Dental Implants – San Antonio, TX

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

The first step of the implant process is a consultation with Dr. Pham. Through this appointment, you’ll inform us of your treatment goals, health history, and general background. Knowing these factors lets our team confirm whether implants suit you.

Of course, our office can still help if you don’t (immediately) qualify for implants. We’ll work with you to complete preliminary procedures as needed, including gum disease therapy or tooth extraction. Following these services, your mouth will be strong enough to support dental implants.

In case our office approves treatment, the consultation would also cover the details of implant work. That means we’d walk you through the treatment timeline, cost, and similar matters.

Dental Implant Surgery

As stated earlier, our practice places implants in-house; we won’t refer you to outside specialists.  Thanks to this setup, your treatment will have a shorter duration and involve less travel. Our in-office approach also gives us instant access to your dental records (assuming you’re a returning patient).

When you see us for the implant surgery, you’ll undergo four things:

• An Anesthetic Injection – Before starting treatment, Dr. Pham will numb your mouth with a local anesthetic. This method ensures you won’t feel discomfort from the surgery. At most, you’ll only feel a slight pressure as our staff operates.
• A Minor Incision – Once the treatment site is fully numb, we’ll make a small incision in your gums. Doing so creates a space for your future implant(s).
• Implant Placement – Following the incision, our team will place your implant by using advanced methods and tools.
• Gum Closure – Right after placement, we’ll close the incision in your mouth. We’ll then put a cap over the implant post.

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment

After the surgery is over, your implant(s) will slowly fuse with your jaw’s bone tissue. This fusion process – also called osseointegration – requires 4-6 months to finish. From there, your implant post will be permanent and stay in place without fail.

Once the osseointegration is done, you’ll receive another surgery that places an abutment on your implant post. (An abutment is a metal connector that secures your treatment’s final restoration.) The final restoration will then be crafted from prior dental impressions.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s)

You’ll receive your final restoration for the last step of the implant process. Based on how many teeth you’ve lost, this item might be a crown, bridge, or denture.

A dentist usually doesn’t need a while to fit the final restoration. Ordinarily, this last bit only needs some cement work. Afterward, you can enjoy your new smile in earnest.

Day-to-Day Benefits

Right after treatment, you’ll immediately notice implants’ day-to-day benefits. These typically include:

• A Lifelike Smile – Implants are capped with dental crowns, so they look pretty and blend seamlessly with your smile. It’s to the point that friends and family won’t notice they’re artificial.
• Boosted Confidence – Once they’ve filled your smile gaps, implants will boost your confidence. From there, you’ll feel less anxious and more self-assured in social settings.
• Easier Eating – Because they restore your bite force, implants let you chew tougher foods. That means they’ll help you enjoy many of your favorite meals!

• Low-Maintenance Care – Compared to dentures or bridges, implants don’t need special care. You can clean them just as you would natural teeth. In other words, remember to brush them twice daily, floss between them once daily, and rinse them often with mouthwash.

Health Benefits

Aside from the everyday upsides, implants also have health advantages. Some of the most notable ones are:

• Stronger Jawbone – Untreated tooth loss will cause your jawbone to erode. Thankfully, implants can prevent and even reverse this erosion. They’d stimulate your jaw and thus preserve its bone tissue.

• Better Nutrition  – Since they strengthen your jaw (see above), implants let you eat a broader range of foods. A greater variety in your meals, in turn, will improve your nutritional health.
• Smile Support – Smile gaps from tooth loss can tilt your remaining teeth. Left unchecked, this tilting can lead to more missing chompers. Fortunately, implants fill these gaps and prevent tilted teeth.

• Fewer Oral Risks – Left unchecked, empty jaw sockets are breeding grounds for harmful bacteria. As such, filling them with implants reduces your risk of gum disease and similar issues.

Long-term Benefits

Finally, implants’ long-term perks help them stand apart from other choices. These latter kinds span the following:

• A High Success Rate – When done by a qualified dentist, implants almost always succeed in the long term. Even today, their success rate ten years after placement is about 95%!
• Persistent Results – Even the average implant can last about 15-20 years. Meanwhile, a well-maintained one has a lifespan of 30 years or more. Ultimately, then, an implant treatment could potentially help you for a lifetime.
• Cost-Effectiveness – Implants save you more money than dentures or bridges would. Since they’re long-lasting (see above), they won’t force you to pay for many replacement or repair visits. (Conversely, dentures and dental bridges only last 5-7 years and thus need expensive follow-up care.)