Dental Implants — Greenbelt, MD | Millersville, MD

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

During your initial consultation, we will discuss your current oral and overall health to determine if you are an appropriate candidate for dental implant placement. We will also use advanced technology and equipment to examine your teeth, gums, jawbone, and other facial structures to determine if you will require preliminary treatments before moving forward with dental implants in Greenbelt. Bone grafts, periodontal therapy, and tooth extractions can easily be performed to create a more stable and structurally sound environment for your implants when put into place.

Your initial consultation will also include a thorough and personalized treatment plan that discusses the step-by-step process as well as a breakdown of the overall cost.

Dental Implant Surgery

At McCarl Dental Group, we frequently are able to perform the entire dental implant process in-house from start to finish. Instead of always relying on an outside specialist to perform the initial dental implant placement surgery, you can will remain in our Greenbelt dental office to undergo a more convenient and efficiently coordinated procedure.

Your implant dentist in Greenbelt will begin by administering local anesthesia to appropriate areas of your mouth. This will effectively numb the area, preventing you from feeling any pain throughout the procedure. Next, we will make a very small opening in your gums to prepare for implant insertion. Carefully, we will place and angle each titanium implant to ensure maximum support.

Dental Implant Osseointegration/Abutment

The implant may need to “sleep” and strengthen for 3-4 months before restoration with a porcelain crown. Allowing an implant to fuse to the jawbone or “sleep” significantly adds to its strength. This process is known as osseointegration. During this time, you will follow the instructions provided to you by our team regarding ways to care for your oral health, foods to avoid, and ways to encourage healing.

Once the implant is fully integrated, you will return to our dental office to start the easy restorative procedure. An impression post or digital scan body will be temporarily placed above the implant for us to make an impression or digital scan. This is a quick, comfortable dental appointment. Three weeks later, the restoration will be ready. One of the exciting advances in dental technology is the increased use of digital scanning. McCarl Dental Group invests in the latest and best technology for our dental patients.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations

The last stage of dental implant placement is receiving your custom-made dental restoration. This can be a dental crown, fixed bridge, partial, or full denture depending on the extent of your tooth loss. Digital images or impressions of your smile are sent to a lab where technicians fabricate your dental restoration based on specifications provided by our dentistry team (i.e., size, shape, color). When secured into place, your dental restoration will blend in naturally, allowing you to embrace a healthy, beautiful smile that looks and functions just like regular teeth.

Day-to-Day Benefits

• Dental implants make it possible to enjoy your favorite foods. Providing a greater bite force and chewing power, the titanium posts help to create a solid and firm foundation that allows you to consume a nutrient-rich diet full of lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, dairy, and more. Also, you won’t need to worry about your implants slipping or falling out because of their permanent placement within your jawbone.
• According to a study titled, “Biting Into Denture Care,” 34% of denture-wearers admit their prosthetics limit their ability to live a full and complete life. With dental implants in Greenbelt, you can be free to live each day to the fullest with greater confidence and comfort in your own smile. Offering greater stability, a natural aesthetic, and improved function, you’ll enjoy gathering with family, friends, and colleagues once again.
• Instead of soaking your dentures at night, you can enjoy a less cumbersome prosthetic. Dental implants act just like regular teeth, making it easier to brush, floss, and rinse. Because of the easy maintenance associated with implants, you will lower your risk of tooth decay and gum disease as long as you remain committed to your oral hygiene routine. Not to mention, your dental work retained by implants will never be subject to decay.

Health Benefits

• Dentistry Today reports that individuals over the age of 65 who have lost 5 or more teeth are at a greater risk for cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes. However, if you replace your missing teeth with dental implants, you can lower your risk for common health problems that are known to shorten lifespans.
• Dental implants are known for their ability to preserve bone and facial appearance. Because tooth loss is closely tied to jawbone deterioration, tooth replacements like dentures and dental bridges do not offer continuous stimulation to the bone. However, because dental implants must fuse with the bone and surrounding tissues during osseointegration, this allows for a stronger, more durable jawbone that minimizes your risk for facial collapse and additional tooth loss.
• If your experience facial changes while wearing dentures, you may develop sores and irritation to your oral soft tissues. This can be the result of your prosthetic no longer fitting correctly, but with dental implants, you can avoid the irritation and enjoy a more comfortable tooth replacement because of their design to replace the entire tooth structure instead of simply sitting on top of the gums.

Long-Term Benefits

• Upon initial placement by a licensed and qualified implant dentist in Greenbelt, dental implants have a success rate of 98%. After 10 years, the rate only lowers to 90-95%.
• You will save money in the long run by choosing dental implants because you will not be required to purchase dental adhesives, specialized cleaning solutions, or undergo frequent adjustments and replacements every 5-7 years like you would with dentures or dental bridges.
• Dental implants have long-term effectiveness in stabilizing crowns, bridges, and dentures, making it possible for them to last decades or even a lifetime with proper care and maintenance.

Who is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

Most adults who suffer from tooth loss are eligible candidates for dental implants. At McCarl Dental Group, our team of experts will examine your smile in its entirety with the help of advanced dental technology. Not only will we perform a visual examination, but we’ll also use our iTero scanner to capture impressions, photos, and models of your oral cavity. This will allow us to determine if you need preliminary treatments before moving forward with dental implant surgery.

A few of the factors we will consider include:

• The status of your oral health and if you show signs of gum disease or tooth decay. If so, you may be required to undergo periodontal therapy or have a tooth removed or restored.
• The status of your overall health, which is necessary to ensure that you are healthy enough to undergo minor oral surgery.
• The status of your jawbone. If there is not enough to provide adequate support to your dental implants and customized restoration, bone grafting may be necessary to create a stronger foundation for your future smile.

At McCarl Dental Group, we believe we can help you achieve a complete smile, so even if you do not believe you will qualify for treatment, it’s best to schedule a consultation with us. Our team knows what to look for and can provide safe and effective solutions that will lead to long-lasting, life-changing results.

Missing 1 Tooth

Even one missing tooth can make eating and speaking difficult. However, instead of relying on a traditional fixed bridge to restore your smile, we can insert a single tooth dental implant. Once an implant root is firmly in place, we attach an abutment that connects the implant post to a custom-made, all-porcelain dental crown. Unlike a traditional bridge, this new tooth will be able to firmly stay in place without putting stress on the nearby teeth and gums. And, because a dental implant restored with a porcelain crown looks like the teeth that surround it, it will completely blend into the smile.

Missing Multiple Teeth

A bridge is a prosthetic tooth replacement option that restores the crown portion of one or more consecutive missing teeth. Using dental implants as secure anchors within the jawbone, our team helps you restore your smile and your bite with an implant bridge. The implants help to keep the jawbone healthy while the carefully crafted restorations look & feel natural. The same process can be completed even if your missing teeth are not next to each other. Instead of creating an implant bridge, we can secure an implant partial over the tops of your implants. Enjoy a beautifully restored smile with dental implants and a custom bridge or partial.

Missing All Teeth

Dentures that are secured to the jawbone using dental implants are more comfortable and look more natural than traditional removable prosthetics, making them an ideal choice for men and women who prefer a sturdier and stronger tooth replacement option. Our dental implant dentists in Greenbelt, MD can insert between 4 and 6 implant posts to help to keep the jaw strong while the beautifully crafted dentures allow you to smile, speak, and eat with renewed confidence. You’ll love the comfort that comes with the placement of implant dentures.

Learn More About Implant Dentures

Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery

You may require preliminary treatments after meeting with a member of our team at McCarl Dental Group. Bone grafting, periodontal therapy, or tooth extraction are the most common procedures and are designed to create a healthier and more suitable environment for your future dental implants in Greenbelt. If we determine that you do require one or more preliminary treatments, it will add to the total cost of your treatment; however, it will be a worthwhile investment to ensure the success of your dental implants. Also, there is a good chance that these procedures will be partially covered by your dental insurance company.

Apart from any preliminary treatments you might need, dental implant surgery does have its own cost. Fortunately, at McCarl Dental Group, we can often complete the entire procedure in-house, which means you will not need to pay a separate fee to an outside specialist.

The Parts of Your Dental Implant

When discussing the breakdown of your dental implant cost with our team, you will discover there are different aspects of your permanent prosthetics, such as:

• How many implant posts you will need – If you’re only missing one tooth, you’ll only need a single titanium post. However, if you need to replace an entire arch, you may need between 4 and 8 dental implants. The more posts you need, the higher your dental implant cost will be.
• The type of restoration you will need – Whether it is a dental crown, implant bridge, or implant denture, each restoration has its own cost. Naturally, a single implant crown is much less expensive than a full denture.

How Dental Implants Can Save You Money

When meeting with your implant dentist in Greenbelt, you will learn how choosing dental implants over traditional dentures and dental bridges can save you money in the long run. Some implant supported restorations last three times as long as traditional methods and often eliminate the need for replacement work.

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

In the past, it was highly unlikely that your dental insurance company would agree to pay for your dental implant surgery; however, some are coming around to the idea and agreeing to pay a portion of the overall cost. Allow us to investigate your insurance benefits before starting treatment. Even if they will not cover the entire process, there is a good chance they will partially cover your preliminary treatments and customized restoration. If you need assistance, a member of the McCarl Dental Group will be happy to work on your behalf as well as file any necessary paperwork and claims.

Making Dental Implants Affordable

If you are uninsured or need help to pay the remaining balance after filing a claim with your dental insurance company, our team at McCarl Dental Group is pleased to help you apply for flexible, interest-free payment plans through CareCredit. This will help you to break up the cost of your treatment into manageable monthly installments so you can focus more on your future smile and less on the financial obligations required to achieve it.

Guided Dental Implant Surgery

Although there is the freehand method of placing dental implants, our team prefers to use guided dental implant surgery. This advanced process incorporates 3D Diagnostics (DX) to produce a physical, three-dimensional guide that is placed inside the mouth and used to pinpoint the exact location for each dental implant. With the depth already accounted for, the use of this device makes the process minimally invasive and allows for quicker recovery.

3D Cone Beam Imaging/3D CT Scanning

The Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) is the newest dental technology to arrive at McCarl Dental Group. Using the Vatech Green CT 2 model, this 3D imaging proves more reliable than the previous 2D imaging device (i.e., panoramic radiographs), as they were unable to provide our team with various anatomical landmarks. Because the jaw and skull at three-dimensional, it is necessary that these structures be viewed three-dimensionally for more accurate and precise treatment planning.

Using the new 3D imaging CBCT, we can capture scans that provide a breadth of information far greater than those captured with traditional dental radiographs. The images captured also allow us to view both bone and soft tissues at the same time. Also, the use of the CBCT is painless, non-invasive, and highly accurate. As a result, our team can better plan:

• Placement of dental implants in Greenbelt
• Endodontic treatment (i.e., root canal therapy)
• Pathology diagnosis

And there is no reason to be concerned about the safety of this technology because:

• Patients will experience up to 10 times less radiation exposure from the CBCT than with medical CT scanning.
• The CBCT we use uses up to 70% less effective dose data when compared to other similar technologies.
• The developments with the CBCT breaks many conventions in dental radiography, including:
  • A lower radiation dose and higher resolution images
  • The ability to provide clinically diagnosable radiographs at a low radiographic dosage, which makes it the “gold standard”
  • The ability to capture scans in 4.9 seconds versus the 7.0 seconds of radiation exposure with two-dimensional panoramic radiographs

Considered a cutting-edge technology that is used for cutting-edge diagnostics, the CBCT is beneficial in:

• Determining the ideal implant placement position. Not only will it ensure there is enough bone width and height for the implant to be properly placed, but this device can assess a patient’s bone density, identify the nerves, and better navigate around the sinus area, all of which is crucial to the planning process for an implant dentist in Greenbelt. Using implant simulation software, we can adequately plan for future implants to be placed, ensuring greater success!
• Determining nerve anatomy of teeth that require root canal treatment to avoid potential tooth extraction by providing high-quality and high-resolution images of localized areas.
• Providing third-party pathology reports for every CBCT scan. This ensures nothing is missed when capturing images of a patient’s oral and facial structures.

What Can Cause Dental Implants to Fail?

Although rare, dental implants can fail if peri-implantitis or failed osseointegration occur. Should an infection cause gum disease to develop as a result of poor oral hygiene, it can begin to damage your bone and nearby dental implant. Also, if you do not have enough jawbone density before your implant surgery, it is unlikely the titanium post will fuse with your bone, resulting in failed osseointegration. It is also possible for your dental implants to fail if you suffer from bruxism (teeth grinding), poor oral hygiene, certain health condition, or if you smoke.

Am I Too Young to Get Dental Implants?

It is not uncommon for most dental professionals to avoid recommending dental implants for patients younger than 18. The reason is that most people do not have a fully developed jawbone until their early-mid 20s. If dental implants are put into place before the jaw is finished developing, it can cause serious complications and impact the future development of the bone. A safer age for dental implants, if necessary, is mid-twenties.

Will I Have to Take Off Work for Dental Implant Surgery?

Not necessarily. Not all dental implant cases are alike. It depends on how many dental implants you need to have placed. The initial recovery time can increase if you require extractions, an implant bridge or a denture. While you can expect the entire recovery to take 3-6 months, it is best to schedule your treatment accordingly so that you have adequate time to rest at home. This is why many people choose to undergo surgery on an “easy day” when schedule is light.

Do Dental Implants Decay?

No, it is impossible for dental implants to decay because they’re not porous like traditional tooth enamel. Made of high-grade materials that look completely natural when put into place, it’s imperative to maintain good oral hygiene if you want your teeth to look and feel their best. Your natural teeth are still susceptible to tooth decay and cavities, so regular brushing, flossing, rinsing, and routine dental visits to  your implant dentist in Greenbelt are imperative.

Making Oral Hygiene a Priority

To avoid the potential for gum disease or peri-implantitis, you will need to practice good oral hygiene habits at home. Brushing twice a day for two minutes with a soft-bristled toothbrush, flossing at least once a day before bed, and rinsing with an ADA-approved mouthwash will help to eliminate bad bacteria and harmful particles that will try to spread and cause damage to your mouth. Using an oral irrigator (water flosser or Waterpik) is excellent for the health of your dental implant and entire mouth.

Eating a Healthy Diet

Leafy greens, lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and calcium-enriched foods are great for ensuring healthy gums and stronger, natural tooth enamel. By choosing to eat healthier options instead of sugars and starches, you minimize your risk for a serious infection as well as damage to your overall smile. Although your dental implants in Greenbelt cannot decay, your natural teeth can, and your gums can be negatively impacted over time. Adopting foods into your diet that are known for their nutritional value will only serve to improve and benefit the future of your implants.

Breaking Bad Habits

It can be hard to break bad habits, but if you want to avoid a trip to see your emergency implant dentist in Greenbelt, you will need to stop smoking and using tobacco products, eating ice, chewing on inanimate objects (i.e., pens, pencils), using your teeth as tools, and grinding or clenching your teeth. Our team at McCarl Dental Group can help identify ways you can quit or break these bad habits and instead, enjoy a smile that is damage-free and looks and feels its best.

Protecting Your Dental Implants

Apart from breaking unhealthy habits, you should also be mindful of your implants while on the field. Having a customized mouthguard created so you can wear it on the field, court, or track can minimize the risk for serious injury (i.e., chipped, broken, or knocked-out teeth, soft tissue lacerations, etc.). By wearing a protective material over your upper row of teeth, it will soften and absorb much of the impact to your teeth and gums. These oral appliances are also beneficial if you suffer from bruxism and grind your teeth throughout the night. The added cushion keeps your teeth from grinding against each other and wearing down your tooth enamel as well as causing damage to your dental implants.

Scheduling Regular Dental Checkups

Your implant dentist is your ally, which is why you should maintain regular six-month dental checkups and cleanings. No matter how many dental implants you have, it is best if you allow our team to thoroughly examine your oral cavity and facial structure to determine if there are any issues (i.e., gum disease, tooth decay, damage). Should we discover any areas of concern, we can quickly work to remedy the problem and have you back enjoying your new and improved smile.