Dental Implants – Minot, ND

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

During your initial appointment, our team will capture digital X-rays and cone beam scans to determine whether or not you’re a good candidate for dental implants. We’ll evaluate your oral health, inquire about your goals, and review your medical history to decide on the next best steps. Some patients may need preliminary procedures like periodontal therapy, tooth extractions, and bone grafting before getting dental implants. Once that’s taken care of, we’ll walk you through the next steps of the process.

Dental Implant Surgery

At Souris Valley Dental Group, we will effectively and comfortably place your implants into your mouth. Before the procedure begins, we’ll numb you thoroughly to ensure you feel no pain. We’ll then make small incisions in the gum tissue to access the jawbone. After inserting the implants, we’ll suture your gums shut and place a protective cap on the posts to shield them while you heal.

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment Placement

On average, it takes about three to six months for the implants to successfully fuse with the surrounding bone tissue via a natural process called osseointegration. Once that’s complete, you’ll return to the office for a second minor surgery to receive your abutments. They’re the small metal connector pieces that are placed on top of the implant posts, allowing our team to attach your final restoration into place.  

Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations

While you recover, a trusted dental laboratory will make your new restoration (i.e., crown, bridge, denture) based on the impressions they received of your natural smile. They’ll use high-quality materials to create durable, natural-looking replacement teeth. Once your new pearly whites have been attached to your abutments, you’ll be ready to put your beautiful pearly whites to use that same day!

Day-to-Day Benefits

Many denture-wearers feel like their prosthetic limits their ability to enjoy their daily lives to the fullest. By investing in dental implants, you can expect to reap several day-to-day benefits like:

• Regained Ability to Eat Most Foods – Since dental implants replace the entire structure of missing teeth, they can withstand the chewing of virtually any food.
• Easier Maintenance – You don’t have to worry about incorporating complex steps into your routine or buying special products to care for implants. It’s as easy as caring for natural teeth!
• Boost of Confidence – Because dental implants remain firmly in place, they won’t move while in use. They’re secure enough to allow you to speak, smile, and eat with confidence!

Health Benefits

Aside from improving your daily quality of life, dental implants can offer some incredible health advantages, such as:

• Jawbone Preservation - Dental implants are the only option that stimulates your jawbone to prevent it from deteriorating after tooth loss.
• Protection for Natural Teeth – It’s common for teeth to shift after tooth loss. Luckily, dental implants serve as a placeholder to ensure every member of your smile stays exactly where it belongs.
• Improved Overall Health – Studies have revealed a correlation between tooth loss and an increased risk of multiple diseases. Because implants are so similar to natural teeth, it’s safe to assume that they can help lower such risks.

Long-Term Benefits

Getting dental implants will benefit you in the short term. However, you can also expect to enjoy several long-term benefits, such as:

• Long-Lasting Results - Dental implants are designed to last for an entire lifetime with proper care.
• High Success Rate – Believe it or not, implants have an impressive success rate of about 95% even 10 years after being placed.
• Youthful Appearance – Dental implants look, feel, and function just like your natural teeth, giving you the most lifelike tooth replacement.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

To find out whether this solution is the right way to bring back your smile, you’ll first need to contact our office and schedule a consultation with your dental implant dentist in Minot. This appointment gives our team an opportunity to capture X-rays of your mouth and jaw and visually examine your gums and any teeth you have left. At the same time, we’ll keep an eye out for a few key factors that could indicate whether you have a higher risk of dental implant failure. Generally, a good dental implant candidate:

• Is free of medical conditions that could complicate the healing process.
• Has no oral health problems (gum disease, tooth decay, etc.).
• Has a jawbone strong enough to support the implants.
• Is dedicated to maintaining good oral hygiene after getting implants.

If you don’t meet these criteria at first, there’s no need to worry. With the right preparatory procedures, you can often become eligible. For instance, if you’ve lost bone density in your jaw, then a bone grafting procedure can create a strong, healthy foundation for your new teeth to thrive.

After we’ve concluded that you’re ready to move forward with the dental implant process, we can plan out your treatment according to the size of the gaps you need to fill.

Missing One Tooth

Replacing a single missing tooth requires just one titanium post to be placed directly into the jawbone. From there, the soft tissue and surrounding bone can integrate, forming a sturdy foundation for a dental crown to be placed on top. This crown will be made from natural-looking porcelain and carefully shaded to match the rest of your teeth.

The traditional method of replacing one missing tooth is with a dental bridge, which requires altering the teeth on either end of the empty space. Over time, these teeth become weaker and more sensitive as a result. Because a dental implant can support itself, we don’t need to worry about this problem occurring.

Missing Multiple Teeth

To replace multiple missing teeth in a row, a personalized dental bridge can be attached to a pair of implant posts, with each one being placed at an end of the gap. Not only is this option more cost-effective than placing an implant for each individual tooth, but it also can support itself without needing to wear down any of your remaining healthy teeth. If, on the other hand, you’re missing several teeth that aren’t consecutive, we may be able to place a partial denture onto a small number of specifically positioned implants along your jaw.

Missing All Teeth

If you’re missing an entire row of teeth, then four to eight implants are often enough to bring them all back with a full denture. Many of the common complaints of traditional dentures – slippage, discomfort, the inability to chew various foods – are solved by implant dentures. We can design your prosthetic to be either removable or fixed in place, depending on your preferences.

Learn More About All-On-4 Learn More About Implant Dentures

Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery

If you require any preliminary treatments before undergoing dental implant surgery, you can expect that these will be added to your overall estimate. These may include periodontal therapy, bone grafting, sinus lifts, or even tooth extraction. You’ll also need to consider the actual procedure for placing your implants as part of the total price.

Because we are capable of performing the start-to-finish procedure in-house, you will not need to worry about paying a separate individual for this part of your treatment.

The Parts of Your Dental Implant

You may not realize it, but your dental implant consists of various parts. When formulating an estimate for your new smile, you can expect that we will consider the following:

• The number of dental implant posts needed – Whether it is one or six that you need to have put into place, this will be factored in. Naturally, requiring only one implant will cost less than if you need five or six for an implant denture.
• The materials used – Titanium and zirconia are each used to create dental implants, and each has its own price tag. Depending on the material used, you can expect that it will be part of the breakdown of costs.
• The type of restoration needed – Implant dentures will cost more than an implant crown. However, when you compare the functionality of a restoration held in place by implant posts, you’ll discover they are much more cost effective than traditional tooth replacements.
• The brand – When meeting with your implant dentist, you will learn which brand of dental implants are used so that you can better understand why opting for a higher-quality prosthetic will lead to longer-lasting results.

How Dental Implants Can Save You Money

Dental implants are not only long-lasting, but they can actually help you save more money over the years. Traditional prosthetics are effective, but if you consider the amount of money you’ll spend on denture adhesives, specialized products, and even treatment for various health conditions (i.e., diabetes) that are commonly linked to tooth loss, it can be an alarming reality.

Choosing dental implants will help to improve your oral and overall health while also keeping more money in your wallet so that you can spend it on what you really enjoy.

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

As you review your dental insurance plan, you’ll find that most companies do not offer coverage for dental implant surgery. Many still find it to be an elective option, not medically necessary. However, you can inquire about saving on your custom restoration and even preliminary procedures that you might need. If you’re unsure whether your insurance company will pay for these, you can call to check or let a member of our qualified team be of assistance.

Making Dental Implants Affordable

At Souris Valley Dental Group, we are pleased to also accept flexible financing plans through CareCredit, which make it easy to enroll in a low-interest or no-interest plan. With no surprise fees, you can feel more confident about moving forward with treatment knowing that you can pay it off over time instead of out of pocket, all upfront.

Also, we offer an in-house Souris Valley Perks Program that allows you to pay a small annual fee in return for a 15% discount on all available services. And you get to avoid the red tape that is common with a private dental insurance plan.

What to Do Directly After Dental Implant Surgery

The top priority at this time is to leave the blood clot at the surgical site untouched. This is needed for the area to heal properly, here are a few rules to help make this possible:

• Don’t spit. Instead, use a tissue or swallow your saliva.
• Don’t use a straw while drinking.
• Don’t smoke after your surgery.
• Keep your tongue and fingers away from the surgical site.

Common Side Effects When Recovering from Dental Implant Placement

A few side effects are normal following your procedure. Here are the most common ones that you may encounter:

• Bleeding: Minor bleeding is common for a few days after surgery. To reduce bleeding, use gauze and light pressure.
• Swelling: For the first 72 hours after your procedure, inflammation is likely. Use a cold compress to reduce this.
• Discomfort: Soreness is normal after dental implant surgery. This can be managed with over-the-counter pain relievers.

Your Diet After Dental Implant Surgery

After your procedure, you should stick to soft foods so that you don’t aggravate the dental implant site. Here are some foods that you can enjoy at this time:

• Scrambled eggs
• Mashed potatoes
• Apple sauce
• Oatmeal
• Ice cream
• Apple sauce
• Pasta
• Soup
• Pudding

Post-Op Health & Oral Hygiene

The day after your surgery, brush your teeth as normal. Just be careful to avoid the dental implant site. To keep the area clean, gently rinse your mouth with saltwater after meals. If you use mouthwash, choose one that doesn’t contain alcohol. Alcohol can aggravate the surgical site.

What to Do After Your New Teeth Are Attached

Now that you have your replacement teeth attached to your implants, the difficult part is over. You may still notice some sensitivity as your mouth adjusts, but this should be easy to manage and temporary. You shouldn’t experience any bleeding, swelling, or extensive recovery. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact us so we can help.

Make Oral Hygiene a Priority

There’s a common misconception that you don’t have to brush or floss if you don’t have any of your natural teeth left. That’s not the case! After all, your gums can still develop an infection, and your risk of dental implant failure increases drastically if you don’t have a solid oral hygiene regimen in place. So, if you aren’t already, make sure that you start flossing daily, rinsing with mouthwash consistently, and brushing for a full two minutes each morning and evening.

Eat a Healthy Diet

Remember, what you eat doesn’t just impact your overall health; it impacts your oral health. In other words, if you want to keep your gums infection-free and your dental implants in pristine condition, you need to eat lots of nutrient-dense foods that are softer in consistency, like plain yogurt, cooked broccoli, and oatmeal. Simultaneously, you should limit your intake of added sugar and avoid extremely crunchy, hard, and sticky foods.

Break Bad Habits

Breaking bad habits like biting your nails, smoking, and chewing on ice cubes is essential. After all, your dental implants (like your natural teeth) aren’t indestructible! To prevent chips, cracks, and other forms of damage, you need to opt for healthier alternatives, like chewing on sugar-free gum, squeezing a stress ball, or going for a walk outside.

Tip: If you’ve had trouble quitting smoking in the past, talk to us – we’re here to help!

Protect Your Dental Implants

Quitting bad habits, like biting your nails, is the first step in protecting your dental implants from harm. The second step is wearing a mouthguard during physical activities, like running, riding your bike, or rollerblading. This ensures that both your teeth and your dental implants are protected from harm if you accidentally fall.

Note: Teeth grinding/clenching can also damage your dental implants. If you do so when you’re stressed or while you sleep, let us know so we can have a custom nightguard made!

Schedule Regular Dental Checkups

Twice a year, you should come to our Minot dental office for a dental checkup and teeth cleaning (even if you don’t have any of your natural teeth left). That way, we can examine the condition of your dental implant, conduct an oral cancer screening, and clear away harmful substances, like plaque. We also use these routine appointments to answer any questions you have about your oral health and share our recommendations on how to keep your smile healthy between visits.

Bone Graft

Dental implants are placed in the jawbone so they can act as prosthetic tooth roots. If your bone is not strong enough to provide a strong and stable base for them, you might need to undergo a bone graft. This is often true of patients who suffered from periodontal disease as well as those who lost their natural teeth some time ago.

 There are different types of bone grafts, but essentially, we expose the bone and add material to it. The graft may be bone from a different part of your body, or it might come from another source. In some cases, it is even possible to use synthetic bone. Once the graft is in place, we close the gums so your body can start to integrate the graft.

Some patients are able to receive dental implants during the same appointment as a bone graft. In other cases, a waiting period of a few months is necessary between the two procedures. During your consultation, our team can let you know if you need a bone graft and how it might affect your treatment timeline.

Ridge Expansion

We often say that dental implants get placed in the jawbone, and that is true. To be more specific, though, they actually get inserted into a part of the bone known as the alveolar ridge. If the ridge is too narrow to support dental implants, you might need a special type of bone graft known as ridge expansion, alveolar ridge expansion, or ridge augmentation.

During this surgery, we carefully wedge apart the two sides of your alveolar ridge (the side facing your tongue and the side facing the outside. Then, we place bone between the two sides. As you heal from the procedure, your alveolar ridge should become wide enough and strong enough to support your new prosthetic tooth roots.

In most cases, there is a mandatory waiting period of 4 – 6 months between ridge expansion and dental implant placement. This allows plenty of time for both your gums and bone to heal. When you are finally able to get implants, you can be confident that they have the best possible chance of success.

3D Cone Beam Imaging/3D CT Scanning

A cone beam scanner, also known as a CBCT scanner, is basically a highly advanced X-ray machine. It uses the same type of radiation as regular X-rays, but it emits it in a cone-shaped beam. It can thereby capture extremely detailed, three-dimensional images of your teeth, jawbone, nerves, and connective tissues.

The CBCT scanner in our Minot office can help us to precisely plan where, how deep, and at what angle to place your implants. It can also let us know whether you require a bone graft before your jaw can support your new prosthetic tooth roots. Once your implants are in place, the machine can help us to monitor osseointegration (the process of your implants bonding with the surrounding bone) and play a role in diagnosing any unexpected issues that arise.

The CBCT scanning process is fast, painless, and completely non-invasive. It also uses much less radiation than a typical CT scan performed in a hospital.

Antibacterial Coating

Dental implant failure is rare, but when it occurs, it is usually due to infection. Harmful bacteria may invade the tissue around an implant, causing damage that eventually compromises the implant’s base of support or that prevents successful osseointegration.

We use implants that have an advanced antibacterial coating. This can kill harmful microorganisms and reduce the risk that an infection will interfere with your journey to regaining a complete and strong smile.

Digital Impression System

After your implants have bonded with your jawbone, it will be time for us to design your permanent restoration (crown, bridge, or denture). In the past, implant dentists in Minot always had to use manual impressions to accomplish this, which could be messy and uncomfortable. They were also not always accurate.

Today, though, we have a remarkable digital impression system. All we do is move a wand-like device around your mouth. It captures thousands of images and assembles them into a three-dimensional representation of your oral structures. We can then use that digital impression to design a restoration that is a perfect fit for your unique mouth.

The digital scanning process is fast and highly accurate. It is rarely necessary to take multiple scans. Plus, the wand is small enough that there is little risk of gagging for most patients. We can access the impression right away to verify its usability, and we can utilize advanced software to share the impression with the laboratory that will create your new restoration.

Am I a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

No matter how many teeth you’re missing, dental implants can help you regain a complete set of pearly whites! Typically, you’ll need three things to be considered a good candidate:

• Good overall health –  Placing dental implants is a surgical procedure, so you need to be healthy enough to undergo minor surgery.
• Great oral health –  Issues like tooth decay, gum disease, and teeth grinding can cause your dental implant to fail, so they’ll need to be treated first.
• Adequate jawbone density – Dental implants form a foundation in the jawbone, so you’ll need to have enough bone density to support them.

Even if you don’t meet all these requirements, come visit us for a consultation anyway! We can create a plan with you to get your oral health on track and ready for your new smile.

How Long Does It Take to Get Dental Implants?

Rebuilding your smile with dental implants is a multistep process. Once the dental implant posts have been placed in your jawbone, they’ll need time to heal before you can move on to the next step. Since factors like your oral health, dental hygiene, and number of dental implants will influence how long this will take, every patient’s timeline will be unique. However, you can typically expect it to take anywhere from four to six months. While this is certainly a long time to wait when compared to dentures or dental bridges, their unmatched comfort, functionality, and longevity are well worth the wait!

How Do You Take Care of Dental Implants?

Dental implants are designed to look and act just like natural teeth, and they can be cared for just as easily as well! They don’t require any special cleaning solutions, tablets, or brushes, and you won’t have to change your normal dental routine. Simply practice great oral hygiene habits to keep your new smile strong and sparkling, like:

• Brush your teeth for two minutes twice a day.
• Floss daily and rinse with mouthwash regularly.
• Refrain from using your teeth as tools to open packages or bottles.
• Quit bad habits like smoking or chewing tobacco.
• Visit your dentist for checkups and cleanings twice a year.

Are Dental Implants Worth the Cost?

Many patients are hesitant to invest in dental implants because of their price tag. Initially, dental implants tend to cost more than dentures or dental bridges. However, we recommend dental implants to nearly all of our patients because we truly believe they are a worthwhile investment. You simply can’t put a price on regaining a comfortable, confident smile. Additionally, dental implants don’t need to be repaired, adjusted, or replaced like dentures or dental bridges, so they could even end up saving you money in the long run!

Ready to fill those gaps in your smile? Give your Minot dentist a  call today  and  schedule your consultation  to see if this life-changing treatment is right for you.