Am I a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

Missing one or more of your teeth can make it harder to talk, keep you from enjoying many of the foods you love, and leave you hesitating to smile. Tooth loss can even impact your dental health. At Northbrook Family Dental, we offer a range of tooth replacement solutions, including dental implants, helping restore your healthy, beautiful, and functional smile. The question is, are you a candidate for dental implants?

What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are small, screw-shaped posts made from a biocompatible titanium material that we place in your jawbone to replace the roots of missing teeth. As the area heals over the following few months, your implant posts will fuse to or integrate with the surrounding bone, a process known as osseointegration. The result? An incredibly stable and secure foundation for a dental crown, an implant-supported bridge, an implant-supported denture, or an All-on-X restoration. We custom-craft your new replacement tooth or teeth to closely mimic the look, feel, and function of healthy, natural teeth.

Is Implant Dentistry Right for You?

Most adults missing one or more teeth can be eligible for dental implants. In general, the following is what makes the ideal implant candidate:

• You’re missing one or more teeth and are looking for a gold-standard solution to restore your smile.
• You have adequate bone quality and volume in the area to support your implants (except for All-on-Xs in some cases).
• Your smile is healthy and free from active periodontal disease.
• You’re in good general health and have no conditions that would interfere with healing.
• You’re a non-smoker, or you’re willing to quit because smoking and tobacco use can interfere with healing and increase your risk of implant failure.
• You’re an adult, and your jawbone is fully grown and developed.
• You’re willing to commit to maintaining excellent oral hygiene practices and visiting Northbrook Family Dental for regular dental exams and cleanings.

Our experienced dentist will assess your unique tooth restoration needs and address any condition, such as active periodontal disease, to help restore your eligibility for implant dentistry.

What If You Have Bone Loss?

Bone loss can interfere with implant placement in most cases. If you have bone loss in the treatment area due to advanced periodontal disease, long-term tooth loss, or developmental concerns, we may recommend a bone graft to rebuild the lost bone and create a solid foundation for your new smile.

Why Choose Implant Dentistry to Restore Your Smile?

Dental implants offer many benefits that most other tooth replacement options can’t match. Some of the advantages include the following:

• They closely mimic the structure and function of natural teeth.
• They are designed to look and feel like natural teeth.
• They are secured to your jawbone, providing unmatched security and stability.
• They restore your ability to chew and enjoy the foods you love.
• They fill gaps in your smile, helping prevent the remaining teeth from drifting into the open space.
• They help you speak more clearly and confidently.
• They act like natural tooth roots, helping prevent the bone loss that occurs after tooth loss.
• They support your facial structure, preventing the sunken appearance that may follow tooth loss.
• They don’t require the preparation of natural teeth, preserving healthy tooth structure.
• The procedure is predictable, with an over 95% success rate.

Dental implants are incredibly durable, with the potential to last for decades or even a lifetime with excellent oral hygiene and visits to Northbrook Family Dental for regular dental exams and cleanings.

Enhancing Your Implant Process with Cutting-Edge Technology

Precise preparation is key to a successful implant procedure. At Northbrook Family Dental, we use CBCT 3D imaging to evaluate your jawbone density, nerve pathways, sinus locations, oral tissue, and surrounding oral structures. These detailed scans help us map out your implant placement and also create surgical guides on a case-by-case basis, helping ensure your implants are placed with exceptional accuracy and precision.

Dental Implants Near Me in Northbrook, IL

If you would like to learn more about our dental implant options and to determine whether you’re a candidate for this transformative treatment, contact Northbrook Family Dental to schedule a consultation. With over 300 hours of intensive implant training at the Chicago Implant Institute, our experienced dentist is here to guide you every step of the way. We invite you to call us at (847) 498-5970 to schedule your appointment or visit us online to request one today!