Dental Implants – Zionsville, IN

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

Before diving into the dental implant process, it's crucial to figure out if it's the right fit for you. In your first visit, Dr. Julovich will discuss your oral health and medical history to spot any potential issues. Even if you're not a perfect fit for implants right away, procedures like gum disease therapy, tooth removal, and bone grafting can make you eligible. Once that's sorted, we'll discuss the treatment timeline and costs to make sure you're fully in the loop.

Dental Implant Surgery

Choosing Dr. Julovich for your dental implant surgery not only saves you time and money, but also provides the comfort of having a familiar face handling the procedure. Many patients prefer the reassurance of being treated by someone they know rather than a surgeon they've only met briefly.

On the surgery day, your mouth will be numbed for comfort, and sedation will be administered if necessary. The planned procedure involves opening the gums and strategically placing the implants into the jawbone to avoid any unintentional damage to existing oral structures. The final steps include stitching the gums shut and attaching protective caps to the posts.

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment Placement

Osseointegration is a crucial phase in the dental implant process. It's the key to anchoring your implant posts securely and enabling them to function like natural tooth roots. As you progress through several months, bone tissue will gradually grow around the implant post, forming a strong fusion.

Once your mouth has successfully healed, a subsequent minor surgery is scheduled to place abutments on top of the implant posts. During this phase, impressions are taken to create a denture tailored to the specifics of your mouth, ensuring a perfect fit during the recovery period.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations

The ultimate phase of the dental implant process involves attaching the final restoration, whether it's a crown, bridge, or denture. Despite meticulous design based on your needs, some last-minute adjustments might be necessary to ensure a proper fit and a seamless integration into your natural oral aesthetics. Once securely attached, you're all set to use your new tooth or teeth for eating, speaking, and smiling with confidence.

Day-to-Day Benefits

• More Security: Because of the secure placement within your jawbone, your dental implants in Zionsville will create a stronger bite force and chewing power, allowing you to eat your favorite foods with ease.
• Improved Appearance: Dental implants mimic the natural look of regular teeth, which means they will blend in when put into place. Others will be unable to tell the difference between your real and artificial teeth.
• Minimal Maintenance: Unlike other prosthetics, you will not need to soak your teeth or spend endless time cleaning them. Maintaining a regular oral hygiene routine each morning and night will be enough to keep your new smile in optimal condition.
• Better Quality of Life: It is believed 10% of denture-wearers avoid social gatherings because they’re embarrassed by their prosthetic. Another 42% claim their dentures impact their love life. Fortunately, with dental implants, you can attend important events and engage in a beautiful relationship without worrying about your smile. These prosthetics allow you to enjoy a better quality of life.

Health Benefits

• No Need to Alter Healthy Teeth: Dental bridges require your healthy abutment teeth to be filed down so they can be anchors for your new teeth. However, dental implants fit within the tooth socket and attach to the bone. This allows you to keep your natural teeth void of any structural removal.
• Jawbone Preservation: While other prosthetics only rest on top of the gums, dental implants secure to the jawbone. This means each time you bite down or chew, the motion stimulates your jawbone and keeps it strong. It also prevents facial collapse and sagging, both of which are common among denture-wearers and those with dental bridges.
• No Dental Drift: Your healthy teeth will remain firmly in place because your implants will replace your missing teeth, so the rest of your smile has nowhere to shift to.
• Improved Overall Health: Some systemic issues are common with tooth loss. However, by choosing to have an implant dentist in Zionsville add these permanent prosthetics to your smile, you can expect your chances of osteoporosis, diabetes, and heart disease to decline.

Long-Term Benefits

• Successful Implant Placement: Most dental implant placements have a success rate of 95% when seeing a qualified expert. If continually maintained, this rate can remain the same even after 10 years!
• Long Lifespan: With proper care and maintenance, dental implants are known to last 30 years or even a lifetime.
• You’ll Save Money: Yes, they are expensive upfront, but if you compare the price paid for the upkeep of dental implants versus traditional dentures or dental bridges, you will save a lot of money in the long run.

Who is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

To be an ideal candidate, patients must fit the following categories:

• Generally good oral health with no signs of gum disease or severe tooth decay. Otherwise, it will be necessary to undergo tooth extraction and/or periodontal therapy.
• Enough jawbone material to support implants and the custom restoration. If it proves to be weaker than anticipated, bone grafting will be required.
• A commitment to taking care of your oral health with diligent brushing, flossing, and professional checkups.
• Good overall health, as the process of placing dental implants requires minor oral surgery, and certain autoimmune disorders and conditions can keep implants from fully healing or fusing with the bone.

Dr. Julovich reviews any concerns he has before treatment begins. Our goal is to form a personalized plan of action that results in the best chances of success. This is why you should keep your appointment for an initial consultation even if you don’t believe you’ll qualify.

You will find that dental implants in Zionsville are viewed as the “gold standard” for tooth replacement because they are capable of restoring smiles plagued by various forms of tooth loss, such as:

Missing 1 Tooth

Instead of living life with one missing tooth and suffering the consequences (i.e., difficult talking and eating), you can separate yourself from the more than 120 million adults in the U.S. living with a single missing tooth and opt for dental implants. Using a single implant post made of titanium as well as a metal abutment and customized dental crown, we can restore your smile with ease. Instead of relying on your abutment teeth to serve as anchors for a bridge, a single dental implant can replace the missing tooth and continue to stimulate your jawbone.

Missing Multiple Teeth

When losing more than one tooth, it not only negatively impacts your overall aesthetics but also your ability to perform daily functions like eating, chewing, speaking, etc. Unlike a dental bridge that requires altering healthy teeth and attaching a prosthetic that will need to be replaced after a decade or so, we can place an implant bridge. Using two dental implants, we can secure a customized bridge to the top of your implants, giving you greater stability, functionality, and longevity. Also, if necessary, we can create an implant partial to replace teeth that are not consecutively missing along an arch.

Missing All Teeth

If you don’t like the idea of regular dentures replacing an entire row of teeth, you can move forward with implant dentures. Using between 4 and 8 implant posts, we can have them surgically placed before attaching a custom-made denture to the top of your implants. Whether you choose a fixed or removable denture, you can trust that you’ll enjoy far greater functionality and longevity. Also, you’ll never need to worry about spending additional money on adhesives, cleaning supplies, and frequent adjustments and replacements.

Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery

If you have existing oral health problems, you'll likely need preliminary treatments before moving forward with the dental implant process. Even though services like gum disease therapy, tooth extractions, and bone grafting will add to the overall cost of your treatment, depending on your case they can be necessary to maximize the lifespan of your new smile. Fortunately, most of them are partially covered by dental insurance.

Keep in mind that dental implant surgery has a cost of its own. We are partnered with an outstanding oral surgeon in the area, so you can rest assured you’re investing in what will be a quality result for your smile.

The Parts of Your Dental Implant

When it comes to dental implants in Zionsville, the cost is affected by multiple factors including:

• Material – Implants made of zirconia instead of titanium typically cost less.
• Brand – Manufacturers make dental implants differently based on the needs of each patient. Be sure to ask your implant dentist in Zionsville where you’re getting yours from as well as any brand-specific benefits.
• Number of Dental Implants – Obviously, replacing a single missing tooth with one dental implant will cost less than replacing an entire row with an implant denture.
• Type of Restoration – Crowns, bridges, and dentures each cost different amounts. Expense corresponds to the size of the restoration.

How Dental Implants Can Save You Money

Patients on a budget often choose dentures or dental bridges as their method of tooth replacement because they’re cost-effective. Even though dental implants have a higher upfront cost, they end up paying for themselves over time. For example, you won’t need to pay for replacements or adjustments every few years.

You also don’t have to worry about purchasing special pastes, solutions, or other products to maintain your rebuilt grin. All you must do is care for your implants like you would for your natural teeth! Since they’re easier to maintain, you are more likely to avoid oral health issues that would require costly dental treatment.

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

Most dental insurance plans do not offer coverage for dental implants. However, there are some exceptions. Certain parts of the final restoration or your preliminary treatments might be eligible for coverage. Before committing to anything, contact your insurance provider to confirm the details of your coverage. Our team is happy to help with that step if needed!

Making Dental Implants Affordable

Don’t have dental insurance? No problem! We work with a third-party financier to help make your dental bills much easier to manage. With CareCredit, you can sign up for low-to-no interest payment plans to break up the overall cost of your treatment into smaller monthly installments. Also, consider Dr. J’s Smile Club which offers 15 percent off implants and other services in addition to exams, cleanings, fluoride treatments, and X-rays at no extra cost!

Make Oral Hygiene a Priority

Your dental implants can’t get cavities, but the teeth around them still can. Oral health issues, like gum disease, can cause your implants to fail. Remember to brush twice and floss once daily. You should also rinse with mouthwash on a daily basis for additional freshness.

Eat a Healthy Diet

When you have dental implants, you can enjoy a full, nutritious diet. This is something you should take advantage of. However, it is still a good idea to avoid indulging in hard, sticky, or sugary foods. Remember to enjoy plenty of foods that contain calcium and vitamin C. These nutrients help to keep your jawbone strong and your gums healthy.

Break Bad Habits

Bad habits can cause problems for your dental implants. You should avoid smoking and chewing tobacco products. These slow healing and encourage infection. You should also stop using your teeth as tools. Instead, get some scissors, a bottle opener, pliers, or another tool that can help you complete your task safely.

Protect Your Dental Implants

Your dental implants are strong, but they aren’t completely indestructible. You should always wear a mouthguard to protect your dental implants during sports. If you grind your teeth at night, ask your dentist about nightguards to protect your implants from wear and tear.

Schedule Regular Dental Checkups

Continue to see us for regular cleanings and checkups every six months. This way, we can monitor your dental implants, natural teeth, and gum tissue. By spotting issues early on, we can address them quickly and may even prevent serious complications from occurring in the future.