Dental Implants in Whitby, ON

How To Get A Healthy, Fully Restored Smile

Losing even one adult tooth can make everyday activities like eating, speaking and smiling more difficult. However, it’s important to note that a missing tooth also makes you more vulnerable to oral health issues and diseases such as gum disease, jawbone deterioration (resorption) and misalignment. Modern dentistry offers a number of restorations to replace missing teeth that can suit the unique oral health needs of many patients.

For patients who qualify, the dentists at Dentistry on Dundas always recommend dental implants as the best restorative option to restore your smile. Read below to learn more about our dental implant process.

What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are lifelike restorations attached to titanium posts, which are surgically inserted into your jawbone. By securing these posts directly to your jaw, this gives your restoration a sturdy foundation, preventing them from slipping out of place or falling out of your mouth.

Benefits of Dental Implants

Dental implants offer a variety of benefits that other restorative dentistry options can’t match, including:

• Customized to look like your natural teeth
• Easy to maintain with a regular oral hygiene regimen
• Permanently secured to your jawbone for stability
• Helps prevent resorption and other oral health issues
• Preserves the shape of your face 
• Different restorations for unique oral health needs
• Lasts 25 years to a lifetime with proper care
• Almost fully restores your bite force
• Resistant to staining and decay

The Dental Implant Process

Restoring your smile with dental implants is a process that typically only requires a few appointments over the course of several months. At our Whitby, ON dental practice, we’ll complete your implant treatment in 3 easy steps: 

Initial Consultation

Before receiving dental implants, you’ll undergo a consultation with one of our talented dentists. During your appointment, your dentist will examine your teeth, gums, and jawbone, review your medical history, discuss your smile goals with you, and answer any questions you have about the procedure. Your dentists can also make recommendations for sedation dentistry options if you experience dental anxiety and need help with relaxing during the process. 

Designing Your Dental Implants

Once your dentist has approved you for dental implant placement, we’ll take digital images and impressions of your teeth that will be sent to an offsite lab. The technicians at this lab will use these images and impressions to create your custom-made dental implants.  

Preparation

To prepare your smile for your new implants, we’ll thoroughly clean your mouth out. Then we’ll apply a local anesthetic to the soft tissues at the surgical site, so you won’t feel any pain during the procedure. At this point, your dentists can perform any necessary extractions, or they can proceed to the next step. 

Installing Your Dental Implants

To place your implants, your dentists will make small incisions into your gums where teeth need to be replaced. Then they’ll place the posts into these openings and protect the surgical area afterwards with a temporary restoration. 

You’ll return to have your permanent restorations attached to your posts, once your implants have fully fused to your jawbone in a process called osseointegration. For most patients, it takes three to six months for osseointegration to occur.

Customized Restoration Attachment 

Once your jaw is fully healed, you’ll return to our Whitby, ON office, where your dentist will attach your restoration. Depending on your specific needs, your restoration can come in the form of a porcelain crown, an implant-supported bridge, or even an implant-supported denture. 

Who is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

Thanks to advancements in dental technology, it’s easier than ever to qualify for dental implants. Ideal candidates for dental implants usually:

• Have at least one missing tooth
• Want a long lasting, stable replacement for lost teeth
• Want to protect their oral health
• Have a strong jaw bone and healthy gums
• Can undergo a supplemental procedure to raise their candidacy if necessary

Frequently Asked Questions