Dental Implants Worcester

New Smiles, Permanent Results

Knowing the differences between each tooth replacement solution is important, but if you desire a permanent method of treatment that does not require frequent replacements, adjustments, and expensive products for maintenance, dental implants are the way to go. Using titanium posts that fit into the jawbone, Dr. Donohue and Dr. Savas can rebuild teeth from the roots up, delivering optimal results that cannot be beaten. Call our office to schedule an appointment today for dental implants in Worcester.

Why Choose Worcester Dental Arts for Dental Implants?

  • Member of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry
  • Start-to-Finish Dental Implant Placement & Restoration
  • Precise Treatment Planning with CBCT Scanner

What Are Dental Implants?

Illustrated dental implant in Worcester being placed in the lower jaw

Titanium is known to fuse beautifully with bone tissues, which is why manufacturers rely on it when making dental implants. As screw-like posts that stand in for tooth roots, they deliver stimulation to the jawbone so that it does not weaken over time. Not to mention, they support customized restorations of all types, including crowns, bridges, and dentures. With optimal care and maintenance, they can last forever and provide maximum stability against daily chewing, eating, speaking, and smiling.

The 4-Step Dental Implant Process

Three illustrated dental crowns being fitted onto three dental implants

The first step of the dental implant process is a comprehensive examination. You’ll meet with Dr. Donohue or Dr. Savas for a thorough evaluation of your teeth, gums, and jawbone. This will include a visual examination as well as capturing digital X-rays. The next step will be discussing a breakdown of the cost estimate with your dentist alongside what your treatment plan will look like.

When cleared for surgery, we will administer local anesthesia before placing each implant in the appropriate area. After closing the tissue, we’ll send you home to recover, allowing osseointegration to occur over the following three to six months. Finally, you’ll return to receive your customized restoration so that you can begin enjoying your new smile.

Benefits of Dental Implants

Dentist holding a dental implant model

Dental implants are an advanced restorative procedure that offers a variety of unique benefits that traditional tooth replacement options, such as dentures, aren’t able to. If you’re currently deciding which one to choose, then keep reading to learn some advantages that make this smile-rebuilding service incredibly popular among patients.

Day-to-Day Benefits

Woman in yellow shirt smiling at home

On a daily basis, you’ll enjoy these benefits with dental implants:

  • Hassle-Free Oral Care – With dental implants, you don’t need to buy special oral care products, like denture cleaners, and you don’t need to adopt cumbersome dental hygiene regimens. Instead, you can keep decay and infections at bay with three simple steps: brushing, flossing, and rinsing with mouthwash.
  • Improved Confidence – Tooth loss can take a serious toll on your self-esteem, even if you are only missing one tooth. Fortunately, dental implants can replace one tooth, several teeth, or an entire arch, restoring the appearance of your smile in the process. Plus, they are custom-made, ensuring they fit your facial structure and aesthetic goals perfectly.
  • Varied Diet – With the loss of your teeth comes the loss of your bite. As a result, many patients with tooth loss have no choice but to stick to soft foods, like applesauce and yogurt. Fortunately, dental implants can restore both the appearance of your smile and the strength of your bite, allowing you to enjoy a varied diet again.

Health Benefits

Mature man smiling during dental checkup

Another perk of dental implants is that they benefit your oral and overall health. Here’s how:

  • Preserves Jawbone Density – While dentures rest on your gums and dental bridges rely on support from the surrounding teeth, dental implants are inserted directly into your jawbone. As a result, it’s stimulated each time you chew. This might seem small, but it goes a long way when it comes to preventing bone loss!
  • Prevents Misalignment Problems – Unfortunately, even a small gap in your smile can lead to dental drift. This can negatively impact the look of your smile as well as the alignment of your bite, which is why it’s so important that you fill the gap or gaps in your smile as soon as you can.
  • Improved Overall Health – Between the fact that dental implants allow you to eat a more varied, well-balanced diet and the fact that this state-of-the-art tooth-replacement solution preserves your jawbone, you can see how it benefits your overall health as well as your oral health.

Long-Term Benefits

Mature woman in purple shirt smiling

At first, you might think that dental implants are too expensive. The reality is that they come with several long-term benefits that make them well worth the price in both the short and long run.

  • Long Lifespan – While dentures and dental bridges can last for 5-15 years with proper care, dental implants are known for lasting over three decades. That alone makes them well worth the cost. However, it’s also worth mentioning that they don’t need to be relined or adjusted throughout that time either!
  • Maintains Facial Structure – As we mentioned above, dental implants preserve your jawbone. So, your youthful face shape will be preserved!
  • High Success Rate – Dental implants have an impressive success rate of 95%!

Who Dental Implants Can Help

Senior dental patient looking at his smile in mirror

Many patients aren’t aware of how versatile dental implants are. Whether you’re missing a single tooth or all of your teeth, this restorative solution can address a spectrum of tooth loss cases. When you visit our office for your comprehensive examination, we’ll inspect your mouth and discuss each of your options with you. Once we determine that dental implants in Worcester are right for you, we may suggest one of the following treatments.

Missing One Tooth

Illustrated dental crown being fitted onto a dental implant

For a single missing tooth, we can fill the gap by using one dental implant placed below the surface of your gums and attaching a customized dental crown. This will replace both the root and biting surface of your tooth to prevent surrounding teeth from drifting out of place to fill the gap.

Missing Multiple Teeth

Illustrated dental bridge being fitted onto two dental implants

If you’re missing more than one tooth, we can replace them with two dental implants that will hold a bridge into place. Instead of needing to alter your natural teeth in order to support the artificial ones, like what you would need to have done with a traditional bridge, your implant-retained one will function without affecting your natural remaining teeth.

Missing All of Your Teeth

Illustrated full denture being fitted onto six dental implants

While traditional dentures are a great option for some patients, they’re not for everybody. In this case, we’ll suggest an implant denture. This involves the placement of anywhere from four to eight implants on each arch of teeth that will hold in place a customized denture. Instead of relying on natural suction to stay in place, this one will be secured to abutments for maximum stability and strength.

Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants

Dentist showing a dental implant model to a patient

Before committing to dental implants in Worcester, you may be curious about the cost. Since there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to price, you’ll need to schedule a comprehensive examination with our dental implant dentists so they can go over a detailed cost estimate with you. However, we know that many patients value being able to do their research online, which is why we’re covering some general information – from the factors that play a role to the financial solutions we offer – right here.

Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery

To ensure the short and long-term success of your dental implants, our implant dentist in Worcester will first ensure your jawbone can support the dental implants. If it isn’t able to, then a preliminary treatment may be needed, like gum disease therapy or bone grafting.

Of course, the implant surgery itself will also incur a cost. Factors like where the implant is being placed and what kind of anesthesia you need will play a role in the final price. The good news is that Dr. Donohue and Dr. Savas restore and place dental implants in-house, saving you time and money on visiting an outside surgeon.

The Parts of Your Dental Implant

Another crucial component of the cost is the actual dental implants. For example, patients replacing one tooth typically pay less than someone looking to replace several. The type of restoration (i.e., crown, bridge, denture), the material used, and the brand of dental implant will also play a role. Don’t worry – we will review each of these in-depth with you while ironing out your treatment plan. That way, you feel fully informed and confident heading into your treatment.

How Dental Implants Can Save You Money

When compared to other tooth-replacement solutions, dental implants do require a higher upfront investment. Don’t let that sway your decision! After all, several noteworthy benefits make them well worth the price. To begin, they can last for 30+ years with proper care. That fact alone has the potential to make them the best choice for your wallet in the long run. It’s also worth mentioning that dental implants are the only tooth-replacement solution that replaces both the root and crown of the missing tooth. Plus, they are incredibly lifelike, restore your bite force, and help preserve your jawbone.

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

While your dental insurance may not cover the entire procedure, it may cover a portion of the cost. For example, some patients use their benefits to help cover their preliminary treatments. Others use their benefits to cover the restoration. It ultimately depends on your specific dental plan. If you’re having trouble understanding the fine print on yours, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our office. We welcome most dental insurance plans and would be happy to help you utilize your benefits.

Making Dental Implants Affordable

If you don’t have dental insurance or you’re worried about the cost of dental implants in Worcester, then ask your implant dentist about flexible financing! CareCredit is a trusted third-party financier that has helped countless patients make their dental care more affordable. In short, they offer payment plans (some with low-to-no interest too!) so you don’t have to pay for your treatment in one lump sum.

Dental Implant FAQs

Choosing to replace your missing teeth with implants can feel like a big step. We want to guide you through the decision process by providing answers to some of the most commonly asked questions. Read on to learn more information about dental implants, and be sure to give us a call if you would like to discuss this procedure in greater detail.

How Successful Are Dental Implants?

Overall, dental implants have a high success rate—about 95 percent even 20 years after placement! That’s because we take time before the procedure to make sure your mouth is healthy enough for implants, helping you avoid complications. Also, keep in mind that the success of your dental implants will largely depend on how well you maintain them.

How Long Do Dental Implants Last?

Dental implants have often been known to last for 30 or more years. To ensure a long lifespan, you need to brush and floss your teeth, including the artificial ones, on a daily basis. You also need to visit Dr. Donohue or Dr. Savas at least every six months for a checkup and cleaning to make sure gum disease or other problems don’t arise. A nutritious diet and other healthy lifestyle choices can also prolong your dental implants’ lifespan.

Do Dental Implants Decay?

Implants are made of dental porcelain and will not get cavities. However, if you have remaining natural teeth, they are still susceptible to decay, and your gum tissues may still be vulnerable to infection. That’s why it is essential that you continue caring for your smile even after tooth replacement.

Is There Anything I Shouldn’t Eat with Dental Implants?

For a day or two following the placement procedure, you should eat only soft foods, such as oatmeal, eggs, or mashed potatoes, but do not use a straw during this time. After a few days, you can resume your normal diet. Once the dental implants have become integrated with the jawbone, you are free to eat any foods you would with natural teeth. Sticky foods may cause your restoration to become dislodged, and chewing hard foods, such as nuts or ice, may damage your artificial teeth, so you still need to be careful.

Will Others Be Able to Tell That I Have Dental Implants?

Sometimes those who have ill-fitting dentures have to hold their lower jaw in an unnatural position to keep the dentures from slipping out. This isn’t a problem with dental implants. Once we’ve placed the implant into the jawbone and the tissue has healed, we will take impressions of your mouth to create a custom restoration. When it’s in position, your artificial tooth should look and feel just like your natural ones, and your smile should appear as if all your teeth belong.