Dental Implants

Restore Your Smile with Dental Implants in Minnetonka, MN

senior couple smiling at home If you are suffering from tooth loss, dental implants may be the perfect solution. Many patients qualify for dental implants, but there are some instances where pre-treatments are recommended to support implant success. This may include bone grafting or sinus lifts, which are complex procedures that improve the success rate of dental implants.

J. Paul Foster, DDS, offers expert dental implant placement as well as bone grafting procedures to restore strength and stability to the jawbone. Our team keeps your best interests in mind, both financially and medically, ensuring your procedures are completed comfortably. Visit our Minnetonka practice and find out how we can restore your oral health with dental implants. Call us today!

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Why Choose Dental Implants?

Dental implants are permanent dental devices that replace lost teeth and help preserve the jawbone. An implant is a titanium screw that is surgically placed in the upper or lower jawbone. Your implant is completed with a custom crown or a combination of prosthetics such as a bridge.

For more extensive tooth loss, you can use two or more implants to serve as anchors for a denture. Implants are versatile and effective, providing stabilization and natural form and function. The most common reasons to choose dental implants include:

Replacement of one or more missing teeth without affecting adjacent teeth
Resolving joint pain or bite problems from teeth shifting into a missing space
To reinstate a confident smile
To bring back normal chewing, speech, and digestion
Preservation of facial structure
To secure a bridge or denture

For many patients, dental implants are desirable for cosmetic reasons. However, while we agree that the aesthetic advantage is compelling, dental implants also play an essential role in preventing tooth loss and bone damage.

Before Your Implant Treatment

If you have gone a long time without replacing a tooth, it may lead to a loss of jawbone volume. Many patients underestimate the effect this can have on their overall health and ability to qualify for implants. If your gum and bone health have been affected by tooth loss, we offer grafting treatments to create a supportive foundation for ideal implant placement.

Gum Grafting: With advanced periodontal disease, the gum line will shrink and expose the roots of the teeth, making them more sensitive and vulnerable to decay. A gum graft restores the fullness of the gums. The tissue is sourced from the roof of the mouth and integrated into a weak area. Once the stitches dissolve, the gumline is returned to normal.

Bone Grafting: The alveolar bone holds your teeth in place, and if it has lost density, it cannot support a dental implant. If a tooth is not replaced, over time, the bone will shrink in a process called accelerated bone resorption. The goal of a bone graft is to add mass to the alveolar bone from your own body or artificial bone material. Grafting encourages regrowth so the implant can integrate properly, increasing the probability that the treatment will succeed long term.

How Implants Work

3d render of dental implant Dental implants transfer energy from chewing to the jawbone, just as your natural teeth do. This action stimulates the jawbone, prevents bone loss, and helps retain a youthful appearance. Receiving successful dental implants is a multi-step process. Once the biocompatible implant post is placed into the jawbone, there is a recovery period as the post and bone fuse together via the process of osseointegration. This creates a strong foundation for the remainder of the restoration. Following recovery, the abutment and crown are placed.

A dental implant mimics the tooth’s root and helps to maintain the alignment of the surrounding teeth. Without immediate replacement or restoration of missing teeth, the adjacent healthy teeth may start to shift into the empty gap. The dental implant can help preserve the alignment and function of your bite, preventing the need for more complicated procedures in the future.

Visit J. Paul Foster, DDS for Professional Dental Implants

mature woman smiling Dental implants are by far the better choice for replacing missing teeth due to their ability to prevent bone degeneration and restore natural function. Dental implants are a fixed, permanent solution that makes your oral health routine much easier, and they look fantastic. Implants are attractive, durable, comfortable alternatives to dentures and bridges, and they allow you to eat without restrictions or feeling self-conscious.

If you have experienced tooth loss, begin restoring your health with a consultation, a diagnosis, and a treatment plan at J. Paul Foster, DDS. If you agree that dental implants are the most appropriate choice for you, we'll schedule your procedure as soon as possible.