Dental Implants – Lehigh Valley, PA

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

The first step to restoring your smile is scheduling a consultation with Dr. Salivonchik, your implant dentist in Lehigh Valley. This will give you an opportunity to discuss your smile goals with him while also letting him evaluate your mouth to determine your eligibility for the procedure.

Although dental implants are more than 95% percent successful, a pre-placement evaluate is necessary. Good dental implant candidates generally have:

• Good oral hygiene habits
• Sufficient jawbone density
• Healthy gums

If Dr. Salivonchik believes you need preparatory work before implant placement – such as bone grafting, periodontal therapy, or a sinus lift – he’ll let you know. Otherwise, you can go ahead and schedule the implant placement surgery.

Dental Implant Surgery

You’ll be referred to our trusted periodontist for the procedure. That way, you can be sure you’ll receive the highest quality of care. First, your mouth will be numbed to ensure you don’t feel any pain. Your gum tissue is opened up, and the implant posts are placed directly into your jawbone at predetermined angles. Your gums are then sutured closed, and you can begin the healing process. 

Dental Implant Osseointegration/Abutment

On average, you’ll need to wait three to six months for the implant posts to fully fuse with your jawbone. This process is called osseointegration, and it’s the reason why dental implants in Lehigh Valley are able to last so long.

After osseointegration is complete, you’ll undergo another, smaller surgery to receive your abutments. These are small metal pieces that connect your implant to your artificial teeth. Typically, you’ll need to wait about two weeks between having your abutments placed and receiving your restoration.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations

Your restoration, whether that be a crown, bridge, or denture, will be made to our exact specifications in a dental lab. Once it has arrived at our office, Dr. Salivonchik will anchor it onto your abutments. Then, you can walk out of our office with a confident, beautiful smile that, with the right aftercare and maintenance, can last for decades to come!

Day-to-Day Benefits

• Diet: Eat all your favorite foods without having to worry about your dentures slipping or sliding out of place. This allows for a more delicious and nutritious diet, making your life better all around.
• Appearance: Dental implants look, feel, and function like natural teeth, giving you the most lifelike appearance. They are custom-made to your exact specifications for a completely seamless tooth replacement.
• Maintenance: You don’t have to remove your smile for special cleaning like dentures. Instead, your implants can be cared for just like your natural teeth. Remember to brush and floss daily to keep your smile healthy and clean.

Health Benefits

• Bone health: Dental implants are the only replacement that stimulates the jawbone to prevent it from deteriorating after tooth loss. This means you can enjoy a healthier, fuller, and more youthful facial appearance while also maintaining any remaining teeth.
• Oral health: Dental implants themselves cannot get cavities or infections, however they also lower your risk of dental problems because they are easier to clean. Studies show that patients with dental implants tend to have better oral health than those with missing teeth or traditional dentures.
• Overall health: Research continues to show a direct link between your oral and overall health. Dental implants reduce the risk of gum disease and infection, which also lowers the chance of overall health conditions associated with gum disease like strokes, heart attacks, diabetes, and more.

Long-Term Benefits

• Durability: Traditional options like bridges or dentures must be replaced as soon as 5 to 7 years. However, dental implants are designed to last for over 3 decades or even the rest of your life with proper care. Just brush, floss, and visit our implant dentist in Lehigh Valley regularly.
• Predictability: While implants do require surgery, they have a success rate of 95% even after 10 years! This gives you peace of mind and total confidence before, during, and after replacing your teeth.
• Cost: Dental implants tend to cost more than other solutions, but they can actually end up saving you money in the long run. By lasting much longer, dental implants help you avoid additional dental care and replacements as well as the time and cost that comes with them. This makes implants well worth the investment!

Missing One Tooth

Unlike with a traditional bridge, in which a replacement tooth is secured using crowns on the adjacent teeth, a single dental implant crown can be positioned between two healthy teeth without affecting them at all, better preserving someone’s natural smile.

Missing Multiple Teeth

For patients missing teeth throughout the mouth, multiple dental implant crowns can help close the gaps. If a patient has a gap due to consecutive missing teeth, just two implants can be used to support a prosthetic that restores up to four teeth, providing a more efficient and affordable solution.

Missing All Teeth

Even a full or partial denture can be held in place using dental implants to help patients missing several teeth. Because the prosthetic is attached to the jawbone, patients don’t have to worry about their prosthetic shifting unexpectedly. Plus, implant dentures have also been shown to maintain their fit for much longer compared to traditional ones.

Types of Dental Implants

Not all dental implants are the same. As a result, they all have different costs. The type of implant used will impact the price, such as if you go with a standard titanium post, a mini post, or a ceramic post. If you need more than one, such as to support a bridge or denture, you can expect the cost to increase as well.

What Are the Stages of Dental Implant Treatment?

The process to restore your smile will occur in multiple stages throughout several months. Each stage of your treatment consists of separate fees. This can actually make it easier to pay for your dental implants because you don’t need to cover the entire amount upfront. Dr. Salivonchik will explain each step in your plan and how much you can expect to pay, including:

• Initial Consultation: Besides the office fees, you’ll need to pay for X-rays and a CT scan to assess your oral health.
• Additional Treatments: You may need additional procedures before your placement surgery, such as tooth extractions, bone grafting, or a sinus lift.
• Placement Surgery: You will need sedation or anesthesia to ensure your comfort as your implant posts are surgically placed into your jawbone.
• Abutments & Restorations: Each post will need to have an abutment attached to it. The special fixtures secure your custom-made restoration to the dental implants.

Are Dental Implants Worth the Investment?

Dental implants are an investment for several reasons. They are proven to last for several decades, so you’ll never need to worry about paying to have them replaced if you take the time to care for them over the years, like maintaining your oral hygiene.

Dental implants also improve your oral health because they stimulate your jawbone. This provides any remaining teeth with the support they need to stay in place. This decreases your risk of tooth decay, gum disease, and additional tooth loss to reduce the need for costly treatments in the future.

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

Dental insurance carriers won’t pay for the entire treatment, but your policy may cover certain aspects after paying your annual deductible. It may pay for the X-rays, anesthesia, restorations, or other components in your treatment until you reach your yearly limit. We work on your behalf with your insurance company to reduce the amount you need to pay out-of-pocket. We will take the time to discuss your payment options to cover any remaining balance, such as using CareCredit.

If you’re ready to learn more about the cost of dental implants, contact our office today to schedule your consultation for an estimate.

Can I get dental implants if I have gum disease?

Although gum disease is preventable, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates at least 50% of adults have a form of it. It can be treated in the early stages without causing any long-term damage. Unfortunately, it often goes undetected until it causes irreversible complications, like tooth loss.

If you’ve lost teeth from gum disease, you are not a candidate for dental implants until after the infection has been treated. The long-term success of dental implants relies on your jaw’s ability to support the posts and remaining infection-free. As a result, you will need additional treatments before your placement surgery, like bone grafting or periodontal therapy.

Am I too old for dental implants?

Age isn’t necessarily a determining factor for your candidacy for dental implants. As long as you’ve finished growing, age doesn’t matter when it comes to replacing your missing teeth. Instead, Dr. Salivonchik bases his decision on several other requirements, such as your oral health and lifestyle habits.

Does it hurt to get dental implants?

The process of replacing your missing teeth with dental implant will require an oral surgery. Don’t worry, you shouldn’t feel any pain or discomfort while the posts are inserted into your jawbone because sedation or anesthesia is used.

You can expect there to be some discomfort during the recovery, but most patients say it isn’t any worse than having a tooth extracted. You can use an over-the-counter pain reliever to make yourself more comfortable during the recovery process.

Can dental implants fail?

Dental implants have a very high success rate, but they can fail. Generally, the risk of implant failure is less than 5%. Most often, it’s the result of an infection called peri-implantitis. It is like gum disease, so it can destroy your oral structures, including those that support your dental implants.

Thankfully, there are several things you can do to lower your risk of implant failure, such as:

• Brush your teeth twice a day using a soft-bristled toothbrush and nonabrasive toothpaste.
• Floss your teeth and clean around the abutments each night using a high-quality dental floss.
• Visit your dentist at least twice a year for a cleaning and checkup.

Even with the best prevention, there is the chance that a complication can still arise. If you experience any pain, swelling, or a feeling that the implant is loose, contact our office right away. Dr. Salivonchik will get to the root of the problem to save your smile.

If you still have questions, don’t hesitate to ask during your initial consultation. Dr. Salivonchik will ensure you’re confident in your decision to rebuild your smile.