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We see many Houston patients that are interested in dental implants.  Implants open up the door to terrific restorations that would not be possible before.  It is essential that Houston patients who are missing one or more teeth consider dental tooth implants.  Leaving gaps in the teeth will, over time, result in medical problems on top of the obvious cosmetic diminishment of one’s appearance. 

For example, missing teeth may cause a person to neglect certain aspects of a healthy diet.  Several missing teeth create the equivalent of a vacuum in the side of the mouth, or behind the lips, causing the skin to draw inward, prematurely wrinkle, and collapse over time.  Worse than all of this, bone mass in the jaw deteriorates without the structure of a tooth root around which to grow.  This will result in a permanent, irretrievable loss of bone structure if nothing is done for a period of years.

Fortunately, most patients who visit our Houston office do not suffer from cases that are this severe.  Most people who come to us for dental implants have acted quickly enough.   Many may only need a few teeth need replaced, so restorative work can almost always be done exclusively with implants that are custom made to the specific tooth size and jaw bone structure of the patient.  The entire process involves an ingenious combination of advanced planning, surgical techniques, and cosmetic restorative dentistry. 

A dental implant is a cylinder made from special, bio-friendly Titanium alloy known as Tivolloy.  The bottom of the cylinder is shaped like a screw so that it can be twisted into the bone itself.  This is not nearly as painful as it may sound.  Normally, implantation is performed under local anesthetic if there are only one or two implants to be placed.  For extensive full mouth restoration, or for gum or gone, may there may be a need for outpatient services and general anesthetic. 

In any case, the dentist will first make a scale model of the existing teeth and jaw line, find the best location for the replacement teeth, then surgically places the dental tooth implants.  A temporary crown may be placed as well in order to protect the artificial to protect it while the bone grows around the Tivolloy base.  After 3-6 weeks, the base is further secured with an abutment, which is a smaller screw, and a porcelain crown is manufactured and used to cap the entire structure. 

While many dentists in Houston advertise dental implant prices online, we avoid this practice deliberately.  This is because we simply cannot guess what your individual needs might be until we see you in our office.  What works for one person who may have lost only one tooth recently will be completely different than a person who has been missing all of his or her teeth for many years. 

We prefer that you make an appointment for an examination in our Houston Medical Center Dental office.  Here, we can use our intra-oral camera and advanced digital x-rays to closely examine your teeth and jaws.  This gives us accurate data that helps us in turn provide you with sound options for dental treatment.