Dental Implants – Hayward, CA

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

The first part of the dental implant process is attending a dental implant consultation. During this time, a complete examination of your mouth will occur as well as discussions regarding your oral and overall health. We’ll determine if you are healthy enough to undergo minor oral surgery and if your mouth can support whichever type of restoration you need. Some patients need preliminary procedures, like bone grafting and/or gum disease treatment, before they are able to get dental implants. If this applies to you, we will help you schedule this. Once your smile is in good shape, we can move on to the rest of the dental implant process.

Dental Implant Surgery

When ready for oral surgery, we’ll refer you to a local dental implant specialist whom we work closely with to ensure that the placement of your implant posts occurs safely and leaves you with beautiful results. After numbing the area with a local anesthetic, an incision is made into the gum tissue. Then, the dental implants are placed at very precise angles in the jawbone. The gums are closed, and protective caps are placed over the implants so the healing can commence.

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment

You’ll need to spend 4-6 months allowing your mouth to fully heal. A fusion process between the dental implant and the jawbone. This is called “osseointegration” and is the reason why dental implants are so stable and long-lasting. Once healed, you’ll have your metal abutments put into place so that your restorations remain affixed to your implant posts.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration

Your restoration will be designed based on impressions taken of your smile. It is crafted in the dental laboratory and sent to our practice. Dr. Diep will secure it in place so that you may begin using it right away. If everything looks and feels as it should, you will be free to leave the office showing off your beautiful, complete smile!

Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

There are a few things we look for in a good dental implant candidate, starting with a strong jawbone. Healthy gums and a willingness to break bad habits, like smoking, are also essential. Fortunately, even if you aren’t a candidate right away because of bone loss or an infection in your gums, we can usually provide the care you need upfront, ensuring a complete, healthy, and beautiful smile isn’t out of reach for long. Ultimately, if you are struggling with tooth loss and are interested in dental implants, the best thing to do is schedule a consultation with us so we can learn about your unique dental needs and smile goals.

Missing One Tooth

If you are missing one tooth – whether from a sports-related accident or a significant cavity – we have good news: dental implants may be the solution you’ve been looking for! If we determine that it’s the best tooth-replacement option (and you agree), we will insert the implant into your jawbone and allow it to fuse together (a process known as “osseointegration”). Then, we will secure a dental crown to the top, effectively restoring the visible portion of your tooth as well.

Missing Multiple Teeth

If you are missing multiple teeth in a row (or several teeth throughout your mouth), there are several ways we can restore the look of your smile and the strength of your bite, including with dental implants. The first option is using an implant bridge to replace several teeth consecutively. The second is replacing each individual tooth with a single implant. The third is anchoring a partial denture with implants to replace several teeth in an arch.

Missing All Teeth

If you are missing every tooth in an arch or all of your teeth – you guessed it – dental implants are an option. In this case, we will need to insert a few dental implants strategically throughout your jaw. Then, we can anchor a denture in place, restoring your complete smile and the strength of your bite in the process. One of the best parts of this tooth-replacement solution is that it can last for several decades with proper care, and it’s incredibly stable, ensuring your restoration doesn’t slip out of position when you speak, laugh, or chew.

Day-to-Day Benefits

• Stronger Bite: With dental implants, you can regain 80% or more of your natural biting power. Not only will this help make your mouth stronger while chewing, but you can also expand your dietary choices to include more solid foods, such as lean meats, raw veggies, and juicy steaks.
• Improved Speech: Missing even one of your teeth can negatively impact your ability to speak clearly. By replacing your lost ones with dental implants, you’ll be able to improve your speech without having to worry about your restorations moving out of place.
• Greater Confidence: Once you have a complete bite again due to dental implants, you can feel free to smile as often as you want with increased confidence in your appearance. This can lift your mood significantly and, in turn, improve your quality of life.
• Easier Cleaning: Instead of needing special tools or techniques to clean your restoration(s) and smile, you’ll simply need to clean your dental implants like you would your normal pearly whites.

Health Benefits

• Better Nutrition: Now that you’ve regained the majority of your chewing ability, you can feel free to enjoy most of your favorite foods. Additionally, you’ll be able to choose more nutritional meals, which can promote stronger and healthier gums and jawbone tissue.
• Jawbone Preservation: While other traditional prosthetics can help you regain your bite, they won’t help preserve your jaw structure like dental implants. Since the metal posts will be embedded into your jawbone, they can help stimulate circulation which can then promote bone growth and maintain a youthful facial shape.

Long-Term Benefits

• Long-Lasting Results: Traditional dental bridges and dentures typically last a decade or so while dental implants can go on for 30+ years to a lifetime with proper care.
• Cost-Effective Treatment: Since dental implants won’t require replacements as often as other restorations or prosthetics, you’ll be able to save more over the years.

Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery

You should know that if you need any preliminary treatments, such as a bone graft or gum disease therapy, those costs will be counted separately from the actual dental implant surgery. Rest assured, preliminary treatments ensure that you’re able to properly support your dental implants and can save you money by helping you avoid complications.

At our practice, we partner with local dental implant specialists to make sure every implant is placed properly during surgery. This, too, will ultimately promote the success of your treatment.

The Parts of Your Dental Implant

Depending on your needs and preferences, each individual part that makes up your dental implant could be more or less expensive. For example:

• The number of implants you’d like will have an impact on your costs.
• The type of restoration you require could change your bill. Generally, an independent implant is less expensive than implant dentures or an implant bridge.
• Materials will be another factor you’ll have to consider. Modern implants can be made from zirconia or titanium.
• Various manufacturers have different price points for their services. Feel free to ask us where we source our implants!

How Dental Implants Can Save You Money

Dental implants should be viewed as an investment. Though they have higher upfront costs than other restoration options, they’re also more effective at preserving your jawbone and tend to last much longer. In the long run, you could save money from not needing frequent replacements or drastic jawbone treatment.

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

Some dental insurance plans offer partial coverage for dental implant treatments. These policies are more likely to pay for preliminary treatments and final restoration than they are implant surgery. Whatever the details of your plan are, though, we’ll be happy to help you get the most out of your benefits!

Making Dental Implants Affordable

To help make dental care more accessible for patients without dental insurance, we offer other ways of making dental implants in Hayward more affordable. Here are your options:

• CareCredit and Cherry are third-party financiers that can break your total bill down into smaller, more manageable monthly payments.
• Our in-house membership plan provides a 20% discount on restorative treatments – without requiring you to meet a deductible or stay under an annual maximum.

Make Oral Hygiene a Priority

Your restoration isn’t made from the same organic components as the teeth you were born with, so they can’t develop disease or decay themselves. However, the surrounding connective and bone tissues are still at risk, and if they are damaged, your implant might not have a strong enough foundation to remain firmly in place.

You can prevent this by brushing and flossing twice daily, taking care not to press so deeply into the pocket of your implant that you damage its protective seal.

Eat a Healthy Diet

Overly hard, sticky, crunchy, and sugary foods can potentially chip, crack, push, or pull your new tooth out of place, especially during recovery, before it has fully fused with your jawbone.

You can help protect it by enjoying soft foods, such as mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, and applesauce, until you’ve healed. Once your jaw completely envelops your implant, you can enjoy up to 80% or more of your original chewing power, which allows you to enjoy a wider variety of wholesome foods that support your oral and overall well-being.

Break Bad Habits

Smokers are significantly more likely to experience failure because nicotine in tobacco suppresses your immune system and restricts your blood oxygen levels and flow, making it harder for your body to send essential nutrients and infection-fighting cells to your mouth to heal after your procedure. As a result, most experts recommend quitting this habit at least until you’ve fully recovered.

It’s also best to avoid using your teeth as tools to open packages, bottles, or cans, which can chip or break them.

Protect Your Dental Implants

Athletes are prone to sustaining injuries, such as taking a blow to the face, that can break, damage, or dislodge their teeth or implants. This can thankfully be prevented by wearing a mouthguard during close-contact physical activities.

Also, those who suffer from bruxism, or chronic teeth grinding, might want to invest in a protective nightguard or other oral appliance to shield their teeth and jaw from the added pressure of constantly clenching down.

Schedule Regular Dental Checkups

Another simple but effective way to safeguard your new restoration(s) is by scheduling a routine dental exam and cleaning every 6 months. This allows our team to monitor your dental condition so we can catch and treat any areas of concern, like a destabilized implant, before it becomes more severe.