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Dental Implants in Chicago

Welcome to Chicago Loop Dentistry, where we are committed to providing you with the highest quality of dental care, including superior dental implant services. Located in the heart of Chicago, we strive to bring our patients the best dental treatments that modern dentistry has to offer.

Dental Implants Uses

Dental implants are a permanent, durable solution for missing teeth. They consist of a titanium post that acts as an artificial tooth root, a dental crown that replaces the visible part of your tooth, and an abutment that connects the two. Dental implants are highly sought after due to their durability, natural appearance, and the comfort they provide.

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    What Are They?

    Dental implants are a completely man-made substitute for your tooth. They replace the entire tooth down to its root.

    There are many reasons why someone might get dental implants, including:

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    What's in the Implant?

    An implant is composed of three main parts. The first part is the implant body. Usually made from titanium, it’s surgically placed in, on, or slightly above your jawbone. Over time, your mouth fuses with the implant body to keep your tooth in place. You can think of the implant body as the root of your tooth.

    The second part is the abutment, or post as it’s sometimes referred to. The abutment is also made from titanium and gets placed inside the implant body. It’s secured to the body and has a post sticking up where the man-made tooth sits.

    Lastly there’s the crown. Made to take the shape of the old tooth that was once there, the crown gets placed on the abutment. They can be made from many materials, including ceramics, porcelain, resin, and certain metals.

    Types of Dental Implants

    Endosteal Implants

    Endosteal implants are the most common types of implants. With this implant type, the implant body is screwed into your jawbone. Over time, your jawbone fuses with the implant body to act as one cohesive unit.

    Subperiosteal Implants

    Subperiosteal implants are used if you don’t have a strong enough jawbone to support endosteal implants being screwed into them. With this type of implant, the implant body is placed on or above your jawbone (inside the gums) to hold the new tooth. Over time, your gums fuse with the implant body to act as one unit.

    Single-Tooth Procedure

    A single-tooth procedure is a procedure done when you only need or want one tooth replaced with a dental implant. People who get single-tooth procedures get them usually because of their teeth chipping/decaying or another similar issue.

    Multi-Tooth Procedure

    Multi-tooth procedures are completed when someone has a few teeth missing but doesn’t need their entire set of teeth replaced. There are a variety of reasons why one may want or need multi-tooth dental implants, including cosmetic reasons and oral health reasons to name a few.

    Full-Mouth Procedure

    A full-mouth procedure is the most involved type of dental implant procedure. As its name implies, individuals who get full-mouth procedures have all of their teeth replaced with dental implants. This procedure is the most involved and usually requires more healing time than a single or multi-tooth procedure.

    Benefits of Dental Implants

    As mentioned briefly earlier, dental implants give you more than a pretty smile. Here are some of the top benefits that dental implants give qualified patients.

    Better Speech

    Another benefit that dental implants give patients is improved speech. Having decaying, chipped, and crooked teeth all may make it difficult to speak and can make talking uncomfortable after a while. Even if someone has dentures, speaking may be labored due to dentures sliding around or coming dislodged, especially if people aren’t used to them.

    Because dental implants are fixed in/above one’s jaw and are given adequate time to heal, they’re like brand-new teeth once the whole implant process is finished. Say goodbye to slurred speech and difficulty talking with dental implants.

    Easier Eating

    One of the biggest advantages that individuals who get dental implants receive is how much easier it is to eat once the implants are fully healed. Especially for patients who originally got dental implants to help with an oral health issue, eating won’t be painful, difficult, or harmful to their overall oral health any longer.

    Eating with dental implants is also much easier than eating with dentures, which is an alternative to dental implants. Even if you have good-quality denture adhesive, many people find their dentures sliding around or being uncomfortable when eating. Because dental implants are fixed into patients’ mouths, they don’t have to worry about being uncomfortable while eating.

    Improved Jaw Structure

    An improved jaw structure not only serves as a great cosmetic upgrade for people but does wonders for one’s health too. Even if individuals only have one missing tooth, their facial structure and jaw will adapt to this change over time. Instead of having a full face of teeth and proper jaw structure, individuals with missing teeth may have facial features that start to sink in or sag where the natural tooth once was.

    This poses a few issues. One is that you may experience bone loss or bone decay due to there being nothing in the jaw where the tooth was. Your body will notice there’s nothing there and start to dissolve the bone around your tooth hole. 

    Another issue that may occur is that your jaw’s structure may start to shift and accommodate the open space that is left by the missing tooth. Humans’ mouths are really adaptive; your mouth and other teeth will naturally start to shift and fill that space which isn’t healthy for your oral health. Especially if you’ve had braces, retainers, or other teeth-corrective measures in the past, you want to try to prevent your jaw shifting to an unnatural position as much as possible.

    More Comfort

    There are a multitude of reasons why people get dental implants. While some patients get a full-mouth procedure as a cosmetic way to feel more confident about their mouths, many get procedures to alleviate some sort of dental health problem. 

    We’ve all been there before- biting down on a piece of food and all of a sudden getting a stinging sensation or a soreness that wasn’t there before eating. Many dental implant patients experience this discomfort or pain for a majority of their daily lives. While they may experience discomfort during the healing process, the discomfort goes away entirely once the dental implants are fully healed. Gone are the days of pain and discomfort due to toothache or jaw pain!

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    Improved Confidence

    One of the biggest reasons why many people choose to get dental implants is because they want to improve the look of their smiles. More than 7 out of 10 people in the United States report they’re self-conscious about their teeth, with many wishing they could change their smiles in some way. Dental implants give people a fresh set of pearly whites, instantly boosting confidence and giving their mouths looking like natural teeth.

    They Last a Lifetime

    Removable dentures and other alternatives don’t last nearly as long as dental implants (even with proper oral hygiene), which becomes costly and annoying to fix. After all, the last thing you want to worry about is having to make another dental appointment to get a tooth repaired or a new set of dentures because of them just not working the way you imagined they would.

    If taken care of properly with regular dental visits, brushing, and flossing, the dental implant screw can last a lifetime because it’s made of hardy titanium. Even the crown portion of the dental implant lasts for years before it may need to be replaced. Crowns usually have a lifespan of anywhere from 10-15 years before they start to get some noticeable wear and tear that could need replacing.

    Steps Toward a Better Smile

    At Chicago Loop Dentistry, we have a team of experienced dental professionals who are well-versed in the latest advancements in dental implant technology. We use state-of-the-art equipment and high-quality materials to ensure that your dental implants not only look and feel natural but also last a lifetime with proper care.

    Our team is dedicated to making your dental implant process as smooth as possible. From the initial consultation to the final placement of the implant, we ensure that you’re comfortable and fully informed about each step.

    The dental implant process involves several steps over a few months. First, the titanium post is surgically placed into the jawbone. After a healing period, during which the implant integrates with the bone in a process known as osseointegration, the abutment is attached to the post. Finally, the custom-made crown is attached to the abutment, providing you with a natural-looking and functional tooth.

    1. General Consultation

    The first step to any new dental procedure requires an initial meeting and conversation with the patient. At your first dental implant appointment, Dr. Mehta will get an in-depth understanding of why you want/need dental implants, how many dental implants you need, and anything else specific to your wants and needs for the dental implant procedure. Additionally, she’ll examine your current mouth structure, bone strength, and anything specific to your patient history that affects the dental implant procedure as a whole.

    Receiving dental implants doesn’t have to be a nerve-wracking or worrisome experience. It’s completely understandable why you may have nerves though, which is why Chicago Loop Dentistry is here to help you out. We’ll strive to make you as comfortable and well-informed about the procedure as possible so you know what’s going on every step of the way. 

    At the end of your general consultation, Dr. Mehta will give you a rough timeline of the events that happen next. Additionally, her or someone from her talented team of dental associates will help schedule you a follow-up appointment to go over your personalized dental implant procedure and treatment plan.

    2. Creation of a Personalized Plan

    After your general consultation, Dr. Mehta will craft a specialized and fully customized dental implant plan for you. She’ll use her best judgment and select dental implant materials that work best for your lifestyle and preferences learned about in your consultation with her. Dr. Mehta and the rest of her team that will work with you throughout the process will also create an approximate timeline of events, treatment procedures, dietary plans, and anything else to help make the dental implant process as smooth as possible. 

    Dental implants require a specific plan for each individual. It’s important that you get a plan that’s tailored to your specific health needs and personal preferences, which is why Dr. Mehta and the rest of the caring dental staff at Chicago Loop Dentistry work hard to get everything done right the first time around. Once your personal implant plan is created, you’ll have another appointment with Dr. Mehta. Here, she’ll give you details about everything you need to know about the entire dental implant process. You’ll receive your personalized plan, general knowledge about the procedures themselves, and learn about what next steps are.

    3. Pre-Implant Procedures (If You Need Them)

    In some cases, patients need other procedures before receiving dental implants to ensure their mouths are primed and ready for the procedure. There are a variety of reasons why your mouth might not be ready to go right out of the gate, and that’s perfectly okay. Here’s a list of the possible procedures some patients need and what they do to help.

    • Tooth Extraction – Not all people who get dental implants have missing teeth. Some need their teeth removed! Dr. Mehta will discuss with you how many teeth you need removed and when they’ll be removed before your first surgical procedure takes place. In some cases, you may even get your teeth extracted the day of your first procedure. Regardless, if you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact Dr. Mehta or any other dental associate at Chicago Loop Dentistry. We’re here to help you out!

       

    • Bone Augmentation – Did you know that you may not have enough healthy bone in your jaw to properly support dental implants? While this certainly isn’t the case for everyone, it is for some people. This is another reason why an in-depth consultation is so important; X-rays and other scans show the current health of your jaw and bone structure to determine if its current state is ready to go.

      If your jaw doesn’t have enough healthy bone to support the implants, you’ll need what’s called a bone augmentation. A bone augmentation is a procedure that adds bone mass to your jaw in areas that are lacking. You may get the extra material from portions of your own bones, other people, animals, or from synthetic options. Once the bone material is put into place, the body’s natural healing process takes over and adopts that tissue as its own. 

    • Ridge ExpansionAnother jaw structure problem people run into is having jaws that are too narrow to support implants. If Dr. Mehta determines that your jaw isn’t wide enough, you’ll need what’s called a ridge expansion. Ridge expansions involve getting bone graft material placed into the top of your jaw to expand it and make it wide enough to properly support dental implants.

       

    • Sinus Lift – Your sinuses are really close to your upper, back jaw. Some patients’ jawbones don’t have enough volume to them, making them closer to their sinuses than others. This may be a concern when getting dental implants. If your jaw is too close to your sinuses, you may not be able to properly support the dental implants. In this case, you’ll need a sinus lift.

      A sinus lift involves raising your sinuses and your sinus floor with the addition of bone graft material. When the bone graft material is fully accepted by your mouth and heals, you’ll be good to go and prepared for your dental implants. 

    4. First Surgical Procedure: Implants Placed In Your Jawbone

    After Dr. Mehta ensures your mouth and jawbone can properly accommodate your dental implants, it’s time for the first official implant procedure. With this procedure, the implants are placed in your mouth. If you have endosteal implants, they’ll be secured in holes that are made in your jawbone. If you have subperiosteal implants, they’ll be placed on top of your jawbone.

    5. Healing Time

    When the implants are properly secured, it’s time to let them heal and integrate with the rest of your bone structure. This process is called osseointegration, and is a fancy way of describing how your jawbone grows into the implant and acts as one unit once the healing and growing is complete. How long this process takes depends on multiple things, like how many implants you’re getting and how long it takes your body to heal. 

    While you may be uncomfortable for a few days after, most patients are able to return to their normal, daily activities within a day or two.

    6. Posts Are Attached to Implants

    After your implants are fully healed and integrated with the rest of your jawbone, the abutment (post) part of the implants is installed. During this step. Dr. Mehta creates a slight opening in your gums to properly connect the post to the implant itself. This step is far less invasive than the first procedure, and usually only requires local anesthesia to complete.
    Once all the posts are attached to the implants, it’s time to let them heal. During this time, you may receive a temporary crown or set of dentures so you can still eat and talk properly.

    7. Impressions Are Taken

    Fresh impressions are taken after the posts are installed on the implants. This allows Dr. Mehta to create customized teeth that match your facial structure and desired tooth color. Before installing the final replacement teeth, Dr. Mehta will show you the implants and the teeth she creates to ensure they look how you want them to look.

    8. Replacement Teeth Are Placed On Posts

    The final step is to place your newly-created crowns on the abutment posts! After all your teeth are placed into their positions and you approve of them, you’ll be on your way and good to go.

    9. You’re Done!

    That’s it! You’re all finished with procedures. It’s important to note that you must follow all post-op procedures, special diets (like having to eat soft foods), and anything else while you wait for any remaining swelling or bruising to go down. This ensures your new smile is perfect and just the way you want it.

    If you have any questions at any point in the process, feel free to give Dr. Mehta a call. You may have a follow-up appointment months down the road to assess the overall status of your jawbone and new teeth.

    Schedule your Dental Implant Consultation with Chicago Loop Today!

    At Chicago Loop Dentistry, we take your comfort and oral health seriously. We understand that getting dental implants is a significant decision, and we’re here to support you throughout the process. We offer sedation options to keep you comfortable during the procedure and provide detailed aftercare instructions to ensure a smooth recovery.

    At Chicago Loop Dentistry, we’re more than just a dental office – we’re your partners in achieving and maintaining optimal oral health. Trust us to provide you with top-tier dental implant services in a friendly, comfortable environment. We’re excited to help you on your journey to a restored, beautiful smile. Contact us today – we look forward to serving you!

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