Fountain Valley Dental Implants

What Are Dental Implants? Why Would I Need One?

Dental implants are very small pieces of titanium that are used to restore missing teeth. These are shaped like a screw, and surgically placed into your jaw bone by an oral surgeon. When they heal, they bond permanently with your mouth. Then, Dr. Naman Zia Ebrahimi (Dr. E) can restore your implant with a crown or another restoration, replacing your missing tooth. If you’re missing one or more teeth in Fountain Valley, contact us to schedule a consultation at the office of Dr. Naman Zia Ebrahimi, and see if dental implants are right for you.

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Did you know…

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Scientists discovered titanium’s ability to bond with natural bone tissue during experiments that were performed on rats in the early 1950s.

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How It Works: The Implant Treatment Process

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Initial consultation

First, you’ll come into our office for a consultation with Dr. E. He will examine your mouth and determine if implants are right for you. If you’re approved, he will refer you to an oral surgeon for implant placement surgery.

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Implant placement surgery

Your oral surgeon will develop a treatment plan, then perform your implant placement surgery. They will clean and numb your mouth, then make an opening in the jaw, right where your missing tooth used to be. Then, they will place a titanium implant precisely in this area. They will clean and suture the area, then send you home with recovery instructions.

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Healing & recovery

You’ll come back to our office a few times as you heal from your surgery. It takes 1-2 weeks for your mouth to heal, but it takes 3-6 months for the implant to bond permanently with your jaw. Dr. E will keep an eye on things and make sure you’re healing properly. He will also take images and impressions of your mouth, and work with a dental lab to build your permanent dental implant restoration.

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Final implant restoration placement

Once your implant has fully healed, you’ll come back to our office to have your final implant restoration, such as a dental crown, attached to your dental implant. Then, you’ll go home with a brand-new smile that will last for decades to come.

Dental Implant Services We Offer

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Single-Tooth Implants

Single-tooth implants are the most common type of dental implant, and are a good option if you only are missing one or a few teeth. They use one dental implant and a single crown to replace one missing tooth. You can get multiple single-tooth implants to replace several missing teeth. Your implant will look, feel, and function just like a real tooth, and will require no special care beyond regular brushing and flossing.

Full-Arch Implants

Full-arch implants consist of a series of 4-6 implants. These are placed in the upper, lower, or both arches of your mouth, depending on your needs. Then, they support a set of removable or fixed implant dentures. The dentures snap directly onto the implants. This means they are held in place much more securely and will never move or shift, unlike with traditional dentures. Full-arch dentures also help keep your jaw bone healthy, and last a lot longer than traditional dentures.

Mini Implants

As the name suggests, mini implants are similar to standard implants, but they are only about half the size. This means that they are less expensive, require less bone mass, and can even provide faster results. Depending on the patient and their oral health, they can be used to replace one tooth, several missing teeth, or a full arch of missing teeth.

Dental Implant Maintenance

We offer dental implant maintenance as part of every six-month teeth cleaning at the office of Dr. Naman Zia Ebrahimi. Just like natural teeth, dental implants and restorations should be cleaned regularly. This helps keep your smile bright, protects your oral health, and ensures your dental implants will last you for the rest of your life.

Periodontal Care

Many patients struggle with gum disease, and if left untreated, can risk losing their teeth and other problems. Gingivitis is the first stage of gum disease, and is the only stage that can actually be reversed with deep cleanings and attentive at-home hygiene. If you have gum disease, keeping up with your regular cleanings and checkups will help you gain control over your oral health before it’s too late!

For patients with more advanced stages of periodontitis, we recommend scheduling deep cleanings at more frequent intervals, usually every three to four months. Although the effects of advanced gum disease can’t be reversed, deep cleanings, scaling, and root planing can halt the progression of periodontitis and help preserve your oral health.

Oral Cancer Screenings

Oral cancer screenings are an important part of every preventive care visit. Catching oral cancer in its early stages allows us to stop it before it spreads, and can save your life. That’s why we’ll always check for signs of oral cancer at every preventive visit.

Your dentist will examine your oral tissues, like your gums and tongue, keeping an eye out for abnormalities like lesions, lumps, discolorations. If we find anything unusual, we’ll take a biopsy and send it out to a specialist for a thorough analysis. Although oral cancer isn’t overly common, it’s important to remain proactive and consistent with your oral healthcare routine, so we can identify any issues before they become major problems.

Night Guards

Teeth grinding and clenching while sleeping is a common issue faced by many patients. Night guards are a great solution for this unconscious clenching, also known as bruxism. Night guards form a soft barrier that protects your teeth from damage caused by the pressure of clenching and grinding. Your dentist will take an impression or a scan of your teeth and gums to create a unique mold that will be sent to a dental lab, where your night guard will be custom-crafted. Night guards work by easing the tension in your jaw, alleviating the painful headaches and other side effects of clenching and grinding, so you can get the sleep you need and keep your teeth from wearing down.

Sport Guards

Sports mouth guards are worn over the teeth, just like night guards. However sports guards are designed specifically to protect your smile from dental injuries that are so common when playing high-intensity impact sports. Custom-fitted sports guards can help protect athletes from oral trauma caused by collisions to the mouth, face, and head. If you play football, basketball, baseball, soccer, rugby, hockey, gymnastics, mountain biking, or other activities that put you at risk for injury due from falls, body contact, or flying objects, ask us about getting fitted for a custom sports guard today! Tailored to fit your unique smile, sports guards are comfortable, durable, and won’t stop you from playing the sports you love.

Have Questions About Dental Implants? Find Answers Here.

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How Long Do Dental Implants Last?

Dental implants have a minimum lifespan of 25 years but because they’re made of durable and biocompatible titanium which is well tolerated by the body and fuses with the jawbone, they can last for a lifetime. 

Most patients who receive dental implants never have to replace them in their life as long as they practice good oral hygiene and avoid smoking. However, while the implants themselves don’t need to be replaced, the attached restorations do. 

Implants are the posts that replace missing tooth roots but restorations replace the visible portions of the tooth and this is what is attached to the implant. Dental crowns, dentures, and bridges that are attached to implants can last anywhere from 5 to 15 years.

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What Is the Cost of Dental Implants?

The cost of dental implants varies depending on the complexity of the procedure, how many implants you’re receiving, and how much bone support you have. Some patients have more involved procedures because they need to have teeth extracted or they need bone grafts to create enough bone density to support the implants. 

These will add to the total cost of the treatment. Costs can also vary by location, level of expertise of the dentist, and quality of materials or technology. On average, a single-tooth implant ranges from $3,000 - $5,000. 

This covers the cost of the implant, abutment, and crown. For full-arch implants can cost tens of thousands of dollars depending on the number of implants being used and whether you are replacing one or both arches of teeth. However, if your dental insurance covers dental implants, they may cover up to 50% of the procedure. Contact your insurance directly to find out what they will cover.

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Can Dental Implants Get Infected?

Yes, dental implants can get infected and this infection is known as peri-implantitis. It’s much like gum disease in that it causes inflammation and destruction of the supporting tissues around the implants which increases the risk of implant failure. 

However, it is very rare for implants to become infected as long as you practice good oral hygiene and avoid smoking. If you notice signs of peri-implantitis such as a loose implant, bad breath, or swollen, tender, and bleeding gums, contact Dr. E right away. Infected implants are a dental emergency that needs to be treated right away.

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How Long Does It Take To Recover From Dental Implants?

Dental implants have many advantages over other tooth restorations. Their most valuable asset is that they prevent bone loss, while other restorations accelerate bone resorption. 

While you can replace missing teeth with bridges or dentures, they won’t prevent facial sagging, and the changes to your face will require premature replacement of dentures or collapsing facial features. 

If you’re looking for a permanent tooth replacement, you won’t find a more durable or biocompatible restoration. Implants last for a lifetime and become integrated with the jawbone, forming artificial tooth roots. 

These tooth roots hold the implants securely in place so that your tooth replacements never move no matter what you eat or how long you speak. This also means no dietary restrictions on what you can eat for the rest of your life, as your implants look, feel, and function just like real teeth.