Dental Implants

When it comes to replacing missing teeth, dental implants are widely considered to be the best, most permanent, and healthiest option for patients who are missing one or just a few teeth. What many people don’t know is that dental implants are extremely versatile tools that can be used for more than just single-tooth replacements. At Billings Oral Surgery & Dental Implant Center, our expert oral surgery team places implants for single tooth replacements, to support full-arch replacements, and more. Dental implants can be used to treat a wide variety of conditions, and below we’ve provided a list of some different procedures that utilize dental implant technology.

Replacing single teeth

Dental implants are commonly used to replace a single missing tooth. An implant is a great option for replacing a single tooth because the implant screw will integrate with your natural bone and stimulate the jaw, which combats bone loss and other complications.

Replacing multiple teeth in a row

Dental implants can sometimes be used to support bridges, which can replace multiple teeth in the same area. The dental implants will firmly hold the bridge in place while stimulating the jaw bone. This is preferable to traditional tooth-supported bridges, which put stress on your surrounding, healthy teeth for support. Implant-supported bridges do not damage neighboring teeth, and they promote good overall oral health.

Replacing a full arch of teeth

Usually, it is not advisable to replace a full arch of teeth with multiple single dental implants, due to the high cost and healing time of multiple procedures. Luckily, advances in dental implant technology have made it possible to replace an entire row of teeth using only a few dental implants to support a permanent denture. A full arch replacement only requires one procedure to place the implants (where you will receive a temporary set of teeth) and one more procedure to place your custom, permanent teeth once the dental implant sites have healed fully. This drastically reduces the healing time compared to using individual dental implants to restore an entire arch of teeth.

Anchoring for orthodontic work

Dental implants are extremely stable, which makes them perfect as temporary anchorage devices for orthodontic work. Your oral surgeon will place the dental implant; then your orthodontist will attach braces or other devices to the implant and surrounding teeth. The stable dental implant acts as an anchor, so other teeth can move into their proper positions more quickly and easily.

These are just a few of the treatments possible with dental implants, and oral surgeons are constantly finding new and innovative ways to utilize and improve dental implant technology. Even if you have been told in the past that dental implants were not a viable option, a wide variety of bone grafting treatments is available to prepare your jaw and surrounding structures for implant placement. If you need a tooth or multiple teeth replaced, we encourage you to contact our office for more information. With many different treatment options, we are confident that we can find a treatment plan that fits your needs.

If you just had dental implants placed or are starting the dental implant placement process, you may be aware that you will be facing a soft food diet. But you may also be thinking, what is a soft food diet exactly? And why is it important to restrict your diet to soft foods as part of the healing process?

A soft food diet is just that – soft food only. A restricted soft food diet is not scary, though. A soft diet involves consuming foods that hardly require any chewing. You will have to avoid chewy foods or hard food, such as corn on the cob or sticky candy, or even tough meats that require repetitive chewing. The type of dental implant procedure you undergo will dictate your specific soft food diet, but it is safe to say that soft food options like scrambled eggs, pasta, soup, smoothies, and applesauce are all perfect examples of appropriate foods to eat after receiving your dental implants.

Now, you may be thinking that a soft food diet is restrictive and will be difficult to follow, but you must keep in mind that it is only temporary. Even if the diet consists of soft foods, there are a lot of options that you will be able to enjoy. Maintaining a well-balanced diet is very important for general health and can definitely aid in healing.

If you are worried about following a soft food diet, there is no need to fret! Your oral surgeon will instruct you on the foods you should eat and which ones to avoid. How long you adhere to a soft food diet depends largely on your healing process, which also includes additional individual factors, such as the condition of your overall health before the dental implant procedure, the amount of bone present in the jaw, and if a bone grafting procedure was also necessary.

To help you understand why a soft food diet is so important, you should know that your new dental implants are in the process of fusing with your jaw bone. This process is called osseointegration and offers a secure foundation. Osseointegration allows you to chew properly and will have your dental implants function just like the rest of your teeth. Other temporary tooth replacement methods lack a root and are not affixed to the natural bone, which is why dental implants are the most desired secure, permanent solution.

After your procedure, your oral surgeon will need to periodically check on your progress. Consuming harder foods too early can lead to complications, including infection and reduced integration of the dental implant into the bone. But by staying on your recommended soft food diet, you are encouraging better healing and are ensuring you receive the best possible outcome from your treatment. Once your oral surgeon has determined successful healing, you can resume eating and enjoying the foods you love.

For more information about dental implants or to schedule a consultation at Billings Oral Surgery & Dental Implant Center, please call our office today and find out if dental implants are the right choice for you!

How can I be sure a dental implant is right for me? Many patients ask that question. This revolutionary procedure delivers preservation of bone and a resolution to other oral health problems. Many patients experience several factors that contribute to tooth loss like poor dental hygiene, lifestyle choices (like smoking), diet, and genetics, but it’s also incredibly important to quickly restore the missing tooth or teeth to prevent severe complications. Patients don’t realize that problems such as speech impediments, premature skin wrinkling, bone loss, and infections can have a serious impact on your overall health and appearance of your mouth.

Dental implant procedures are simple and effective. They work to replace a missing tooth or teeth with a custom prosthesis. The first part is to place a titanium implant into the jaw bone, which then fuses with your natural bone while it heals to create a secure foundation. Next, the abutment is placed into the implant, which acts as an anchor between the crown and the implant. Finally, the custom-designed crown, which closely resembles a natural tooth, is placed on top of the abutment. The result is a complete tooth restoration.

Another restorative technique is the All-on-4^® Treatment Concept. This is a specific type of dental implant procedure that is the solution for those patients who have multiple teeth missing or severe oral health problems that need to be corrected with a full arch restoration. It has become a popular solution that provides fast, permanent results for a whole mouth of teeth. While single dental implants may be great at replacing each tooth and tooth root, the All-on-4 Treatment Concept replaces all of your upper or lower teeth through utilizing four dental implants. After a quick surgical procedure and a minimal recovery period, many All-on-4 Treatment Concept patients are happy to show off their beautiful, secure, and permanent results.

The oral surgeons at Billings Oral Surgery & Dental Implants Center will help you determine if dental implants are the right choice for you and if you are a good candidate for the All-on-4 Treatment Concept. After a full-mouth examination, we will offer you your best treatment plan. Please contact our office today to schedule your consultation.