Tag Archives: missing tooth

Replace a Tooth: What You Need to Know about Dental Implants

Posted by Genny Skrobanek on May 16, 2023

Replacing a Tooth with a Dental Implant changes everything

One of the most common options to replace a missing tooth is with a dental implant.

Dental implants are the real deal! Did you know that dental implants enhance your smile by giving you teeth that look, function, and feel like your natural teeth and last for many years to come? If you’ve been dealing with missing teeth, then now is the time to finally restore your smile and boost your confidence and oral health. Whether you’ve dealt with tooth loss from decay, an accident, or wear and tear – we love helping our patients restore missing teeth with successful, long-lasting dental implants.

What Happens When You Lose a Tooth?

When a tooth is lost, the bone that used to support it disappears quickly.

This leads to:

  • shifting teeth
  • tooth trauma and periodontal disease
  • aging of facial features and unnatural gums around a future tooth replacement
  • lack of bone support for future tooth replacement

Gone are the days of looking older than necessary because of a sagging jawline due to one or more missing teeth. (And dentures are no longer the only option!) Dental implants offer a permanent replacement for missing teeth and an effective solution that will look and feel as natural as your original teeth. And an implant may cost far less than you expect.

Read this Implant Overview by The American Dental Association

Related Article: Restore Missing Teeth with Dental Implants

What Are Dental Implants and Their Advantages?

Made from titanium, dental implants act like artificial roots that can be permanently placed in the patient’s jaw bone to support a replacement tooth – often included in dental treatments with dental crowns, dentures, or bridges. As the gum tissue and bone grow around the dental implant, they become a permanent anchor. A natural-looking porcelain crown will be custom made giving our patients a beautifully finished result that is attractive, yet helps improve chewing, maintain bone and prevent teeth from changing positions. Implants are also the only option that can replace a tooth and prevent bone loss because those titanium roots act like natural tooth roots and promote new bone growth; they can even prevent future problems with a patient’s bite.

If you are a dental implant candidate, they also,

  • Prevent teeth from shifting toward any gaps, which can alter your bite or facial structure
  • Restore facial structure and youthful smile
  • Feel and function just like your natural teeth
  • Provide no eating restrictions

The Dental implant procedure is one of the most predictable and safest procedures in dentistry. They’re very durable and can last a lifetime if they are taken care of.

An Overview of Dental Implant Surgery from Mayo Clinic

Related Article: Tooth Replacement: Are You a Dental Implant Candidate?

Replace a Tooth: Basics of Implants

Humans have been inventing methods for replacing teeth for hundreds of years – tracing back to ancient civilizations. Today’s modern science has created a wonderful solution for missing teeth that has a huge success rate – dental implants. So, what are they exactly?

Dental implants are devices consisting of small posts often made of titanium used to replace a tooth. These posts are replacements for natural tooth roots and will connect to an abutment, which is built on top of the implant post. The abutment allows the artificial tooth to be connected to the implant post. Three parts come together to create one naturally-looking, strong tooth.

Getting a dental implant requires a surgical procedure. Your dentist will use a local anesthetic to make sure you’re pain free, and then the titanium implant will be placed into the jaw bone. Before the surgical procedure takes place, you will meet with your dentist to come up with a personalized treatment plan that fits your needs.

Learn More: What to Know About Dental Implants

Replace a Tooth: Benefits of Dental Implants

Dental implants are so popular because of their many benefits and success rate. Dental implants replace a tooth by:

  • Give you back your chewing ability and normal bite
  • Are cleaned just like your natural teeth, so they’re low maintenance
  • Prevents bone loss in the jaw
  • Are stable and permanent
  • Prevent your other teeth from becoming misaligned
  • Restores your quality of life
  • Look like your natural teeth
  • Boost confidence
  • Benefits your oral health and overall health

Learn more about Dental Implants HERE.

Learn more about why this popular treatment to replace a tooth is so successful through some of our blogs:

  • Restorative Dentistry: Dentures, Bridges, and Implants! OH MY!
  • Smile Spotlight: Erin | Restore Missing Tooth with Dental Implant and Crown

Are You a Good Dental Implant Candidate?

If dental implants sound like a good option for you, it’s helpful to know if you may be considered a candidate for them. You and your dentist will discuss this in more detail, but here are some of the basics:

  • Healthy enough for surgery
  • Good oral health hygiene habits
  • Right amount of bone mass for the implants
  • Teeth and gums are in good standing health
  • Patience for the process, it can take some time to be fully completed
  • Willing to invest the time for dental implants – which can take multiple appointments
  • A non-smoker or willing to stop smoking

These are common signs that your dentist will look for when considering if you’re a good dental implant candidate. Sometimes, your dentist may also look at why the teeth are missing.

Customized Restorative Dentistry that is Best for YOU

If you are interested in tooth replacement, it’s a good idea to discuss it carefully with Dr. Skrobanek first. If you are in good general health, one of these tooth replacement options, dentures, bridges, or dental implants, should be a good fit for you. In fact, your health is more of a factor than your age. Chronic illnesses, such as diabetes or leukemia, may interfere with healing and patients with these issues may not be good candidates for certain replacement options. Remember, using tobacco can also slow healing, regardless of which type of treatment you decide on.

Schedule a consultation with an implant expert at GPS Dental to see if you are a dental implant candidate for our implant technology. It might be the perfect remedy to preserve a youthful appearance and restore the function of your bite.

Believe it or not, your health is more of a factor than your age. Remember, using tobacco can also slow healing, regardless of which type of treatment you decide on. Chronic illnesses, such as diabetes or leukemia, may interfere with healing and patients with these issues may not be good candidates for this type of tooth replacement option.

Related Article: Restore Your Smile with Tooth Replacement Options at GPS Dental

By scheduling a consultation with Dr. Skrobanek you’ll learn if you’re a dental implant candidate. If not, he can help suggest a tooth replacement option that is a better fit for you; dentures bridges and implants may be a better remedy to restore the function of your bite and your smile’s appearance.

Dr. Gary P. Skrobanek’s experienced and friendly team at GPS Dental offers affordable dental care for all ages in San Antonio, TX area. Our Brooks City Base dentist office is conveniently located and offers early morning appointment times Monday through Friday to meet your needs. At GPS Dental, we promote dental health awareness to our patients and provide most dental services, from family and general dentistry to dental implants, sleep apnea, TMJ / TMD Treatment, cosmetic dentistry and much more. We accept most dental insurance plans and offer affordable financial solutions for any budget. Call us at 210-633-3477 to make an appointment.

Tooth Replacement: Are You a Dental Implant Candidate?

Posted by Genny Skrobanek on August 9, 2022
dental-implant-candidate

Are you a candidate for Dental Implants?

It’s exciting to know that dental implants are an incredibly popular and effective way to replace a missing tooth. If you’re missing a tooth, know that you’re certainly not alone. Did you know, it is estimated that over 125 million Americans are missing at least one tooth?

Dental implants can resolve your missing tooth issue and fill any gaps from a missing tooth or multiple teeth – restoring the look, feel, and health of your smile. However, dental implants may not be the perfect solution for everyone, so how do you know if it’s the perfect solution for you? Let’s continue to see if you’re a dental implant candidate, shall we?

Learn more from WebMD about Dental Implants

What Are Dental Implants and Their Advantages?

Made from titanium, dental implants are essentially replacement tooth roots. They are placed in the jaw to support replacement tooth – often dental crowns, dentures, or bridges. Implants are also the only option that can prevent bone loss because those titanium roots act like natural tooth roots and promote new bone growth.

Related Article: Dental Implant Guide

They also,

  • Restore facial structure and youthful smile
  • Prevent teeth from shifting toward any gaps, which can alter your bite or facial structure
  • Feel and function just like your natural teeth
  • Provide no eating restrictions

The Dental Implant Procedure is one of the most predictable and safest procedures in dentistry. They’re very durable and can last a lifetime, if they are taken care of correctly. Gone are the days of looking older than necessary because of a sagging jawline due to one or more missing teeth. Fortunately, dentures are no longer the only option! And the cost for dental implants may be far less than you expect.

Learn more from The Mayo Clinic about Dental Implant Surgery

Are You a Good Dental Implant Candidate?

Here are five quick signs of a good dental implant candidate:

  1. Teeth and gums are in good standing health
  2. Good oral health hygiene habits
  3. Patience for the process, it can take some time to be fully completed
  4. Good bone density
  5. A non-smoker or willing to stop smoking

These are common signs that your dentist will look for when considering if you’re a good dental implant candidate. Sometimes, your dentist may also look at why the teeth are missing.

Schedule a consultation with Dr. Skrobanek, our implant expert at GPS Dental in San Antonio to see if you are a candidate for implant technology. It might be the perfect remedy to preserve a youthful appearance and restore the function of your bite.

Customized Restorative Dentistry that is Best for YOU

If you are interested in tooth replacement, it’s a good idea to discuss it carefully with Dr. Skrobanek first. If you are in good general health and meet other criteria, you may be a good dental implant candidate. Scheduling a consultation at GPS Dental is your first step to see if dental implants would be a good fit for you.

Believe it or not, your health is more of a factor than your age. Remember, using tobacco can also slow healing, regardless of which type of treatment you decide on. Chronic illnesses, such as diabetes or leukemia, may interfere with healing and patients with these issues may not be good candidates for this type of tooth replacement option.

Related Article: Restore Your Smile with Tooth Replacement Options at GPS Dental

By scheduling a consultation with Dr. Skrobanek you’ll learn if you’re a dental implant candidate. If not, he can help suggest a tooth replacement option that is a better fit for you; dentures bridges and implants may be a better remedy to restore the function of your bite and your smile’s appearance.

Dr. Gary P. Skrobanek’s experienced and friendly team at GPS Dental offers affordable dental care for all ages in San Antonio, TX area. Our Brooks City Base dentist office is conveniently located and offers early morning appointment times Monday through Friday to meet your needs. At GPS Dental, we promote dental health awareness to our patients and provide most dental services, from family and general dentistry to dental implants, sleep apnea, TMJ / TMD Treatment, cosmetic dentistry and much more. We accept most dental insurance plans and offer affordable financial solutions for any budget. Call us at 210-633-3477 to make an appointment

Dental Implant Guide: Tooth Replacement Option of 2022

Posted by Genny Skrobanek on January 11, 2022
dental-implant-guide

Your Dental Implant Guide in 2022

Humans have been creating new methods for replacing missing teeth since ancient civilizations. We’ve come a long way from swapping missing teeth with bits of bones and shells. In today’s age, dental implants are an extremely reliable and advanced method for replacing missing teeth. If you’ve considered restoring your full smile with dental implants, then this is the year to move forward! With such a high success rate, dental implants are becoming the first and most popular choice among patients and dentists alike. Let’s talk about why that is.

What are Dental Implants?

To break it down in our dental implant guide, dental implants are devices consisting of small posts made of titanium. These posts are substitutes for tooth roots and will connect to an abutment, which is built on top of the implant post. The abutment allows the artificial tooth to be connected to the implant post. So, three parts come together to create on naturally-looking, strong tooth.

Learn more about Dental Implants from The ADA HERE.

Advantages of Dental Implants

There is a lot to learn about dental implants – the process, how they’re maintained, advantages, healing time, etc. It’s important to make an informed decision if you’re considering dental implants in the near future. Here are some of the many advantages to take note of:

  • Dental implants fully restore a smile, replace any missing teeth
  • Dental implants can last 20 years or more
  • Supports facial structure
  • Look like your natural teeth
  • Easy to keep clean, less work than dentures
  • Not prone to cavities
  • Boost confidence
  • Benefits your oral health and overall health
  • More secure than dentures
  • Comfortable bite
  • Restore full function of the mouth

Candidates for Dental Implants

Now that you’ve learned about the many advantages dental implants can provide in our dental implant guide, you may be wondering if anyone can get them. For many patients, dental implants are the best option for smile reconstruction. To be considered a good candidate, you’ll need to have good overall health and a reasonably healthy mouth. You will need to have a jawbone that is strong enough to support the implants, and gums should be free of gum disease.

Keep reading to learn about the types of implants and associated risks. We also describe what to expect from dental implant surgery and how much the procedure may cost. What else to know.

The Process

First X-rays and impressions of your teeth will be made. Next, the implant will be placed. This is a surgical procedure where an anesthetic is given to eliminate pain. We will make a small incision in the gums to insert the implant into the jaw bone. This gives a sturdy post for the tooth to stay on. Once the implant is placed, the healing process begins so your implant can fully fuse to the jawbone.

After the healing process from the implants, an abutment (also known as a dental crown) is placed on the implant to prepare it for the false tooth. The abutment will support the new false tooth. Now, after that appointment, your false tooth can be placed (a custom crown) and your process is complete.

Learn more in this Dental Implant Guide

Related Articles:

We’ve written a lot of articles on our blog about Dental Implants … here are just a few for you to check out:

GPS Dental Can Restore Your Smile and Your Confidence

After reading our dental implant guide, if you’re not sure which option, dental implant bridge or dentures to restore your missing tooth or missing teeth will be, schedule your Smile Consultation appointment with Dr. Skrobanek and his expert team in San Antonio, Texas. We treat each of our patients individually. We offer options for dental implants, bridge, or dentures … after a thorough exam and a discussion about your smile goals, we will create a customized treatment plan for your individual needs to restore your smile and your confidence.

Dr. Gary P. Skrobanek’s experienced and friendly team at GPS Dental offers family dentistry for all ages in San Antonio, TX area. Our Brooks City Base dentist office is conveniently located and offers early morning appointment times Monday through Friday to meet your needs. At GPS Dental, we promote dental health awareness to our patients and provide most dental services, from family and general dentistry to dental implants, sleep apnea, TMJ / TMD Treatment, cosmetic dentistry and much more. We accept most dental insurance plans and offer affordable financial solutions for any budget. Call us at 210-633-3477 to make an appointment.