Oak Creek dental implants

Dental Implants in Oak Creek

Get your smile back

No matter how many teeth you are missing or why they have been lost, Oak Creek Dental Care offers beautiful replacement options that will restore your smile and your confidence. Dr. Saleki is an expert when it comes to dental implants, and he can manage your case from the moment you come in for a consultation all the way through your after care.

Understanding the Unique Benefits of Dental Implants

Dental implants have a number of unique benefits compared to other methods of restoring missing teeth, such as dental bridges or partial dentures. First, they help support the health of your jaw bone, preventing bone tissue loss.
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This is because osseointegration allows your implant to transmit the force of biting and chewing into your jaw. In turn, this keeps it strong and prevent bone loss, which is a common issue after losing one or more teeth.
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Dental implants also look and feel more natural than any other restorative dental treatment. They will function and look just like one of your teeth and will never shift or move.
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Beyond this, dental implants also have the longest lifespan compared to other methods of restoring missing teeth. With proper care, your implant will last you at least 30 years. Many patients even keep their implants for the rest of their lives. 
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For all of these reasons, dental implants from Dr.  Saleki at Oak Creek Dental Care are the best way to restore your smile if you’re missing one or more teeth in Oak Creek.

placements and restorations

The dental implant process involves two parts: the placement and the restoration. During the placement procedure, Dr. Saleki will surgically insert a small titanium post into your jawbone. As this post heals over a period of 3-4 months, it goes through a process called “osseointegration”. This process involves the implant bonding with your bone until it becomes an artificial tooth root and strong enough to support a restoration.
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Once the implant completely heals in your jawbone, the restoration procedure will begin. Dr. Saleki will use our CEREC machine to create a natural-looking crown that will be permanently attached to your implant. Together, the implant and crown will act as a replacement tooth that will last a lifetime with proper care.

single tooth & full arch

If you’ve lost a single tooth in an accident or as a result of decay, a single implant may be the right option for you. During your consultation at our Oak Creek dental office, Dr. Saleki will assess your dental health to make sure that your gums and jawbone are healthy enough to support an implant. If you’re a good candidate, we’ll work with you to develop a treatment plan that works for your goals and your budget. Then, the placement and restoration procedures will begin.
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If you’re missing multiple teeth, a full arch of dental implants can restore your smile and your confidence. This permanent solution will give you your smile back and enable you to speak, chew, and laugh without being self-conscious or embarrassed. Full arch implants typically begin with extracting the remaining teeth to make room for your new implants. Once this heals, Dr. Saleki will place the fewest number of dental implants necessary and attach your beautiful, custom-made replacement teeth. Our goal is a perfect fit and a natural appearance.

The Implant Healing Process

Wondering what to expect from the dental implant healing process? It begins as soon as your procedure is over. Your mouth will be sore and may bleed for a few hours, and intermittently for the next day or two.
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You will also experience some mild bruising and tenderness around the area. This usually lasts about 3-5 days. You can take prescription pain medication, if prescribed by Dr. Saleki, or OTC drugs like Aleve (naproxen) or aspirin. Icing the area for 10 minutes at a time can also help with discomfort.
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For the first few days after your procedure, your implant will be tender, so you will want to eat mostly soft foods. Brush and floss normally, but use care around the implant site.
After about 3-7 days, you will notice that most of your discomfort and symptoms are less severe. Most patients are able to resume their normal diet and oral hygiene routine within a week of surgery.
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Your mouth will continue to heal. By the end of two weeks, you should feel no pain or discomfort around the implant site, and your mouth will feel fully recovered. You may need to come into our office to have your sutures removed, and for a quick follow-up appointment to check your healing progress.

The Basics of Osseointegration

While the initial healing process takes only about two weeks, your implant will not be ready for its restoration, such as a dental crown, for up to 3-6 months. This is due to the process of osseointegration.
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Osseointegration is the process by which your titanium implant permanently bonds to the surrounding bone tissue, essentially becoming a natural part of your mouth. This is what allows your implant to maintain a sturdy, healthy hold, and last 30+ years. 
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However, it takes a long time for this process to occur. Depending on your overall health and ability to recover from surgery, you’ll need about 3-6 months for your implant to fully integrate with your jaw.

How Long Will My Implant Last?

Dental implants are intended to last you for the rest of your life. When the implant has permanently healed and bonded (osseointegrated) with your gum tissue and your jaw bone, it will function just like a natural tooth root.
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Unless you experience serious trauma to the implant that damages it directly or you do not take care of your oral health, it’s likely that your dental implant will last you for decades without wearing out or failing. 
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To make sure that your dental implant lasts as long as possible, you will need to make sure you take proper care of your oral health. Brush twice a day for two minutes and floss once per day to keep your teeth strong and prevent cavities and gum disease.

It’s also a good idea to see a dentist like Dr. Ehsan Saleki for regular six-month teeth cleanings and oral exams. With regular oral exams and x-rays, Dr. Saleki will be able to make sure that your dental implant and your dental implant restoration are in great shape. Contact us now to schedule your next preventive appointment right away. 

Can My Implant Be Replaced Or Restored?

The answer is “yes.” It’s actually quite common to have to replace dental implant restorations such as dental crowns. While the dental implant itself will not wear out over time, this is not necessarily true of implant restorations like dental crowns.

This is because the dental implant does not experience any significant wear & tear. The small, metal implant post will remain strong and won’t wear out, so it will last forever. This is not true of the dental implant restoration, however.

Restorations like dental crowns have to go through quite a bit of wear & tear when you bite, chew, smile, and eat, just like natural teeth. Because of this, the crown may eventually crack or break, loosen, or fall off of the implant post.

If this happens, though, it’s very easy to fix. Dr. Ehsan Saleki will simply re-attach the crown if it’s still in good condition, or create a new dental crown that will fit over your dental implant perfectly and restore your smile.

Every patient is different, but as a rule, you can expect to have to replace your dental implant restoration about every 10-15 years. Again, the best way to know when your restoration should be replaced is with routine six-month cleanings and oral exams from Oak Creek Dental Care.

What Is The Restoration Process?

Whether you’re getting your first dental implant restoration or you're replacing a worn-out crown, the process is the same. First, Dr. Ehsan Saleki will clean your mouth and take impressions and images of your dental crown and the surrounding teeth. 

This information will be sent to an outside dental lab. Based on this information, a custom-fitted dental crown will be built by the lab technicians, then sent back to Oak Creek Dental Care. 
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You’ll come back to our office in a few weeks to have your restoration placed. Dr. Saleki will check the fit to make sure everything looks good, then will bond the restoration onto your dental implant permanently.