Dental Implants Little Elm

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

You’ll sit down with Dr. V at our Frisco office and discuss your goals for the treatment. She’ll perform a detailed exam, ask about your medical history, and you’ll decide together whether dental implants would be right for you. If you have oral health issues that might prevent you from successfully receiving dental implants such as gum disease or thin jawbones, we can address these issues by performing periodontal therapy or referring you to a specialist for bone grafts. Once you are ready to receive implants, we can design your treatment process, provide a cost estimate, and schedule you for surgery.

Dental Implant Surgery

Dr. V will administer an appropriate anesthetic to ensure your comfort when your treatment begins, and you may also receive sedation if you need extra help remaining still and calm. Then, she will make a small incision in the gum tissue and place a titanium post into the jawbone. After the implant is secured, she will seal the wound around it and place a protective cap on top.

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment

Next, a healing period of three to six months will allow the bone to fuse with the implant (osseointegration). This process gives dental implants the sturdy foundation they need to exert maximum chewing power and last for decades with excellent care. Once this is complete a few months later, we’ll perform a second minor surgery to attach an abutment piece that will be used to secure your final restoration.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s)

After a few weeks, you’ll come back to our office to receive your final restoration, and the best appliance for you will depend on how many teeth you are missing and where they were located in your mouth. Your device will be carefully crafted by a skilled technician at a trusted dental lab according to precise measurements of your oral cavity. Dr. V will secure your crown, bridge or denture to your implant or implants and make any final adjustments. Once your restoration is in place, you’ll be ready to greet the world with your gorgeous new smile.

Day-to-Day Benefits

Tooth loss can detract from your daily life in several ways. Not only might you feel self-conscious about the unexpected changes to your appearance, but you might also struggle to eat and speak confidently.

Getting dental implants can help by:

• Restoring your bite force. These replacement teeth are the only ones that fuse with your jawbone to restore up to 80% or 90% of your original biting and chewing power, allowing you to enjoy your favorite foods without as many restrictions.
• Enhancing your enunciation. You’ll once again have two complete arches of teeth to press your tongue against to form the different sounds needed to express yourself clearly.
• Boosting your confidence. We’ll cap your implant with a restoration made from customizable, tooth-colored materials that are made to match your natural teeth for seamless results that improve your self-esteem.

Health Benefits

Choosing dental implants over the alternatives also provides unique advantages that help improve and maintain your oral and overall well-being, such as:

• Strengthening your jawbone. Your jaw usually thins after tooth loss without roots to stimulate additional bone growth every time you bite down, but dental implants contain a support rod that fulfills this function.
• Preserving your facial structure. As your jaw thins, you can develop sunken cheeks, sagging jowls, or additional facial wrinkles that make you look older than you feel, which can be avoided with dental implants.
• Supporting oral health. Keeping them clean is as easy as brushing and flossing twice daily, which helps prevent common oral concerns, like cavities and gum disease.

Long-Term Benefits

These restorations are known to last 20 years or longer if they’re cared for correctly, allowing patients like you to enjoy the following long-term benefits:

• High success rate. This procedure has an incredibly high success rate of more than 90%, meaning you’re unlikely to experience failure as long as you follow our team’s post-op directions carefully.
• Durable materials. Your new tooth is made from resilient materials that are intended to withstand the pressure of everyday biting and chewing better than the alternatives, so they tend to have a longer lifespan.
• Save on expenses. Unlike dentures and bridges, there’s no need to invest in accessories, like special adhesives or soaking solutions. Plus, they’re less prone to being damaged, destabilized, or dislodged, so you are less likely to have to pay for costly repairs or replacements.  

Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery

During your initial examination, Dr. V will assess for any pre-existing conditions that may impact your results, such as cavities or gum disease, and address those issues first. She’ll also measure your jawbone density to ensure it is strong enough to support your new teeth. If it’s not, an additional bone graft procedure may be required. You’ll be expected to pay for any extra services rendered.

Then, the cost of the surgery itself can vary from person to person because it depends on your unique situation. For example, the number of implants placed, the kind of anesthesia or sedation used, and the length of your procedure can all potentially affect the total amount due.

The Parts of Your Dental Implant

You’ll also need to pay for your dental implant, and its price can vary depending on the following factors:

• How it’s made. Some of these teeth contain longer support rods than others, or utilize zirconia instead of titanium, which can potentially increase your invoice.
• The brand. Different manufacturers design products to cater to the needs of their clientele, which can impact the rate.
• The type of restoration. A single implant is usually capped with a dental crown, but multiple rods can anchor bridges or dentures that contain additional pontics and typically cost more.

How Dental Implants Can Save You Money

Many patients seeking cost-effective solutions assume that these prosthetics will exceed their budget and opt for shorter-term treatments that are less expensive, such as dentures or dental bridges. Unfortunately, these options can end up costing more in the long run because they are more prone to damage, destabilization, or dislodgment. That means you’re more likely to require costly repairs or replacements more frequently.

Not only that, but these treatments also often require additional accessories that you must invest in, like adhesives, soaking solutions, special pastes, or temporary cement to maintain them, which aren’t required for implants.

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

Most dental insurance policies consider these restorations to be a luxury more than a necessity, and don’t cover the cost. However, every plan is different, and there may be exceptions, like if your restorations are deemed medically necessary.

Furthermore, your insurance may also cover certain aspects of your procedure, such as your initial exam and X-rays, which can reduce your out-of-pocket expenses.

Making Dental Implants Affordable

If you’re eager to move forward with this treatment but are concerned you can’t afford it, you might benefit from one or more of the following options:

• In-Office Membership. For a low annual fee, you gain access to standard services and a 20% discount on many other treatments we offer in-house, without maximums, deductibles, or waiting periods.
• Flexible Financing. We also offer flexible payment plans through CareCredit. If your application is approved, you can divide your total invoice into more manageable installments over a designated period.