Dental Implants: An Optimal Solution for Tooth Loss

The ideal candidate for dental implants is someone who is in good general and oral health. In particular, you will need adequate bone in your jaw to support the implant and healthy gum tissue, free from periodontal disease. If you have questions about your eligibility, ask your doctor if you qualify.

A dental implant can provide a number of benefits, including:

• Implants look and function like a natural tooth.

• Patients maintain more natural biting and chewing.

• A single tooth can be replaced without sacrificing the health of neighboring teeth.

• The bone of the jawbone and tooth root is better preserved.

• Implants are easier to keep clean than a bridge.

Full mouth implants last longer than dentures.

Your experience with dental implants will vary depending upon whether you are receiving a single implant or a full-mouth restoration. However, during both procedures, you can expect to have multiple appointments. Over the course of these visits, the general process will include preparation of the site, placement of the implant, and restoration of the implant. The timeframe for either process will vary from patient to patient, based upon your needs and rate of healing.

It’s important to remember that your prosthodontist performs oral surgery when placing your dental implant. This means you will likely experience some level of pain. However, it’s not as bad as most people fear! The area of your missing tooth (or teeth) will be numbed and your prosthodontist will instruct you on best pain management practices following your procedure. Typically, pain is mild after surgery and subsides after two weeks (often sooner.)

The best way to know what the cost will be for your dental implants is to schedule a consultation with one of our prosthodontic students (and faculty instructor.) At PDM, we are committed to making dental procedures—including dental implants—affordable for our patients. This includes providing varying forms of payment (including Care Credit.)

While many people are eligible for dental implants, in some cases, bone health may not be sufficient. And, it’s important to realize that (as we mentioned earlier) there are several steps involved with a dental implant procedure:

• Placing the implant in the jawbone.

• Waiting several months for the implant to heal and fuse to the bone.

• Placing the artificial tooth or teeth.

At Penn Dental Medicine, surgical placement of dental implants is performed by postdoctoral residents under the direct supervision of faculty specialists. Restoration of dental implants may be performed by postdoctoral residents or predoctoral students depending on the case complexity. All implant services are directly supervised by faculty from our school every step of the way, ensuring the highest quality service for our patients.