Dental Implants

Dental Implants

Our teeth can experience many changes during our lifetime, some more detrimental than others. Due to injury, tooth decay or medical issues, one or more teeth can fall out and leave open spaces in the jaw that can impact your oral health. Many restorative options are available that can replace missing teeth, but hardly any are as durable, functional and natural as dental implants. When you have experienced losing a tooth, Dr. Kohani can replace the natural root of your tooth with a titanium screw and restore it with a ceramic crown, leaving you with a smile that looks, feels and acts just like your original dentition.

The biggest benefit for you as a patient is that you can have your implants placed and restored all in one location, as opposed to receiving treatment in both an oral surgeon and a cosmetic dentist’s office, which is how the procedure is usually organized. At La Jolla Cosmetic Dentistry & Orthodontics, Dr. Kohani is with you during every stage of your treatment, providing you with a familiar face who understands first hand the parameters of your procedure.

Why Replace Your Teeth?

Your teeth are more than structures that allow you to speak, chew and digest food, though all of these attributes are paramount. They also provide much of the strength that your jaw bone needs to function properly. The root of each tooth essentially gives the jaw bone purpose through constant stimulation and requires it to maintain its shape for the health of your teeth. When one or more teeth go missing, your jaw no longer has the support it needs and will almost immediately begin to atrophy. As time goes on, a weakened jaw bone can begin to impact your facial skeletal structure, making your mouth look as though it has collapsed and causing your remaining teeth to shift. Wrinkles can also appear around the mouth as your jaw continues to strain, and the longer you allow your jaw to atrophy, the more difficult it becomes to perform restorative dental work.

Benefits of dental implants:

Jaw bone structure is left intact and strengthened
Facial skeletal muscles are lifted and retained
Chewing, eating and digestion ability improves
No additional maintenance or oral hygiene practices
Increased self-esteem and a healthier-looking appearance
Permanent and long-lasting replacement option for teeth

By replacing your missing teeth with dental implants, you are helping your jaw retain its strength, which will ultimately improve your oral health and appearance. The implants that are placed within the jaw are permanent structures that function exactly like natural teeth, which creates a smile that looks as though teeth were never missing from your mouth. You can eat, speak and practice regular oral hygiene just as you would with your natural teeth.

Dental Implant Placement with Dr. Kohani

Your dental implant procedure will begin with a consultation and dental examination that determines whether implants are right for you. Dr. Kohani will use a 3D digital CT scan to view your jaw in detail and decide whether it is strong enough to receive implants. For patients whose jaw bone has atrophied to a point where dental implants would not be suitable, pre-treatment with bone grafting can be performed to help your jaw return to a stronger state.

To place your dental implants a hole is created within your jaw, and a titanium implant is screwed into the bone. Titanium is used specifically, as it is one of the strongest metals available and promotes osseointegration, which is the process of bone growing around the metal of the implant. Osseointegration is necessary for the security and functionality of your implants when treatment is complete; however, the process takes weeks to develop, which is why patients are given time to heal between when their implants are placed, and their artificial crown restorations are created.

Restoring Your Dental Implant

Dental implant restoration refers to the artificial crown that is placed onto the titanium implant. Once your implants have healed, you will come back into La Jolla Cosmetic Dentistry & Orthodontics to have a custom crown made to fit your implants. Your crown is crafted from the most durable ceramic material that is capable of sustaining the same amount of pressure as natural teeth. To secure the crown to the implant an abutment is placed in the implant as a connecting piece. The crown is then placed on top of the abutment and cemented into place. Before placing the crown, Dr. Kohani will stain the ceramic material so that it matches your natural tooth color and naturally blends in with the rest of your dentition.

The amount of time it takes for your implant procedure to be completed will depend on the number of teeth requiring replacement and whether bone grafting is needed. Typically, a procedure can take anywhere from five to eight months to complete, but many patients find the long-lasting results of dental implants well worth the lengthy timeframe. To see if dental implants are right for you, contact Dr. Kohani at 858-622-1007 and schedule a consultation at La Jolla Cosmetic Dentistry & Orthodontics.