Dental Implants in Long Beach

What are Dental Implants?

A dental implant is a permanent tooth replacement for a missing tooth. Most tooth restorations replace the crown of a tooth and are anchored by the surrounding teeth or through suction. Implants are different by design because titanium posts are screwed into your jawbone through implantation.

Over time, implants become integrated with the jawbone and restore missing tooth roots. When you chew, the chewing forces get transferred to the jawbone, effectively regenerating cells and preventing bone loss. 

The tooth roots anchor the implants, preventing them from shifting when you talk, speak, or smile. By restoring the whole of a missing tooth, from root to crown, you’re left with a restoration that functions and looks just like a real tooth. Contact us at Heartwell Dental today to schedule a consultation.

Did you know…

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Dental implants last for a lifetime with proper care.

Ready to schedule your appointment?

Call (562) 421-9411 today!

Dental Implant & Dental Restoration Placement Process

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Consultation

Our Long Beach dentist will take x-rays to assess your bone density and determine if you need any bone grafs.

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Sedation Options

We offer dental sedation to patients with dental anxiety or who would prefer to have reduced awareness during the procedure.

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Local Anesthesia

Before we begin the procedure, local anesthesia will be administered to prevent you from feeling any pain.

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Implantation

An incision will be made into your gums and a dental drill will be used to screw the implant into your jawbone.

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Osseointegration

Over 3 to 6 months, the jawbone will grow around the implant and fuse with it. By forming an artificial tooth root, this anchors the implant firmly in the jaw.

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Abutment

After you have healed and osseointegration has occurred, we will reopen your gums to attach an abutment.

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Restoration

Impressions taken of your teeth are sent to a dental lab that fabricates a custom restoration that attaches to your abutment.

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Aftercare

Dr. Girgis will provide you with instructions on how to properly care for your implants. You will need to practice good oral hygiene and avoid smoking.

Dental Implant Options

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Single Tooth Implants

When a patient is missing one tooth, a single implant is used to replace it. The implant is embedded in the jawbone through a minor oral surgery. After 3 to 6 months of osseointegration, the bone fuses with the implant, forming a stable tooth root. At this point, we can perform the second oral surgery to attach the abutment. Then, a dental crown created from impressions of your teeth can be attached about 6 weeks later. 

Full-Arch Implants

We can attach a full-arch restoration to a series of implants to treat extensive tooth loss. A removable denture or fixed bridge can be attached to 4 to 6 implants per arch of teeth. This will restore the support to your face and make it easier to chew your food and restore proper pronunciation in your speech.

Maintenance

You need to take care of your dental implants to prevent peri-implantitis, an infection similar to gum disease that can cause implant failure if you don’t practice good oral hygiene. The good news is that dental implants are low maintenance, but you still need to thoroughly brush and floss every day. You will need to attend bi-annual maintenance appointments, where we will thoroughly scale around your implants to prevent bacteria from building up and leading to infection.

Did you know…

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Implant failure is incredibly rare. The dental implant procedure has a  98% success rate.

Interested in permanent tooth restorations?

Call (562) 421-9411 to book an appointment.