Dental Implants Specialist

K Street Dental & Orthodontic Group -  - Cosmetic Dentistry

K Street Dental & Orthodontic Group

Cosmetic Dentistry & Orthodontics located in Washington, DC

Missing teeth leave holes in your smile and do damage to your oral health. At K Street Dental & Orthodontic Group in Washington, D.C., the team of dental experts provides high-quality dental implants to improve the appearance and health of their patients who have missing teeth. To learn more about what dental implants can do for your smile, schedule an appointment today by calling the office or booking a visit online.

Dental Implants Q & A

What are dental implants?

Dental implants are artificial tooth roots that are surgically implanted in your jawbone. They’re typically made of titanium, which the body doesn’t recognize as a foreign substance. Because of this, implants fuse with your jawbone as you heal, providing a sturdy foundation on top of which your dentist can place a restoration. 

If you’re only missing one tooth, all you need is one implant to support a restoration like a crown. But a single implant can also support restorations for multiple teeth, like a bridge. Your dentist can even use just a few strategically placed implants to replace an entire arch in your mouth with implant-supported dentures. 

Because dental implants mimic the form and function of a natural tooth root, they’re an incredibly comfortable and effective replacement for missing teeth.

What are the advantages of dental implants?

The advanced technology of dental implants offers a number of advantages over traditional restorations like bridges and crowns. Dental implants:

  • Are fixed to your bone and more stable
  • Have a stronger biting force
  • Look and feel more natural
  • Don’t require the removal of enamel
  • Are expected to last a lifetime

When it comes to replacing missing teeth, dental implants are as close as you can come to spontaneously growing back your natural teeth.

What’s the process for getting dental implants?

The first step in getting a dental implant is to determine if you’re an appropriate candidate. Your dentist at K Street Dental & Orthodontic Group takes a 3D CT scan of your mouth to evaluate the bone quality and quantity in the proposed implant location. 

If you don’t have enough healthy bone tissue, they can perform a graft to “borrow” some from another area of your mouth. If you’re getting implants following extraction of your upper back teeth, you might need a sinus lift augmentation to restore your sinus cavity to its original size before your implants are placed.

Once you have enough healthy bone to support your implant, your dentist first makes a tiny incision in your gum, drills a small hole in your bone, and places the implant in your jaw. They stitch up your incision site and send you home to heal for a few months, during which time your jawbone fuses with the implant.

You come back to the office after your implant fuses, at which point your dentist attaches a small post (called an “abutment”) to your implant and places your restoration on top of the post.

How do I care for my dental implants?

Dental implants not only look and feel just like natural teeth, but they’re cared for just like them, too. There’s no special maintenance you need to perform on your dental implants. They’ll stay healthy as long as you brush twice a day, floss daily, and maintain regular checkups and cleanings with K Street Dental & Orthodontic Group.

Your missing teeth aren’t going to grow back, so stop waiting around and schedule a dental implant consultation today by calling the office or booking a visit online.