Get Beautiful & Functional Teeth With Dental Implants in Baton Rouge, LA!

Missing teeth can negatively impact the beauty of your smile and can reduce how effectively you perform daily functions such as biting, chewing and speaking.

In order to minimize the impact on the rest of the mouth, it is important to address missing teeth right away. Get the perfect smile with our Baton Rouge dental services at Elements Dental Spa.

What Is a Dental Implant?

A dental implant is a man-made “tooth root” crafted of lightweight titanium, a strong and safe material. Dental implants are the newest and most permanent way to replace missing teeth.

The implant is surgically placed into the jawbone, which will fuse with the bone as it heals and create durable and stable support for a dental prosthesis. The implant is then topped with a crown, bridge, or dentures to complete the restoration, which will look and function like natural teeth.

What Are the Benefits of Dental Implants?

• Function: Enjoy your favorite foods again. Sliding dentures can make chewing more difficult. Dental implants function like your own teeth, allowing you to eat your favorite foods with confidence.
• Beauty: Smile with confidence. Dental implants look and feel like your own teeth and are a durable and permanent option to replace missing teeth.
• Improved Oral Health: Because nearby teeth are not altered to support the implant, more of your own teeth are left intact, improving long-term oral health. Individual implants also allow easier access between teeth, improving oral hygiene.
• Prevents the shifting of nearby teeth. When a tooth is missing, the surrounding teeth tend to shift out of place and the bone of the missing tooth deteriorates. Dental implants will preserve the natural bone and prevent the movement or shifting of the adjacent teeth.
• Proven success: Modern dental implants have been used successfully for over the past 30 years with a general success rate of 95 percent.

Am I a Good Candidate for Dental Implants in Baton Rouge?

If you have one or more missing teeth, you are likely a candidate for dental implants. However, there are many factors that must be considered to determine if you are a good candidate for implants. For example:

• Children or adolescents will need to wait until their facial growth and development are complete before implant placement to ensure the long-term success of the dental prosthesis.
• Patients suffering from uncontrolled chronic diseases or systemic conditions like diabetes and heavy smokers may not be good candidates for implants.

What Is the Procedure Involved in Getting a Dental Implant?

1. Consultation: Consult with your dental provider to develop a dental implant treatment plan that is specific to your individual needs.
2. Dental Implant Placement: A small titanium post will be placed into your jawbone. For most people, this procedure is less painful than tooth extraction and they are able to return to work the next day. Your dentist will give you local anesthesia to make sure the area is completely numb so that you are comfortable throughout the procedure. You may opt to be sedated for your procedure, but it is not necessarily required.
3. Healing process: Your jawbone will heal around and integrate with the implant, forming a strong foundation. The implant integration can take anywhere between four to six months.
4. Once the healing is complete, the implant can be restored with a permanent crown, bridge, or denture that matches with the natural shade of your teeth and gums.

How Much Do Dental Implants Cost?

Dental Implant costs vary from individual to individual and are based on different conditions. After your first examination, we’ll accurately assess your dental health and can better answer your question.

How Long Do Dental Implants Last?

Your dental implants will likely last you for the rest of your life. The implant, which is a small piece of titanium, will permanently integrate with your natural jaw bone through a process known as “osseointegration.” Basically, it will become a natural part of your mouth, indistinguishable from your bone tissue.

With proper placement, recovery, and maintenance your implant will likely never fail. More than 90% of all dental implants last over 30 years, so most patients can expect to keep their beautiful, natural new teeth for the rest of their lives.

However, it’s important to note that while the implant will likely last forever, the implant restoration may not last quite this long. Dental crowns, bridges, and other implant restorations are exposed to a lot of wear & tear from chewing and biting and will tend to wear out within 10-20 years.

The good news is that it’s easy, fast, and relatively inexpensive to replace these restorations. If they are worn out, they can simply be removed from the implant, and then a new crown or bridge and other implant-supported restoration can be built and placed right away.

Reliable Implant Supported Dentures in Baton Rouge

Although traditional dentures are a tried-and-true option for replacing teeth, they can lack long-term stability, and additionally be uncomfortable and costly.

Implant dentistry is the latest advancement in the field, and dentures supported by implants function effectively with added benefits to patients’ oral health.

Our dental practice partners with a trusted oral surgeon in Baton Rouge to place multiple dental implants throughout the jaw, laying the foundation for dentures. Abutments attached to the implant posts secure dentures in place, preventing embarrassing slips during speech and meals.

With missing teeth, the support the jawbone needs to withhold its density is lost. Implants replace needed tooth roots and prevent further jaw deterioration due to tooth loss. Implant-supported dentures retain patients’ youthful facial appearance while restoring jaw function as well.

What are Alternatives to Dental Implants?

There are two main alternatives to dental implants at Elements Dental Spa – Baton Rouge Dentist & Aesthetics Spa: full or partial dentures and dental bridges.

Full and partial dentures consist of a metal and/or plastic framework that supports one, several, or an entire arch of missing teeth. Dentures are a time-tested, effective way to replace missing teeth, but they don’t last very long, and they tend to shift and move around when you chew and bite.

Dental bridges are a bit different and can be used to restore a row of one or more missing teeth. This treatment uses two dental crowns, which are permanently attached to healthy teeth near your missing tooth or teeth.

Then, a “bridge” of false teeth is suspended in the gap in your smile to restore your smile. Bridges are more durable and long-lasting than dentures, but still don’t last quite as long as dental implants

Schedule A Consultation Today

At Elements Dental Spa – Baton Rouge Dentist & Aesthetics Spa, we are committed to your dental health, which is why we use high-quality materials that are built to last. With proper oral care, your dental implants are designed to last for decades, even a lifetime!

If you have any questions about if you are a candidate for implants, please contact us at (225)-398-8812 to schedule your implant consultation today!