What Are Dental Implants?
A dental implant is the modern standard for replacing one or more missing teeth permanently. It consists of a small titanium post surgically placed into the jaw bone, acting as an artificial tooth root. This post provides a secure foundation for a replacement tooth or dental prosthesis, replicating the function and appearance of a natural tooth while also preventing bone loss. Dental implants provide a superior, lasting solution for replacing missing teeth, restoring both function and confidence.
What Are the Best Dental Implant Options?
We offer several advanced dental implant treatments tailored to your restorative needs and goals:
- Single Tooth Implant: This replaces one missing tooth using a single implant post and crown, preserving the health of adjacent teeth without grinding them down.
- Implant-Supported Bridge: For several missing teeth in a row, implants act as strong anchors for a dental bridge, providing stability that doesn't rely on natural teeth for support.
- Immediate Implant Placement: In suitable cases, an implant post is placed directly into the socket immediately following a tooth extraction, often reducing overall treatment time.
- Full-Arch Restoration: A complete upper or lower set of teeth anchors securely onto as few as four strategically placed implant posts, fully restoring smiles for patients missing most or all teeth.
Advantages of Choosing Dental Implants
Restored Function for Eating & Speaking
Dental implants fuse with the jaw bone, anchoring replacement teeth securely. This stability eliminates the slipping common with removable dentures, allowing you to eat your favorite foods comfortably and speak clearly without worry.
Natural Appearance & Renewed Confidence
Designed to mimic natural teeth precisely, dental implants restore a complete, beautiful smile with seamless integration. This improvement in facial aesthetics often leads to a significant boost in self-esteem and renewed confidence in social interactions.
Simple Oral Hygiene Routine
Caring for your dental implants involves the same practices as natural teeth. Regular daily brushing and flossing, along with routine dental checkups, are all that’s needed for convenient long-term maintenance and optimal oral health.
Lasting Durability & Jaw Bone Preservation
Titanium posts integrate directly with the jaw bone, creating an exceptionally strong foundation capable of handling normal chewing forces. Crucially, this fusion provides necessary stimulation, preventing the jaw bone loss that occurs when natural tooth roots are missing, ensuring long-term success.
Invest in Your Smile:
The Long-Term Value of Dental Implants
Several factors influence the overall investment in your dental implant treatment. Key variables include the total number of implants needed, whether preparatory steps like bone grafting or tooth extractions are necessary, and your selected anesthesia preference for optimal comfort. A personalized consultation with our Chula Vista oral surgeons provides the most accurate cost estimate for your specific treatment plan.
The long-term value of dental implants surpasses less permanent tooth replacement methods. Dental implants restore your ability to enjoy favorite foods without restriction, provide a completely natural appearance, and actively preserve essential jaw bone health. With consistent dental hygiene, implants offer decades of reliable function, potentially lasting a lifetime.
This permanence contrasts starkly with traditional dentures or bridges which require periodic replacement and fail to prevent bone loss. Ultimately, implants integrate as a fixed, dependable part of your smile, delivering superior function and aesthetics unavailable with removable options.At Oral Surgery & Dental Implant Specialists of San Diego, we make every effort to ensure your services are competitively priced and affordable. Visit our How Much Do Dental Implants Cost page to learn more or explore your options for financing dental implants. We’re here to help!
3D Impressions
Our Chula Vista practice employs state-of-the-art, 3D Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) for detailed views of your facial structure, jaw bone density, and nerve pathways. This technology allows our oral surgeons to plan the entire implant placement surgery virtually with meticulous detail beforehand, optimizing positioning for safety and long-term success.
Your Dental Implant Surgery Experience in Chula Vista
Your first step is a consultation at our Chula Vista office with one of our board-certified oral surgeons, Dr. Koshgerian or Dr. Shelton. During this visit, your surgeon assesses your oral health, discusses your aesthetic goals, and collaborates with you to design a personalized implant treatment plan. We prioritize your comfort, reviewing comprehensive anesthesia options—from local anesthetic to IV sedation—ensuring a relaxed experience managed safely by our highly trained team.
On your surgery day, after your chosen anesthesia is administered, the oral surgeon makes a small incision in the gum tissue. The titanium implant post is then placed into the jaw bone according to the precise surgical plan developed using advanced 3D imaging.
Following placement, a natural healing period called osseointegration begins. During this time your jaw bone securely fuses with the implant post over several months, creating a durable foundation. For those sensitive to pain, we also offer EXPAREL®, a non-opioid pain reliever administered during surgery, for extended comfort during your initial recovery.
Once osseointegration is complete and the implant is stable, your surgeon attaches a small connector piece called an abutment. Your restorative dentist then creates and affixes your final custom-made dental crown to this abutment, beautifully completing your tooth replacement. Throughout your healing process, our team provides detailed post-operative instructions and remains readily available to answer questions and support your recovery.
Secure Denture Alternatives: Implant-Supported Solutions
Traditional removable dentures often present challenges like slipping during speech or eating, causing discomfort, and requiring messy adhesives. Critically, they fail to stimulate the jaw bone, leading inevitably to bone loss and changes in facial structure over time. Many denture wearers seek a more permanent, functional, and comfortable solution for tooth loss.
Dental implants offer a superior alternative, providing fixed, stable tooth replacement that functions like natural teeth. For individuals missing many or all teeth currently using full dentures, full-arch restoration presents an ideal upgrade. This approach uses several strategically placed dental implant posts to anchor a complete, non-removable denture securely, restoring full function, aesthetics, and preventing further bone loss. Contact our Chula Vista office to explore replacing your dentures with a lasting implant solution.
Types of Anesthesia
The right anesthesia will depend on the complexity of your procedure and your level of anxiety.
Hear From Patients
Dental Implant FAQs
Are dental implants painful?
Some amount of discomfort can be expected with any surgical procedure. However, many patients report little to no pain post-surgery. We are proud to offer EXPAREL®, a single-use non-opioid option for pain relief. We’re happy to discuss this option with you during your first visit.
Who places a dental implant?
Oral surgeons undergo 4 to 6 years of training beyond dental school. Oral surgeons are also specially trained to administer various forms of anesthesia safely and receive hands-on training in a hospital-based environment. Many general dentists refer patients to oral surgeons for more complex procedures, such as the placement of dental implants, wisdom teeth removal, or jaw surgery.
Can I replace any tooth with a dental implant?
Yes. A dental implant is so versatile that it can be used to replace any tooth. If there is not enough jaw bone to support the implant, a bone graft can be performed to promote the growth of new bone. If you are not a candidate for dental implants, there are other tooth replacement options to consider.
I’m missing several teeth. Should I get dental implants or dentures?
While dentures may cost less upfront, they can require costly upkeep, adjustments, and more dental appointments in the future. Many patients find dentures to be uncomfortable and embarrassing, and they must be cleaned with special rinses and removed during eating. A dental implant, on the other hand, has a high success rate and becomes a permanent part of your smile. Removable dentures need to be replaced as often as every 5 years, while a dental implant can last a lifetime. If you’re missing many teeth in one arch, you may be a candidate for a full-arch restoration. Learn more on our Dental Implants or Dentures? page.
Will I be asleep during the dental implant procedure?
Your choice of anesthesia will depend on the complexity of your procedure and your anxiety level. Some patients are fine with local anesthesia to numb the area and remain awake while the implant post is placed. Others prefer to be completely sedated and wake up when it is over. We offer several anesthesia options to suit your needs and ensure you feel comfortable.
My tooth is decayed or damaged. Can I replace it with an implant?
Yes. A badly damaged or decayed tooth can simply be extracted and replaced with a dental implant, sometimes in the same visit. If the jaw bone in the area of the tooth has deteriorated, a bone graft will be inserted into the socket, and the implant post will be inserted at a later date when there is enough bone to support it.
Find Us in Chula Vista, CA
Our Chula Vista office brings expert oral surgery care closer to you. In addition to our two San Diego locations, we proudly serve the Chula Vista community and surrounding South Bay areas from this state-of-the-art facility.
Coastal Office
East Office
How Can We Help?
If you have questions, would like to learn more about a procedure, or wish to schedule an appointment at The Oral Surgery & Dental Implant Specialists of San Diego, give us a call.