Dental Implants – Carmel, IN
Truly Comprehensive Tooth Replacement
For patients who don’t want to just replace their missing teeth, but rather look and feel like their teeth never went missing in the first place, Dr. Springhetti highly recommends dental implants. Thanks in part to his time spent at the prestigious Dawson Academy, he’s able to provide all phases of implant care to help our patients rebuild their smiles in a way that can be trusted to last a lifetime. If you’re ready to enjoy a full and healthy set of teeth again, he’s ready to give it to you with dental implants in Carmel, IN, so contact us today.
Why Choose Springhetti Dentistry for Dental Implants?
- Dentist with Extensive Oral Surgery Experience
- Entire Procedure Provided Under One Roof
- Strong Relationships That Lead to Better Care & Better Results
What is a Dental Implant?
The 4-Step Dental Implant Process
Thanks to Dr. Springhetti’s extensive oral surgery experience, our dental implant patients are able to get absolutely everything they need in our Carmel, IN dental office. Dr. Springhetti can surgically place implants into the jaw, attach them to restorations, and even provide sedation to ensure the entire process is as comfortable as possible. Most other dental offices break up the procedure between different specialists and locations, but with us, you get a one-stop shop that offers world-class quality from beginning to end. Here are the four main steps you can expect.
Initial Dental Implant Consultation
The first step when getting dental implants is to attend an initial consultation. At this time, we will examine your smile to determine if you are a good candidate for the procedure. Some patients need preliminary procedures completed before they are able to replace their teeth with dental implants. This can include gum disease treatment, bone grafting, or a sinus lift. If any of these procedures apply to you, we will help you to get them scheduled. Once your gums and jawbone are in good shape, we can move on to planning the rest of your treatment. We will also go over the timeline and cost.
Dental Implant Surgery
At Springhetti Dentistry, we are proud to complete the entire dental implant process in-house, including the dental implant placement procedure. After numbing the area with a local anesthetic, Dr. Springhetti will make an incision into the gum tissue and strategically insert the dental implant(s) into the jawbone. Then, the gums are closed and protective caps are placed over the ends of the implants to protect them throughout the healing process.
Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment
Over the next three to six months, the osseointegration process takes place. This is when the titanium implant fuses to the jawbone, allowing for additional stability and longevity. Once this process is complete, you will need to undergo another small procedure where abutments are attached to the ends of the implants. Impressions will also be taken so your custom restoration can be made at the dental laboratory.
Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations
When your restoration is ready, it will be sent to our practice from the dental lab. At this time, you can return to the dental office so Dr. Springhetti can attach your restoration(s) to your dental implant(s) via the abutment(s). If everything looks and feels great, you will be free to show off your new smile to the world!
Benefits of Dental Implants
Compared to other treatments, dental implants offer a variety of unique benefits, including:
- Premier Stability: Dental implanted teeth never slip out of place, allowing a patient to enjoy a wide variety of foods with complete confidence.
- Lifelike Appearance: Unlike other dental prosthetics, dental implants are self-supporting and don’t have unnatural-looking metal or acrylic attachments. This helps them restore the smile’s appearance as well as its strength.
- Bone Preservation: The jawbone naturally starts to shrink after tooth loss, and right now, dental implants are the only tooth replacement shown to stop and even reverse this process.
- Easy Maintenance: All a patient has to do is brush and floss their teeth like normal to keep their implants looking and functioning like new.
- Lifetime Solution: Thanks to the techniques and high-quality materials used to place implants, they have been shown to last anywhere from 30 years to life, which is many times longer than regular bridges and dentures.
Are Dental Implants Right for You?
Basically, if you have missing teeth and want to get them back, dental implants are definitely an option for you with Dr. Springhetti. All a patient really needs to bring to the table is decent oral/overall health, and if either of these is lacking, Dr. Springhetti can provide assistance to change that. Once a patient is ready, they can choose to rebuild their smile in the following ways:
Missing Single Tooth
Rather than filing down and sacrificing two teeth to place a bridge that restores one tooth, Dr. Springhetti can use a single implant root to hold a porcelain crown. This crown won’t lean on the neighboring teeth for support or require them to be altered at all, and it will be designed to blend seamlessly with the rest of the smile.
Missing Multiple Teeth
Several teeth can be brought back at once using just a small number of implants that attach a bridge or partial denture directly to the jawbone. These implant-retained prosthetics are much more stable than their removable counterparts, and they last longer as well.
Missing All Teeth
We can replace an entire row of teeth using just four to six implants that provide the foundation for a full denture. Implant dentures are smaller and look more natural than regular ones, and they allow a patient to recover much more of their bite strength.
Bone Grafts
Many patients with longstanding tooth loss have a jawbone that is too thin or brittle to adequately support dental implants. In the past, they would be forced to get a less reliable treatment, but not with Dr. Springhetti. He can use a bone grafting procedure to build up and strengthen the jaw right where it’s needed so a patient can safely get implants and enjoy the lifelong benefits.
Sinus Lifts
A sinus lift is used to thicken the back of the upper jawbone so dental implants can be placed there. If the bone is too thin, when the titanium roots are inserted, they may accidentally pierce the sensitive sinus membrane located right above the jaw, and no one wants that! With a painless procedure that can be completed in a single appointment, Dr. Springhetti can gently “lift” the sinus membrane to make room for a bone graft that will enable a patient to get dental implants.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants
Because dental implants can be used to reverse different degrees of tooth loss, the cost of the procedure is always different and based on the unique needs of the patient. Someone replacing a single tooth will likely pay less than a person replacing all of their teeth, for example. Despite this variation, dental implants are widely considered the most budget-friendly tooth replacement option thanks to their longevity. Rather than getting a traditional prosthetic that will need to be replaced every 5-10 years, a patient can instead get dental implants just once, spending thousands less over time.
Dental Implant FAQs
Does Getting Dental Implants Hurt?
We obviously want your treatment to be as comfortable as possible, so we’ll be sure to numb your mouth completely before beginning the surgery. It helps that the jawbone doesn’t have any nerve endings anyway.
However, it’s common to experience a little bit of discomfort during aftercare. This should be easily managed with either prescribed or over-the-counter pain medication taken as directed. A cold compress may also be useful in bringing down swelling. If things worsen, be sure to let us know.
How Successful Are Dental Implants?
It’s been found that around 95% of dental implants are still successful at 20 years. That success rate is provided that you take care of them to a basic extent—you should make sure to thoroughly brush and floss them each day, just like you would a natural tooth.
It’s also worth noting that success can vary based on where the dental implants are located in the mouth. Molars have to deal with much greater stress than the front teeth do, leading them to fail sooner.
How Can I Tell If My Dental Implant Is Failing?
The most obvious sign that a dental implant is about to fail is if it feels loose. This is an indicator of impending failure, and you should call us immediately if you notice this happening.
You should also be concerned if you feel like your dental implant may be infected. This includes them feeling swollen or inflamed. This is also a bad sign, and you should tell us if you feel like you might be dealing with an infection.
Am I Too Old to Get Dental Implants?
You’re never too old to get dental implants—studies have shown that, all else being equal, age has nothing to do with the success of the treatment. However, it is worth noting that older people are more likely to have oral health problems that compromise their ability to get and heal from dental implant surgery.