High-Quality, Durable Tooth Replacement
At Dental Center of Jacksonville, our team understands how devastating the loss of your natural teeth can be – that’s why we’re here to provide revitalizing and lifelike solutions that can give you back your oral health and self-confidence as soon as possible. While no procedure is universally the right choice for every patient, our dentists are most likely to recommend dental implants because of their health benefits, durability, and virtually seamless structure. Please contact us today to schedule your consultation for dental implants in Jacksonville, FL!
Why Choose Dental Center of Jacksonville for Dental Implants?
- Dental Implant Treatment Performed Entirely In-House
- Advanced Dental Technology & Amenities Keep You Comfortable
- Flexible Dental Financing Available
What Are Dental Implants?
Traditional tooth replacements, such as dental bridges and dentures, simply sit on top of the gums or remaining teeth. Because they don’t replace the root structure of the teeth (the part that is normally hidden beneath the gumline), they end up not feeling very natural, letting you chew very easily, or lasting very long.
Dental implants solve all of these problems by recreating every part of missing teeth. The implant itself is a biocompatible post that we place directly into the jaw. After it fuses with the surrounding bone and tissue in a process called osseointegration, we can secure a dental crown, bridge, or denture on top using a metal abutment. You end up with a replacement tooth that looks and feels exactly like the one you lost!
The 4-Step Dental Implant Process
Since dental implants replace the entire structure of a missing tooth or teeth, they require a more involved process than dentures or dental bridges. In general, you can expect four main stages of dental implant treatment:
- Initial consultation: This is where we confirm your eligibility for dental implants, determine if you need any preliminary treatments, and plan out your treatment.
- Dental implant surgery: During a minor surgery, your dental implant(s) will be placed directly into your jawbone.
- Osseointegration and abutment placement: For several months after your surgery, your dental implant(s) will fuse with your jawbone. Then, a small connector piece called an abutment will be attached to the top.
- Delivery of your final restoration: Once you’ve fully healed, you’ll return to our office to have your custom-made crown, bridge, or denture anchored to your dental implants.
Most other dentists need to refer their patients to an outside specialist to have dental implants placed, but that’s not the case here at Dental Center of Jacksonville! Our dentists have the advanced training and experience needed to perform every step of your dental implant treatment right here in our office! Read on to learn more about what you can expect on your journey towards a complete smile.
Initial Dental Implant Consultation
First, you’ll meet with one of our doctors for a consultation. They’ll take a close look at your teeth, gums, and jaws and review your medical history to ensure that you’re a good candidate for dental implants. Some patients may need to undergo preliminary treatments like gum disease therapy or bone grafting before moving forward. Then, we’ll walk you through all the details of your dental implant treatment, including how many implants you’ll need, what type of restoration, how long the process will likely take, and an estimate of the cost.
Dental Implant Surgery
Our doctors have completed advanced additional training in dental implant placement. This will save you a tremendous amount of time and money while working with the same dental team you already know and trust instead of sending you to an outside specialist!
Once they’ve completely numbed the area of your mouth and ensured you’re comfortable, they will make an incision in the gums to access the jawbone where your dental implant(s) will be placed. After it has been carefully inserted, they’ll cover it with a protective cap and close the gums around it.
Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment Placement
Over the next four to six months, the dental implant will undergo a unique process called osseointegration, where it will fuse with the surrounding bone tissue. While this gradual process takes quite some time, the end result is a steadfast foundation for your replacement tooth or teeth that has the potential to last a lifetime! Then, you’ll return to our office to have your abutment(s) placed. We’ll expose the top of the dental implant and attach this small connector piece, then take impressions of the area. While you heal over the next week or so, these impressions will be used to create your final restoration.
Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations
Before you know it, you’ll be returning for the last step of your dental implant treatment! During this appointment, we’ll fasten your crown, bridge, or denture to your implants via the abutment(s). We’ll check to make sure that your bite lines up correctly, make sure you’re happy with your results, and review all the best ways to care for your new dental implants. Then, you’ll be ready to leave our office and start enjoying your brand new complete and confident smile!
Benefits of Dental Implants
Dental implants in Jacksonville come so highly recommended by both patients and professionals because they offer a variety of unique benefits. Due to the fact that they replace the entire structure of your missing teeth instead of just the biting surface, like traditional dentures and dental bridges, you’ll be able to enjoy multiple advantages in your everyday life as well as your long-term health. Read on to learn how dental implants can change your life!
Day-to-Day Benefits
- Enjoy all of your favorite foods and beverages – When just the crowns of your teeth are replaced, only about 20-30% of your original biting power is renewed. Because dental implants rebuild the roots, you’ll enjoy almost all of the chewing force you used to have, allowing you to eat all of your favorite foods with ease. Additionally, your implant restorations won’t warp when you drink hot beverages like dentures do.
- A more comfortable solution – Dental implants won’t irritate your gums (like dentures) or increase tooth sensitivity (like bridges). Instead, your implants will merge with your jawbone to the point that they feel 100% natural. Over time, many patients even forget which of their teeth are real and which are implants!
- Boosted confidence – The crown, bridge, or denture that goes on top of your implants is made from professional-grade dental porcelain. This material is able to mimic natural tooth enamel almost perfectly. As a result, your new pearly whites should look exactly like your original ones.
Health Benefits
- Maintain a nutritious diet – Denture wearers are often unable to chew healthier foods like crunchy fruits and vegetables. On the other hand, dental implants make it easy to stick to a nutritious diet and keep your whole body healthy.
- Preserve your jawbone – One of the most important benefits of dental implants in Jacksonville is their ability to stimulate the jawbone just like real teeth. They prevent the bone deterioration that tends to occur after tooth loss, keeping your face looking youthful and reducing the risk of oral health problems.
- Improve your oral health – You can pretty much brush and floss dental implants just like natural teeth. Because they’re easier to take care of, they naturally promote better oral health by decreasing the risk of cavities and infections.
Long-Term Benefits
- A longer lifespan – Recent studies suggest that replacing your missing teeth with dental implants can prevent various medical issues (such as heart disease and diabetes), leading to a longer lifespan.
- Impressive success rate – Even after more than a decade, 95% of people with dental implants are still enjoying their new teeth. If you take good care of them with regular oral hygiene and dental checkups, they could even last a lifetime!
- Save money and time on your smile – Initially, dental bridges and dentures cost less than dental implants, but you’ll have to get them repaired and replaced every few years. Not to mention, you’ll need to invest in various cleaning supplies and adhesives. In contrast, once your implant dentist in Jacksonville has placed your new teeth, they can be trusted to last a lifetime with proper care. This makes dental implants the more cost-effective solution in the long run!
Who Dental Implants Can Help
Dental implant placement has a remarkably high success rate of more than 95 percent, which can be attributed in large part to the carful approach that our team takes before starting the treatment process. When you visit our office for your initial consultation, your dental implant dentist in Jacksonville will examine your mouth and take images of your facial structure to determine your eligibility. You’ll be pleased to know that dental implants can help virtually any healthy adult who has lost any number of teeth!
Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?
The versatility of dental implants means that almost any adult with generally good health can enjoy this solution. As a rule of thumb, good candidates for dental implants in Jacksonville have three qualities:
- Good overall health – Since dental implants require oral surgery, you must be generally healthy enough to undergo a minor procedure.
- Great oral health – Cavities, gum infections, and other common dental health issues can lead to complications or even implant failure, so we’ll have to treat them first.
- Sufficient jawbone density – Your jawbone must be strong enough to give your implants a sturdy foundation.
If you don’t meet all of these qualifications, don’t worry! There’s a good chance that our team can increase your chances of successful treatment through preliminary procedures like gum disease therapy, bone grafting, or tooth extractions. Once your mouth is ready, we’ll develop a specific treatment plan based on your unique needs.
Missing One Tooth
A single missing tooth can be replaced with one dental implant post and a custom-crafted, all-ceramic dental crown placed on top. Unlike traditional bridges, when you get dental implants, your surrounding teeth won’t need to be altered or prepared in order to support your artificial tooth.
Missing Multiple Teeth
For patients who are missing consecutive teeth, an implant-supported bridge is a great solution. By placing two dental implants, we’re able to restore the gap between your natural teeth with a high-quality and natural-looking implant bridge that doesn’t require the removal of natural tooth structure. For multiple missing teeth that are not consecutive, we can install a small number of implants throughout your mouth to secure a custom partial denture into place.
Missing All Teeth
Missing all of your teeth on an entire arch can drastically impact your day-to-day life. For this situation, we offer implant dentures. Instead of relying on natural suction and denture adhesive, your replacement teeth will be secured to four to eight dental implants that have fused with your jawbone, providing them with extra support and strength.
Missing All Teeth with Low Jawbone Density
Do you wish you could provide a more stable foundation for your denture and have it attached to your implants the same day as your surgery? With All-on-4 dental implant treatment, we’re able to place just four implants into strategic positions throughout your mouth, then attach your custom-made restoration in the very same appointment! This way, you can walk into the office with severe tooth loss and walk out smiling with confidence! Plus, due to the angles at which these implants are placed, patients with low jawbone density may quality for All-on-4 even without the need for bone grafting.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants
Although you’d like to replace your missing teeth with the next best thing to your own, it’s normal to have concerns about the cost of dental implants in Jacksonville. It’s true, you’ll initially pay more for them than traditional dental prosthetics; however, you’ll save money down the road because they can thrive for decades. We strive to keep beautiful, complete smiles affordable for everyone, which is why we offer one clear price for dental implants. Unlike other locations, our price for dental implants starts at $2,699. We’ll rebuild your smile for a flat fee without compromising the quality of your investment.
Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery
Besides the cost of dental implants, you may need preliminary treatments to create a healthy foundation for your new smile, like tooth extractions, periodontal therapy, or bone grafting, which carry separate fees. Although they may add another step to your treatment plan, they create the foundation your dental implants need to succeed.
Typically, you would also have to pay specialist fees for your placement surgery; however, we can perform all steps of the process in-house. You won’t be referred to another location for your implant placement to save time and money while on your journey to a complete smile.
The Parts of Your Dental Implant
A dental implant is the only treatment to replicate the entire structure of a tooth. It consists of 3 components that range in price based on the materials and the number of teeth you’re replacing. The parts of a dental implant include:
- Implant Post
- Abutment
- Restoration
How Dental Implants Can Save You Money
You’ll pay more upfront for dental implants in Jacksonville, but they are the most cost-effective long-term. Not only are they proven to last for decades, but dental implants are the only solution to preserve your jawbone. You’ll avoid common complications caused by missing teeth to prevent costly treatments in the future to reduce your overall oral health expenses.
Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?
Every policy is unique, but most plans won’t cover the entire cost of the treatment, but your dental insurance can offset the amount you need to pay out-of-pocket. After reaching your annual deductible, you can use your yearly allowance to pay for certain steps in your treatment, like X-rays, consultations, or restorations. We’ll help you maximize your dental insurance to keep your new smile within your budget.
Making Dental Implants Affordable
If you don’t have dental insurance, or you have a remaining balance after using your coverage, we offer several solutions to make your treatment affordable, such as:
- Traditional Payments: We accept all forms of traditional payment methods, including cash, check, and most major credit cards.
- In-House Membership Plan: You can enjoy discounted rates for common services after paying a low annual fee.
- Specials: Our office offers free dental implant consultations.
- Third-Party Financing: We accept third-party financing, such as CareCredit.
Dental Implant Technology
Dental implants have an incredibly high success rate, largely due to the technological advancements that have occurred in just the past few decades. These technologies allow our Dental Center of Jacksonville team to make your treatment safer and more comfortable while producing longer-lasting results. We’ll be more than happy to explain (and show you in person) how these devices help your treatment when you visit us for your appointment. For now, though, here are the basics of how our dental implant technology in Jacksonville makes the process of rebuilding your smile much smoother and more successful!
3D Cone Beam Imaging / 3D CT Scanning
A cone beam/CT scanner is essentially an enhanced version of a digital X-ray machine. Instead of capturing a flat image of a single area of your mouth, the scanner produces a three-dimensional model of your entire mouth and jaw. The machine rotates all the way around your head, snapping between 150 and 200 photographs in total. Then, special software combines these photos into a 3D model of your oral anatomy.
Unlike X-rays alone, cone beam imaging can show our team the exact density of your jawbone as well as the locations of your nerve pathways, sinuses, and other delicate structures in the lower section of your face. As a result, we can plan to carefully avoid these areas while we place your implants with the utmost precision.
Guided Dental Implant Surgery
CT scans can also help us guide the actual insertion of the implants. With the model that is generated, we can essentially perform a virtual version of your surgery beforehand. This minimizes the risk of surprises and human error during your procedure.
Guided dental implant surgery is particularly helpful in complex cases. If, for example, you’re missing all of the teeth in your upper or lower jaw, there are no remaining teeth to give us a benchmark on where the implants should be placed. A computer guide makes it much easier for our experts to visualize precisely how and where to position the implants.
Additionally, guided dental implant placement often leads to less post-op swelling, bleeding, and discomfort afterward, as the procedure is ultraprecise. We’re typically able to make smaller incisions as well, encouraging your gums to heal more quickly.
Maintaining & Caring for Your Dental Implants
After investing so much time and money into replacing your teeth with dental implants, you naturally want them to last as long as possible. Fortunately, dental implant care in Jacksonville is much easier than maintenance for dentures or dental bridges. In fact, taking care of dental implants is fairly straightforward and similar to caring for natural teeth. That being said, you’ll need to take a few precautions to ensure the longevity of your new smile.
Make Oral Hygiene a Priority
Even though dental implants can’t get cavities, any natural teeth that you have remaining still can. Additionally, your gums are still susceptible to infection, which could end in dental implant failure. That’s why oral hygiene is just as important when you have dental implants as it was when you had all of your natural teeth.
You’ll be happy to know that dental implants in Jacksonville don’t require a complicated daily care routine. All you have to do is brush your teeth (real and implant-supported) twice a day, floss at least once a day, and use an antibacterial mouth rinse regularly.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Just because you can eat whatever you want with dental implants doesn’t necessarily mean you should . Yes, you can chow down on crunchy potato chips and cookies with ease, but try to eat sugary and starchy foods in moderation. These items leave sugar particles behind on your teeth and gums, which gives harmful oral bacteria the fuel they need to cause tooth decay and infections. Maintain a generally balanced diet with plenty of fruits, leafy greens, and calcium-rich dairy products to keep your gums, jawbone, and remaining teeth strong and healthy.
Break Bad Habits
Your teeth weren’t designed to withstand forces beyond those required for chewing, and the same goes for dental implants. Eating ice, chewing on pens or pencils, biting your fingernails, and using your teeth to open packaging or tear off a price tag can easily spell disaster for any of your pearly whites.
Smoking is also one of the worst habits in terms of your oral health. Not only does it increase the risk for cancer of the mouth, throat, and lungs, but it can also lead to gum disease – the leading cause of dental implant failure.
If you need help quitting any of these harmful habits, please reach out to your implant dentist in Jacksonville. We’re here to help!
Protect Your Dental Implants
Whether you’re a superstar athlete in training or you habitually grind your teeth at night, it’s in your best interest to protect your smile from damage. At Dental Center of Jacksonville, we can create custom sportsguards and nightguards to shield your pearly whites while you’re on the field or resting at night. That way, your teeth and implants are protecting from sports-related injuries or long-term pressure from teeth grinding.
Schedule Regular Dental Checkups
Preventive dental care is just as crucial after tooth loss as it was before. For most patients, we recommend visiting us for a dental checkup and cleaning every six months. These appointments give our dentists the chance to look over your implants, remaining teeth, and other oral structures for potential health concerns. We can then treat these issues early on, saving you from pain and needing expensive and invasive procedures in the future.
Dental Implant FAQs
Are you still debating whether or not dental implants in Jacksonville are the right restorative solution for your missing teeth? It can be overwhelming making a well-informed decision that’s this big, which is why we want to make it easier for you. Below, we’ve compiled some commonly asked questions we get from our patients about the procedure.
Will I need a bone graft before getting dental implants?
When you visit your dentist in Jacksonville, we’ll start the process off with a consultation. This allows us to take images of your facial structure, including your jawbone, to determine if you need any preparatory procedures before we can schedule your implant surgery. When you don’t replace missing teeth for quite some time, your oral tissues aren’t being stimulated by the root that was once there. When this happens, it can result in jawbone erosion. In order for your implants to be placed correctly, they need a dense and strong foundation to be placed in, which is why if your jawbone has begun eroding, you may need a bone graft. We’ll let you know whether that’s necessary, though.
How long does it take to get dental implants?
Typically, the process of getting dental implants takes place over several months because there are multiple procedures and healing periods involved. The process begins when you schedule a consultation with us. During this initial visit, we’ll discuss your goals and outline your treatment timeline for you. If you need any preparatory procedures, we’ll schedule these before the next visit. Next, your dental implant surgery will happen. Your gums will need some time to heal after this, and the implants will also need time to naturally fuse with your jawbone.
Once your implants have been placed, we’ll attach your abutments, which are small connector pieces that are used to secure your restorations. Your gums will need a few weeks to heal around these, and then we can attach your final custom-crafted bridge, crown, or denture.
Is getting dental implants painful?
We place our own dental implants at Dental Center of Jacksonville and utilize the most advanced technology in dentistry to do so. Most patients report that they feel little to no discomfort during the process and minimal swelling and pain afterward. Plus, we offer various forms of sedation so you can feel comfortable and relaxed during the surgery.
Can I still get dental implants if I smoke?
Even if you smoke, you may still be a good candidate to receive dental implants. However, understand that it can increase your risk of experiencing complications like infections. It’s worth the effort to quit smoking before your surgery so you can enjoy a long-lasting restorative solution and improve your overall health. If you have any questions about how this habit can directly impact your procedure, don’t hesitate to ask one of our dental professionals during your consultation.
Are dental implants safe?
Through decades of research and technological advancements, dental implants have been shown to be safe and incredibly successful. In fact, they boast a 95 percent success rate. During your initial consultation, we will examine your oral health, facial structure, and gum and teeth health, and help determine if this is the right option for you.