Dental Implants – Vienna, VA

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

During your initial consultation, Dr. Vik will go over your oral health and medical history to make sure you are a good candidate for this procedure. If needed, we can work with you to complete preliminary procedures, like gum disease therapy, tooth extractions, or bone grafting. Then, we can move forward to plan the rest of your dental implant treatment. During your consultation, we will also discuss the timeline and cost in detail, so you know exactly what to expect.

Dental Implant Surgery

Dr. Vik is proud to complete the entire dental implant process in-house, so you don’t need to worry about working with another dentist. First, Dr. Vik will numb the area with a local anesthetic to ensure that you remain comfortable during our procedure. Then, an incision will be made into the gum tissue so the implant posts can be placed into the jawbone. Lastly, the gums are closed, and protective caps are placed over the posts.

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment Placement

Osseointegration is the process in which the titanium implant fuses to the jawbone. This is what keeps the replacement tooth anchored in place. When osseointegration is complete, metal abutments are placed on the end of the implants. Impressions are taken and your final restoration will be custom-made to fit perfectly into your smile.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations

The last step in getting dental implants is the delivery of your replacement teeth. You will need to return to our office so we can place your crown, bridge, or denture on your implant(s). During this time, Dr. Vik will ensure that your bite is lined up and everything feels comfortable. Then, you can enjoy all of the wonderful benefits of your complete smile!

Day-to-Day Benefits

As soon as your gums and jawbone have completely healed, your dental implants shouldn’t feel any different from your natural teeth. You might even forget that they are there. Here are some of the benefits that you can experience every day:

• Easy Maintenance: There isn’t a special way to care for implants. You just use all of the same best practices you use for your natural teeth. Brush twice, floss, and rinse every day. You should also continue to see your dentist for regular visits.
• Stronger Bite: With dental implants, your bite force can be restored up to 90%! This is much more than you can expect with traditional dentures and bridges.
• Increased Confidence: If you have gaps in your smile due to tooth loss, it can be easy to feel self-conscious. With dental implants, you can show off your grin with pride again.

Health Benefits

Your health can be positively influenced by your dental implants. Here are just some of the ways that your dental implants benefit your wellbeing:

• Prevents Bone Loss: Your jawbone isn’t being stimulated through regular chewing if you are missing teeth. Fortunately, dental implants replace the roots of the missing teeth, therefore stimulating the jawbone and preventing bone loss.
• Improved Dental Health: Missing teeth can increase your risk of other dental problems. This includes gum disease, misalignment, and additional tooth loss. Dental implants help to prevent these negative effects.
• Better Overall Health: Dental health and general health go hand-in-hand. Having better dental health means a reduced risk of several life-threatening conditions, like diabetes and heart disease.

Long-Term Benefits

Dental implants have a higher cost than traditional dentures and dental bridges, but there are good reasons for this. Dental implants are an investment in the future of your smile. Here are some of the incredible benefits that you can enjoy for multiple decades or even the rest of your life:

• Long-Lasting: Other tooth replacement options, like dentures, need to be relined or replaced now and again. On the other hand, dental implants are made to last for many decades. You might never have to worry about your missing teeth again!
• Save Money: Dental implants last a while, so you don’t have to worry about spending large sums to replace or repair them periodically. Implants also help to prevent health issues that are expensive to treat. Ultimately, you could be saving your wallet!
• Very Successful: Dental implants have an astonishing success rate of over 95%! Dental implant failure is highly unlikely.

Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery

Our team will need to ensure that your entire mouth is healthy enough to undergo dental implant surgery. This means that if we detect any underlying issues that could risk treatment failure, we’ll need to address them before moving forward with your plan. This might involve undergoing preliminary procedures like bone grafting, periodontal treatment, or even tooth extractions to improve your oral health, which is fortunately often partly covered by dental insurance.

Your implant surgery will also come with its unique price. That said, we’ll be able to perform the entire process in-house, so you won’t have to worry about paying bills to two different providers. We’ll be sure to discuss the details of your treatment cost so that there aren’t any surprises.

The Parts of Your Dental Implant

Several important factors to think about when it comes to the price of your dental implant surgery include:

• The number of dental implants: The number of missing teeth that need to be replaced will affect how much your overall payment will be.
• The kind of restoration used: Whether you receive a dental crown, bridge, or denture will influence the amount you’ll pay for your treatment. Smaller restorations will also typically come with a lower cost.
• Materials used: Your dental implants may be constructed out of titanium or zirconia—both of which come with different prices.

How Dental Implants Can Save You Money

Those working with a tighter budget might be more likely to lean toward more traditional restorations or prosthetics due to their lower upfront costs. However, you’ll want to keep in mind the benefits you’ll get to enjoy with dental implants. Not only do they last significantly longer than dental bridges and dentures, but you also won’t need to replace them as often or need to purchase special tools to maintain them properly. These factors can end up saving you more money in the long run, especially since dental implants can help you avoid certain oral health complications that can be costly.

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

Although dental insurance might not cover the dental implant posts themselves, they can often have exceptions when it comes to the final restorations or even the preliminary treatments. That’s why you should double-check the details with your provider so that you can make the most of your plan. Our team will also be happy to help you navigate your policy and file claims on your behalf to make this process easier for you.

Making Dental Implants Affordable

If you aren’t currently insured, you might consider alternative options with flexible financing. Our team works with a third-party financier known as CareCredit, which can break up your overall payment into monthly installments. These plans also come with little to no interest, allowing you to feel stress-free while rebuilding your full smile and saving more in the long run!

How Long Do Dental Implants Last?

The lifespan of dental implants typically depends on the health and lifestyle choices of the patient. To ensure that your implants last, be sure to brush, floss, and rinse with mouthwash daily. Attend your regular dental cleanings and checkups, and avoid chewing on anything particularly hard or sticky. With proper care and maintenance, implants can last upwards of three decades. That’s several times longer than traditional bridges or dentures.

Does Getting Dental Implants Hurt?

The jawbone doesn’t have very many nerve endings, and your mouth will be numbed with a local anesthetic before the procedure begins. You will also most likely be sedated, lowering your body’s ability to register pain. While the surgery shouldn’t hurt, you may experience some soreness for a few days afterward. To manage this, take over-the-counter and prescribed pain relievers as directed. If discomfort worsens instead of improving after 3 days, give us a call.

Am I Too Young to Get Dental Implants?

Most dental professionals will not place implants in patients that are younger than 18. This is because most people’s jaws aren’t fully developed until young adulthood. Some people’s jaws take until their mid-20s to fully develop. If dental implants are placed before the jaw is finished growing, it could interfere with further bone development and result in complications. During your consultation with us, we will discuss whether or not dental implants are the right option for you at this time.

Will I Have to Take Off Work for Dental Implant Surgery?

Most patients only need to take one or two days off to get dental implants. If your job is physically demanding, you may want to take three or four days off. This is because heavy exercise could divert blood from the implant site and delay healing. Of course, every case is different. During your consultation, your dentist can give you a more specific recommendation based on your unique needs.

Make Oral Hygiene a Priority

Even though your dental implants can’t actually get cavities, you need to prioritize excellent oral hygiene since any remaining natural teeth, your gum tissue, and even your jawbone are all still susceptible to problems. Be sure that you’re brushing twice a day, flossing daily, and also rinsing with an antibacterial mouthwash. By regularly cleaning your mouth of debris and bacteria, you’ll foster a healthy environment for your implants that encourages the metal posts to remain sturdy, secure, and free of complications.

Eat a Healthy Diet

Unlike traditional restoration options like dental bridges or dentures, dental implants allow you to enjoy all of your favorite foods again since you’ll regain roughly 80% of your chewing power. However, it’s wise to carefully consider the dietary choices you’re making, as some sugary sweets can lead to problems for your implants if you’re prone to overindulging. Hard or sticky objects can also potentially damage your implants, too. Try picking foods that aren’t high in sugars, and opt for healthy choices, when possible, like vitamin- and nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables.

Break Bad Habits

To put it shortly, your dental implants will not last if you aren’t able to break bad oral habits that might potentially damage them. These include things like:

• Smoking and using tobacco – Smoking can interfere with osseointegration and make your teeth vulnerable to infection, increasing the risk of dental implant failure.
• Using your teeth as tools – Holding objects with your mouth or using your teeth as tools to open packaging is an easy way to damage your implants and compromise their integrity.
• Chewing on hard objects – Biting on hard items like fingernails, pens and pencils, and even ice cubes can quickly wear down the surfaces of your dental implants.

Protect Your Dental Implants

It isn’t just certain food and habits that you need to be mindful of, though—if you tend to play sports or partake in activities where there’s an increased risk of facial injury, you should consider wearing a mouthguard to protect your implants from the pressure of a physical impact. If you’re susceptible to bruxism, or teeth grinding, you can also request a nightguard that helps to combat this; if unaddressed, bruxism can lead to your implants wearing down and loosening over time.

Schedule Regular Dental Checkups

Above all else, visiting your dentist for regular preventive care is the best thing you can do to ensure that your implants are here to stay. By visiting biannually, you’re allowing them the chance to monitor the integrity of your implants and address any developing oral health issues before it’s too late. Gum disease, for instance, often poses a serious threat to implants—but it’s easily mitigated through preventive dental care!