Dental Implants

Implant Dentistry in Denver & Lone Tree, CO

Older dental implants patient with partner in DenverThrough injury, decay, root damage, gum disease, or chronic wear, you may lose teeth. Dental implants are a great way to replace your missing teeth. A dental implant is an artificial tooth root that is fixed to your jawbone. A replacement tooth or bridge is fitted to the dental implant that looks and functions normally.

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Benefits of Implant Dentistry

  • Successful: The success rate of dental implant restorations is very high.
  • Looks Great: Dental implants restore your smile with healthy, natural-looking teeth.
  • A Permanent Solution: Compared to other restorative options such as bridges and dentures, dental implants are stronger and longer lasting.
  • Natural: A dental implant looks and feels like a normal tooth.
  • Easy Maintenance: Dental implants don’t decay, and they are easy to clean.
  • All You Can Eat: You can eat the foods you love because the dental implant is anchored to your jaw.
  • Effective: The underlying bone structure is preserved while the dental implant supports a dental crown replacing a single tooth or a bridge replacing multiple teeth. Dental implants can also add stability to dentures and reduce irritation of gum tissue.
  • No More Damage: Dental Implants don’t affect surrounding teeth, unlike some other tooth replacement options.

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The Dental Implant Procedure

The entire dental implant procedure, from diagnosis to dental implant placement to the crown restoration, is all performed in one of our two Denver area office locations. This is not only convenient, but it also provides implant dentistry patients with a continuity of care that can get lost when going from one office to another.

There are several steps to the dental implant procedure that happen over a period of time:

  • Your dental implant dentist at Almeida & Bell Dental in Denver and Lone Tree performs an examination of the area with x-rays.
  • To fit the dental implant, a small titanium rod is placed into the jawbone. This procedure is done by an oral surgeon, who we have as part of our skilled team. This means you can have the entire dental implants procedure done at one of our comfortable, convenient office locations.

Smiling couple having fun outdoors after successful dental implant procedure in Denver

  • On top, a protective cover screw is placed to allow the site to heal. Over a period of several months (usually 3-6 months), the implant site heals, and the dental implant anchors to the bone through a process of osseointegration.
  • When the site has healed, the protective cover is removed by your implant dentist right here in our implant dentistry office in Lone Tree, and a temporary crown is placed on the dental implant.
  • When the gum grows and shapes itself naturally around the temporary dental crown, a permanent porcelain crown will replace the temporary crown.
  • Your porcelain crown now functions like a normal tooth. Although the dental implant cannot form cavities, it is recommended to continue good oral hygiene to protect the surrounding area, especially the gum tissue.

Denver & Lone Tree, CO, dentists Drs. Adam Almeida and Paul Bell skillfully position the dental crown or permanent tooth after our onsite oral surgeon places the dental implant. You no longer need to worry about missing teeth. Dental implants can beautifully, effectively, and permanently restore your full smile!

Missing several teeth? Visit our Implant Supported Dentures page to see if it could be the solution for you.

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Types of Dental Implants

We offer various types of dental implants depending on how many teeth you are missing. 

Single Implants 

If you are missing a few teeth then we can replace them with single implants. Each implant consists of the implant, abutment, and your replacement tooth. 

Mini Implants

If your jawbone is naturally smaller or suffering from bone loss already, we can also see if a mini implant will work better for your single tooth replacement. Mini implants have all the same benefits as regular dental implants, but are ½–⅔ the size and don’t go as far into your jaw.

Implant-Supported Bridges

If you are missing multiple teeth in a single gap, an implant-supported bridge might be an option that you want to consider. An implant-supported bridge has two dental implants with prosthetic teeth attached to them that “bridge” the gap of your missing teeth.

Implant-Supported Dentures

Implant-supported dentures allow you to enjoy all of the benefits of traditional dentures without having to worry about the dentures ever slipping out of place. Your dentures are secured firmly in place with dental implants. This makes them secure enough to handle chewing your favorite sticky snacks or tough foods.

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Am I a Candidate for Dental Implants?

Everyone deserves an amazing smile, and we want to offer dental implants to all qualified patients. During a consultation, we will look at your smile, use technology, and ask questions to help determine if implants are the right fit for you.

Here are some of the factors that make patients a good candidate for dental implants:

  • Proper dental hygiene: Dental implants require the same type of care necessary to maintain general health. Proper brushing and flossing are necessary every day to ensure that your dental implants last.
  • No smoking or tobacco use: Smoking can cause the technology used in dental implants to fail early on. Tobacco products in general can also cause health problems that make it hard for you to undergo the surgery. If you smoke or use tobacco, we would not recommend that you get dental implants 
  • A healthy jawbone: Your dental implant fuses with your jawbone in a process known as osseointegration. In order for this to happen, you need to have a certain portion of your jawbone intact. This is something that we will be able to verify when we take x-rays of your mouth. Sometimes we can perform a bone graft to help in this area.

If you have any questions about these criteria, you can ask us during your consultation. Together we will evaluate your dental history and decide if implants are right for you.

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Recovery From the Implant Procedure

Just like other procedures, the dental implant procedure requires a period of recovery. After your dental implant is surgically placed into your jawbone, we will sew up the treatment area. 

While you heal from the initial placement, your implant and jawbone will fuse together in a process known as osseointegration. This process can take several months to occur, but healing from the procedure typically only takes a few weeks. Once you are fully healed, we’ll bring you back in to restore the rest of your tooth.

To prepare for the recovery period after the procedure, you’ll want to buy soft foods, such as yogurt or soup, that don’t require a lot of effort to chew. These will help take the strain off of your teeth during the time that your mouth is recovering. 

We will give you other instructions and medications alongside aftercare instructions when we are finished with your surgery.

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Restore Your Smile in Lone Tree & Denver, Colorado!

To learn more about how dental implants can help you, call us at one of our implant dentistry offices today in Lone Tree, next to Highlands Ranch, CO, or in Denver near Northfield and Central Park.