We understand the importance of healthy and beautiful teeth. At Dazzling Dentistry, we believe that everyone deserves to smile with confidence. Missing teeth can cause more than aesthetic problems. Over time, missing one or more teeth can create problems with biting, chewing, and speech. Dr. Margaret Radziszewski and Dr. Weronika Dabros works with local oral surgeons to provide dental implants in Chicago and Arlington Heights, IL.
Teeth implants are key to restorative dentistry. We can restore a single missing tooth, rows of lost teeth, or all your teeth with an implant-supported restoration. Replacing missing teeth can help you eat, speak, and smile with confidence.
The Parts of a Dental Implant
A dental implant has three main parts. First, the post is a small titanium screw that’s placed into the jawbone to act like the root of a natural tooth. The abutment is a piece that connects the implant to the crown. We place the abutment on top of the implant to hold the artificial tooth in place.
The restoration is the visible part of the implant, made to look like a natural tooth. It restores the appearance and function of the tooth. If you get a single implant, we’ll provide a crown. We recommend bridges and dentures for patients with multiple missing teeth or all their teeth missing.
Benefits of Dental Implants
You have many options to consider when you want to restore missing teeth. However, dental implants are the top recommendation for good reason. They provide benefits that other options simply can’t match, including:
- Built to Last: A dental implant acts like a new tooth root, fusing directly to your jawbone to form an incredibly strong foundation. With proper care, an implant can last a lifetime, unlike bridges or dentures which often need replacing.
- Protects Your Healthy Teeth: Unlike a bridge that requires grinding down neighboring teeth, an implant stands on its own. This preserves all your natural, healthy tooth structure.
- Feels Secure & Natural: Once healed, implants are fixed in place and won’t slip or shift like dentures. The custom crown looks and feels just like a real tooth, so you can eat, speak, and smile with total confidence.
- Preserves Your Face Shape: The implant post stimulates your jawbone, just like a natural root. This prevents bone loss that can cause your face to sag and look older over time, helping you maintain a youthful facial structure.
For a restoration that’s strong, stable, and protects your long-term health, dental implants are the best choice.
Patient Review
Are You a Candidate for Dental Implants?
Choosing the right restorative option is a personal decision. However, dental implants stand out for their durability and natural appearance. During your consultation, Dr. Radziszewski will help you to make an informed decision based on your unique needs and preferences. Some factors can make you a good implant candidate.
Healthy Gums
For dental implants to work well, you need to have healthy gums. Healthy gums provide a strong foundation for the implant to bond with the bone. Gum disease or gum infections can prevent the implant from healing properly.
When you have gum disease, the gums can pull away from the teeth and weaken the area around the implant. If your gums need attention, we can provide periodontal disease treatment before you get implants.
Good Bone Density
You must also have enough bone in your jaw to support the implant. The implant needs a solid foundation, just like the roots of your natural teeth. If you’ve had missing teeth for a long time, the bone in your jaw may have weakened or shrunk, making it difficult to support an implant.
In cases like this, Dr. Radziszewski might suggest bone grafting. A bone graft adds bone to the jaw area to create enough bone density for the implant to fit securely.
Good Overall Health
You want to be in good overall health before you get dental implants. The surgery and healing process can be challenging for people with certain health conditions.
If you have uncontrolled health issues, like diabetes, heart disease, or if you’re on medications that affect your ability to heal, we’ll review your health history. For example, conditions like diabetes can slow healing and increase the risk of infection. Our Arlington Heights and Chicago dentists may request your doctor’s approval before the implant procedure.
No Smoking or Alcohol Use
Smoking and heavy drinking can make the healing process slower and increase the risk of complications with dental implants. Smoking can reduce blood flow to your gums and bones, which means the implant will have a harder time bonding with the bone.
Alcohol can affect healing and make infections more likely. If you smoke or drink heavily, our dentist might suggest quitting or reducing your habits before getting implants to help ensure a better outcome.
Dental Implant Treatment at Dazzling Dentistry
Before treatment, Dr. Radziszewski or Dr. Dabros will perform a thorough exam and take X-rays to see where you’re missing teeth. She also takes digital images to see areas of bone loss, infection, or damage. Here’s what to expect after your initial exam:
- Pretreatments: We provide treatments like tooth extractions, gum disease treatment, or bone grafting before we place implants. These pretreatments ensure you’re healthy enough to get treatment. While these treatments may add to your overall treatment time, they can prevent problems like implant failure.
- Implant Surgery: Dr. Radziszewski coordinates with a local implant surgeon to place your implants. To begin treatment, the oral surgeon will place the implant post into your jawbone. They first numb your mouth with local anesthetic to ensure you don’t feel any pain.
- Healing Phase: After placing the titanium implant post, the area will need some time to heal and bond with the bone. Over 3 to 6 months, during a process called osseointegration, the implant post fuses with your healthy jaw bone.
- Impressions: In the meantime, we’ll take impressions of your teeth in our office to help design your custom replacement tooth. Dental impressions help us create a restoration that fits perfectly with the rest of your smile. We’ll also order the abutment that connects the restoration to the implants.
- Creating Your Custom Crown, Bridge, or Denture: We work with a specialty lab that designs the restoration. Our local dental lab will create crowns, bridges, and dentures made to look and feel natural. The lab carefully crafts the restoration to match the size, shape, and color of your existing teeth, so it blends seamlessly into your smile.
- Final Restoration: Once your custom restoration is ready, you’ll return to our office. Our Chicago dentists will attach the restoration to the implants during this appointment. Dr. Radziszewski ensures your implant restoration fits comfortably.
Schedule an Implant Consultation Today
Replace tooth gaps with dental implants in Arlington Heights and Chicago, IL. Call Dazzling Dentistry today (872) 276-8546. You can also schedule an appointment with us online. We can coordinate all steps of implant treatment for the best results.