Dental Implants

What are dental implants?

Dental implants are metal anchors that function as a root substitute and provide a solid foundation for a tooth replacement. They’re designed to look, feel and function just like your natural teeth. Implants are the best tooth replacement option to restore your overall dental health and greatly improve your quality of life. 

Dental implants can drastically increase your level of comfort and restore your confidence to eat, speak, laugh and enjoy life to the fullest. On top of that, dental implants can preserve your facial structure and prevent bone deterioration associated with a missing tooth.

Our priority at Monterey Peninsula Dental Group is to deliver the best treatments for your long-term wellness and confidence, which is why we proudly provide a proven track record for superior dental implants in Monterey, just a short drive from Carmel!

Are dental implants better than dentures or bridges?

In many cases, yes. Dental implants are stronger, more durable, and much longer-lasting than other tooth replacement treatments. With routine maintenance and good home care habits, your renewed smile can last a lifetime.

Dental implants also look and feel like natural teeth. You won’t have to worry about an uncomfortable plate covering the roof of your mouth like a traditional denture or getting work done on otherwise healthy natural teeth like a dental bridge.

Unlike other options, denture implants create a stable connection that won’t limit what foods you can enjoy. You’ll be able to eat fresh salad, juicy steak, and even bite into crisp apples comfortably.

What is the dental implant surgery process like?

At Monterey Peninsula Dental Group, our dentists and staff will work diligently to make your surgical process as smooth as possible so you can enjoy your renewed smile for decades to come. It is a priority for us to address all of your questions and potential concerns, so you can feel as comfortable as possible throughout the entire process.

Step 1: Your personalized consultation for dental implants in Monterey

The first step in your journey to renewed oral health is a personalized consultation where we can discuss your unique dental health history and smile goals. 

Because we want to make your dental implant process as easy as possible, we offer free consultations for dental implants in Monterey. We want to understand how your oral health struggles are affecting your daily life and how you hope dental implants can help.

We also need to evaluate your bone structure, oral health, and overall wellness to determine whether you’re a good candidate for dental implants. We’ll take digital diagnostic images and X-rays and perform a thorough examination.

Step 2: Creating your customized plan

Once we know dental implants are a good solution for you, we’ll create a completely customized treatment plan tailored to your needs. In some cases, you may need unsalvageable teeth extracted or procedures to build up healthy bone structure.

We’ll also plan your restorations with consideration for your smile shape, lip line, facial contours, and skin tone to be sure your renewed smile looks completely natural.

Step 3: Building the foundation for your renewed smile

How dental implant surgery is performed depends on the type of implant and the condition of your jawbone. In most cases, we’ll make a small incision in the gums to access the underlying bone and place your implant posts. However, we may be able to place your implant posts in the same appointment as other procedures such as tooth extractions.

You’ll rest comfortably throughout each procedure with safe and effective pain control. For most people, local dental anesthesia is more than enough to enjoy a painless procedure. However, we also offer sedation options for people who feel particularly nervous or need complex treatments.

Step 4: The dental implants healing process

The major benefit of a tooth implant is solid support for your new teeth, a process that requires the bone to integrate with the material of the implant posts. Because this bone healing requires time, the entire implant placement process can take 6-8 months, but you won’t experience any major disruptions to your everyday life.

To ensure you can smile confidently and eat comfortably during your healing process, we’ll create a temporary restoration to wear until your final restorations are ready.

Step 5: Celebrating your new smile!

Once the implant has integrated into your jawbone, you are ready for your second procedure. Depending on what type of implant is right for you, your oral surgeon may need to uncover the implant and attach a small healing collar. However, we may be able to skip this step if an immediate restoration or healing collar was already placed at the time of surgery. Afterward, your Monterey Peninsula Dental Group restorative dentist will be able to create your replacement tooth with an implant crown, bridge, or prosthesis, the final product that will be placed on top of your implant. 

For that, we will take impressions to ensure your replacement will fit correctly. With customized abutments placed on top of the implant, we will tightly and securely connect the new implant crown or prosthesis.

As soon as your final appointment is over, you can walk out of the office and showcase your beautiful, healthy and natural-looking smile.

What dental technologies does MPDG use for implants?

We’re proud to use the best implant technologies on the market to provide the best treatment and experience to our patients. We’re proud to hold the following certifications and use the following dental technologies in our dental implant treatments.

Author:

This page has been reviewed for medical accuracy by Dr. Ryan Lehr, a partner at MPDG and a graduate of Creighton University School of Dentistry. Click here to follow him on Linkedin.