Dental implants are the all-around best choice for patients with missing teeth or severe dental issues. All too often, patients let a dentist convince them to settle for quick and seemingly easy dentures. That summation couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, dentures are simply a band-aid solution to a very serious problem. When you visit with Dr. Mackie, you are dealing with the top advocate for dental implants in Las Vegas. She is staunchly for the usage of dental implants versus dentures and for good reason.
Granted, when you lose a tooth there is not enough education out there to emphasize how serious that is. It seems only aesthetic on the surface but it’s much more than that in terms of your health. What follows when you lose a tooth can have a serious impact on daily life due to:
This by far is the most impactful consequence of a missing tooth. The jawbone is a key structure in the skeletal system. It is responsible for a major portion of your overall health. Think about it, your jawbone allows you to eat, drink, breathe, and more. On the emotional side it shows emotions and to communicate. It really is often taken for granted because we are so accustomed to using it without thinking. When you lose your teeth, there is nothing to keep the bone stimulated. This weakens it and over time it disintegrates, causing a whole horde of problems. Your face begins to sink in, you struggle to chew, you can’t speak the same. Early action is the key to avoiding this serious but curable problem.
When teeth are lost it disrupts the alignment of the remaining teeth, altering the mechanics of your mouth. This causes trouble and discomfort with chewing food and often requires a dramatic change in diet. Often those changes are to soft foods or pureed meals—this can be disheartening for just about anyone. Remaining teeth also tend to shift out of position causing severe misalignment and even more problems. More importantly, it can lead to rapid onset of oral infection due to increased trapped food particles.
Since the missing teeth impede chewing, which also changes your diet, you may find life less appealing. You can’t just go enjoy a dinner out with friends because you may be very restricted on food options. More importantly the limitation on foods could also mean missing key nutrients your body needs. Digestion is critical to absorption of nutrients from food, and proper chewing plays a major role.
Dentures merely offer a very basic substitution for teeth but a very poor one at that for several reasons.
They tend to shift in your mouth causing chewing and speaking issues.
They trap food particles between the denture and the gums promoting more tooth decay and gum disease.
They alter your sense of taste which causes loss of appetite for many.
They do nothing to stimulate the jawbone and preserve the facial structure.
With bone atrophy, dentures can begin to feel quite uncomfortable as they reposition.
It doesn’t really sound like advocacy for your overall health if a dentist recommends dentures, does it? At Nevada Dental Implant Specialists we are committed to making you love your smile. That means recommending the best solution available for your missing teeth. While many may argue the higher cost of dental implants they aren’t seeing the entire picture.
Dentures need replacement often as bone structure changes since the jawbone is not being stimulated as implants do. This means an average of $4,000 spent each time for quality dentures—sometimes as often as every 5 years! Those costs add up and so does wasted time and your decreased self-confidence.
Dental implants, however, never need replacement and do not alter your speech, eating, or appearance—your smile will be perfect. In addition, your jawbone is stimulated and the implants bond with your jawbone, becoming a permanent part of your body. This means your new teeth are as sturdy as your natural ones and will never decay either. You still need to practice good oral hygiene, but your teeth will likely last as long as you are alive.
A person’s smile is the first thing most people notice when meeting them for the first time. It is generally the most communicative feature you have. When your smile looks bright and healthy it makes you feel good about yourself and conveys confidence to others. When you lose a tooth, regardless of the reason, it can put a real damper on your self-image.
Contrary to dentures, dental implants are a permanent solution and offer superior results that look natural. They are a 1:1 replacement for your natural teeth which is critical when dealing with missing teeth.
Why is it so critical? Because dental implants replace the root of the missing teeth, those roots keep the jawbone strong. Roots stimulate the jawbone causing it to remain dense and strong. Without that stimulation, the jawbone disintegrates as mentioned earlier.
The success rate is very high— over 95%.
Dental implants last a lifetime with proper care unlike dentures which need several replacements
There’s no extra care, just your normal oral hygiene regimen
Your facial structure is maintained since the jawbone is kept strong
If you get dental implants at Nevada Dental Implant Specialists, you can be done in one visit with our All-On-Four / All-On-X method
Dental implants are implanted into the jawbone permanently and bond with your jawbone. They are made from medical grade titanium, so your body won’t reject them and do not cause a reaction. In essence, the implants become a part of your body, replacing the roots of the missing teeth maintaining jawbone density. This is a very key factor in maintaining proper oral health, facial structure, as well as preventing a host of other issues.
Dr. Mackie is the most experienced prosthodontist in Nevada and has performed thousands of dental implant procedures. Our Las Vegas office is perfectly equipped with the latest technology and tools to provide beautiful results. We use state-of-the-art technology because we are committed to making you love your smile and making it last.
Zygomatic implants were developed in the late 1990s by the father of dental implantology, Dr. Per Ingvar. Using modern, advanced technology, patients who do not qualify for traditional dental implants, or are looking to combine traditional implants with a modernized procedure, now have an option!
Zygomatic implants are a specific type of dental implant, focused on replacing teeth in the upper jaw. They get their name from the area of the mouth in which they are placed, in this case, the cheekbone. The cheekbone is a beneficial area to have implants because the bone provides a strong foundation and is a lot more dense, compared to the traditional maxillary bone. Zygomatic implants provide more flexibility, as the requirements are not as strict as traditional implants. We are able to work on areas that have been affected by a lack of bone mass, poor bone quality, patients with missing, and/or severely damaged/decayed teeth.
Due to the implant placement, and the location of the zygomatic bone in the mouth, patients don’t have to go without their teeth while the implants are healing, making for a faster recovery. There is also no need for supplemental procedures. It is a “one and done” type of procedure. This ensures excellent results while saving our patients time and money in the long run. Zygomatic implant procedures have a 97-98% success rate - a very safe and smooth process.
Dr. Mackie is well equipped with the knowledge and skills that it takes to produce the best zygomatic results possible. Zygomatic implants will help you get your confidence back with a stunning, clean smile.
For traditional dental implants, the first visit after your initial consultation will be to anchor the implant into your jaw. The implant is a medical-grade titanium post that keeps the jawbone stimulated and bonds with it. It literally becomes part of your body which is the best solution.
The post will be the mount for the replacement crown or visible part of a tooth. This crown will be custom designed to fit your mouth perfectly from advanced materials.
The materials used look, function, and feel just like natural teeth but never decay.
Once it is implanted, a temporary crown will be affixed to the post and you will be sent home to heal. This also allows time for the bone to bond to the implant. The next visit is where Dr. Mackie will apply your permanent crowns and your smile is complete.
One of the more popular options for those missing multiple teeth or complete arches is the All-On-Four / All-On-X procedure. This works very similar in nature to traditional dental implants except they are done in a single visit. This is accomplished by using a combination of a prosthesis similar to a traditional denture. The difference is, the denture is made from advanced materials and mounted on four implants per arch. This means rather than having to anchor each implant one by one, it just takes four and then the denture is affixed. This speeds up the process while making for better healing and bonding, and ensures minimal pain. Most patients are back at work the next day.
When you come to Nevada Dental Implant Specialists for help, you’re on the right path. You will be treated by the best in Dr. Mackie. She has performed thousands of successful procedures and loves to change lives by restoring smiles.
When you come in for your consultation, we’ll start with an assessment of your teeth and gums to ensure compatibility. What we are checking for is to make sure you have a sufficient amount of your jawbone left for implants. Over 90% of patients seeking dental implants in Las Vegas have no problem with this. However, it is rare that a patient can’t get implants, as we can also do a bone graft in most cases.
While dental implants are the absolute best option for missing teeth, time is your only obstacle. The more time that passes, your jawbone is suffering.
If you let it go too long you can be one of those rare cases where implants aren’t possible.
Don’t let it get to that point—contact us today for a consultation and let us make you love your smile.