comfort in the long run. Unlike traditional dentures, dental implants don’t slide around and are secured in place via your bone, periodontal ligament, and gum tissue, just like a real tooth. After several years of having dental implants, many people find that they forget they have a prosthetic because it feels so natural to bite down, chew, and clean.
Additionally, dentures that slide around can cause discomfort and difficulty eating. Dental implants will restore your ability to eat whatever you want, whenever you want. However, that doesn’t mean you should go out and splurge on the sugary foods you’ve been trying to avoid your whole life. Although tooth decay won’t be an issue, gingivitis, periodontal disease, and peri-implantitis are still very real threats, so you’ll want to maintain your oral hygiene and eat right.
Durability
Dental implants are titanium and are fused to your jawbone through a process called osseointegration. What this means is that your dental implant will be even stronger and more durable than a natural tooth root. As far as the crown is concerned, you’ll be able to choose between either screw-in or cement-retained crowns. If these ever become loose or chip, they can easily be replaced by your periodontist.
Oral Health
Your oral health is important. When you’re at risk of losing a tooth or have already lost a tooth, your overall health and well-being is at risk as well. As aforementioned, once a tooth is lost, the process of bone resorption begins immediately. Due to the loss of bone tissue from the missing tooth, you’ll be at a higher risk of losing surrounding teeth as well. If you lost a tooth due to periodontitis, the infection could enter your bloodstream and lead to systemic conditions like heart disease, as well as cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, and more.
Comprehensive Oral Exam
It’s important to note that our doctors are not just dental implant specialists, they’re certified periodontists. When you come in for your appointment, you will receive a comprehensive oral exam including an oral cancer screening, jaw and joint function exam, and full tooth and gum condition exam, in addition to communicating with your dentist and physician as needed. What this means for you is that you get the best treatment possible that takes into consideration all aspects of your oral and overall health. Below is a full list of everything we’ll cover during our exam and implant consultation with you.
- Meet Dr. Rapoport and Dr. Schuler
- Intraoral and extraoral photographs
- Digital X-rays
- CT scans as needed
- Full oral exam
- Oral cancer screening
- Bite and jaw joint check
- Discuss Same-Day Tooth Replacement and All-on-4® New Teeth in One Day
- Discuss your goals and options
As with any time you visit our office, we are happy to answer any questions you may have, so don’t hesitate to ask for clarification concerning your oral health or our procedures.
Digital X-Rays
High-quality digital X-ray is just one of the technologies we use to provide our patients with the most thorough examination possible. Our X-ray technology produces images much clearer than standard film X-rays, and they emit very low radiation.
Digital Photos
Intraoral and extraoral digital photographs can provide more insight into your oral health condition than X-rays. Digital photos will can help identify the condition of your bite, smile, and teeth and allow you to see the progress made after your procedure is complete.
Cone Beam 3D CT Scan
If digital X-rays and photos aren’t enough to fully evaluate your oral health, a cone beam 3D CT scan will be done. This will give us a 3D 360 degree view of your jawbone and teeth. This is a non-invasive method that can be used to determine if bone grafting is needed.
Sedation Dentistry
As your top dental implant specialists in Seattle, your comfort during our procedures is a top priority. We do this by offering by using the latest technology that is minimally-invasive and providing you with the highest quality sedation dentistry. If you have any questions about this, don’t hesitate to ask.
DentalVibe®
Same-Day Implants prides ourselves on being able to provide sedation options for every procedure including injections. The DentalVibe® device is an advanced injection comfort device that allows our doctors to administer sedation without pain. This device vibrates the gums at a certain frequency that blocks sensation and dissipates the anesthetic more quickly.
Nitrous Oxide
Odorless and colorless, nitrous oxide is inhaled through the nose during your procedure and will help you relax. Since it’s our lightest form of sedation, it’s typically only used for cleaning and once the mask is removed, you will recover fairly quickly from its effects.
Oral Conscious Sedation
Oral sedation is typically administered about an hour before your procedure. This will help you relax but put you in a twilight-like sleep allowing you to respond to any requests from your doctor.
IV Sedation
Monitored by our dental anesthesiologist, IV sedation allows for a more controlled level of conscious sedation during your dental procedure. Depending on how much anxiety you experience during dental treatment, the strength and dosage can be adjusted.
General Anesthesia
Unlike the other forms of sedation listed above, general anesthesia will render you completely unconscious during the procedure. As with IV sedation, a certified anesthesiologist will monitor your breathing and dosage throughout the whole procedure. You will not experience any pain when under general anesthesia.
Dental Implant Complications
Although dental implant surgery has a success rate of over 90 percent, some patients may experience minor complications after their surgery. If you’ve had dental implants placed by another periodontist in the past and are experiencing issues, please contact us for an appointment with Dr. Rapoport and Dr. Schuler. There are several problems you may be experiencing with your dental implants.
Poor Placement
If you got your dental implants placed through traditional dental implant surgery rather than guided implant surgery, they may not be placed precisely enough in regards to angle, depth, or area.
Cement Leakage
If there was too much cement used to attach the dental crown, it can begin to leak onto the gums. This can cause irritation and result in an accumulation of bacteria.
Peri-Implantitis
Affecting both bone and gum tissue, peri-implantitis is a destructive inflammatory process caused by an infected dental implant. It’s important to maintain impeccable oral hygiene after your procedure in order to avoid this and if you notice any issues, visit Same-Day Implants immediately. This sooner we know about the issue, the more likely we will be able to save the implant.
Contact Same-Day Implants Today
If you have missing or loose teeth, don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment with our board-certified periodontists today. Dental implants are about a lot more than restoring the aesthetics of your natural teeth; they allow for better oral health and comfort while chewing or speaking. Dental implants can be placed for people of all ages and for many reasons including injuries, periodontal disease, or tooth decay. We make the use of the most state-of-the-art technology so you can be sure you’re getting the most high-quality attention in the industry, no matter what procedure you need done. Give us a call today for a free consultation and comprehensive oral exam.
