What is a dental implant

Why Choose Dental Implants?

Missing Teeth? You’re Not Alone!

• Ability to Eat and Speak Without Loose Dentures
• No More Embarrassing Gaps In Your Smile!
• Saves Bone and Surrounding Teeth
• No Need for Fixed or Removable Appliances
• Renewed Confidence in Your Appearance

Permanent Tooth Restoration

Did you know that 69% of adults between the ages of 35-44 have lost one or more of their permanent teeth?

Learn About Tooth and Bone Loss
Curious About Dental Implant Cost?
No More Loose Dentures!

Dental Implants

Dental implants have become the preferred method of tooth replacement for patients of Dr. Ryan Estes, Dr. Allison Marlow and Dr. Vidya Prabhu for good reason! They offer patients a highly successful, long term solution for replacing missing teeth. Implants have less complications than their traditional counterparts, or dental bridges and dentures.

Not only do implants have less complications than other tooth replacement options, they offer important benefits. Implants will promote jaw health by reducing, or stopping, the progression of bone loss. Bone loss left unchecked can lead to many problems including toothaches, further tooth loss, and structural impact to the face.
Dental implants are also extremely secure and look, feel, and function more like your natural teeth!

Dentures can be problematic for many patients because they sit on top of the gums. This can lead to discomfort, embarrassing slipping or clicking sounds, and even bone loss, a much more serious problem than just a toothache.

Patients with dental bridges may encounter problems because the surrounding healthy teeth become more vulnerable to decay as a result of the bridge placement. Bridges rely on surrounding teeth for support which are ground down to be used as abutments, or anchors. Susceptible to damage, this could lead to toothache, decay, or eventually tooth loss.

Both dentures and bridges will also need to be replaced at least once or twice in a lifetime, as well as need repairs or refitting. Dentures typically need replacing every five to seven years and bridges every seven to ten years.

Dental implants are fixed in the jaw bone. The structure and function of the implant helps to prevent further bone loss because it stimulates the jaw bone. Implants will also never slip. After surgical placement by a periodontist such as Dr. Ryan Estes, Dr. Allison Marlow and Dr. Vidya Prabhu, the titanium implant fuses with the jaw bone in a process called osseointegration. Not only do implants help to prevent bone loss and slipping, they will never decay!

Dental implant technology continues to advance and improve, even after 20 years of practical use. Patients with dental implants from the 1980s and 1990s still report satisfactory results. Call Dr. Ryan Estes, Dr. Allison Marlow and Dr. Vidya Prabhu today to schedule your examination for dental implants in Covington, KY.

Implants 101

A Dental Implant is titanium prosthesis, much like a hip replacement, and shaped like a screw that is surgically placed into your jawbone. The top of the implant is hollow that allows for a tooth crown to be attached. Dental implants have a 3-piece design consisting of the titanium implant (or ‘implant screw’) that is placed into the jawbone, an intermediary piece called an abutment that serves as an attachment to hold the crown on top, and lastly the ceramic crown (or “tooth”).

Why Choose Implants?

There are many reasons why choosing dental implants is a good treatment option for missing teeth. These reasons include:

• Beautiful, natural looking smile
• Bone preservation
• Enjoy the foods you love
• Speak with confidence
• Preserve the adjoining teeth
• A more comfortable smile

How long does it take to get an implant

How long does it take to get an implant? I know this is a question that is frequently asked but the answer is highly variable. Are we talking about the procedure itself, are we talking about until its 100% finished with a tooth? What information do you think most patients would want and how do we say, “It depends”. We could go into a ton of detail of the variables that effect this or just say, “Depending on your current condition and health a straightforward implant can be completed in as little as 8 weeks but for more complicated situations it can be over a year to complete all the steps.”