Dental Implants

Consider dental implants if you’ve lost some or all of your natural teeth due to trauma, general wear-and-tear, or extractions.At Uptown Dental in Cedar Hill, Texas, general and implant dentist Jeffrey Belz, DDS, specializes in restoring dental implants and works with Oral Surgeons for the placement. Implants feel and function like your natural teeth. With proper care, they can last a lifetime. Call Uptown Dental today to schedule a dental implant consultation, or book your appointment online.

Can anyone get dental implants or are there special requirements?

You need healthy gums and bones to get dental implants. 

Dental implants are small posts made of titanium that fuse with your jaw or alveolar (the bone that supports your upper teeth). If you have gum disease or low bone volume, the implants won’t integrate properly, increasing your risk of complications. 

What are the benefits of dental implants?

Dental implants offer various benefits, including:

• Easier biting and chewing
• Improved oral health
• Convenience
• Durability
• Clearer speech

Dental implants don’t require soaking like dentures. You don’t have to remove them before going to bed. Instead, brush your teeth twice daily.

What can I expect during dental implant surgery?

Dental implant surgery is an outpatient procedure that takes 60-90 minutes on average.

Dr. Belz numbs your mouth with a local anesthetic and carefully places a number of small titanium posts into your empty tooth sockets. The number of implants you get depends on how many teeth are missing and whether you’re getting a dental crown, a dental bridge, or implant-retained dentures.

After placing your dental implants, Dr. Belz provides recovery instructions and covers them with temporary restorations so you can bite and chew while your mouth heals. 

The recovery process takes 3-4 months. Once the implants finish fusing with your bone, you return to Uptown Dental. Dr. Belz takes impressions of your mouth and sends them to a lab that creates your custom implant restorations.

Several weeks later, when your implant restorations are finished, you visit Uptown Dental. Dr. Belz removes your temporary implant restorations and replaces them with permanent ones. He checks your bite, polishes your teeth, and explains how to keep your implant restorations in optimal condition.

Are dental implants painful?

Dental implant placement is safe and usually well-tolerated. Dr. Belz administers an anesthetic before treatment to ensure you don’t experience any discomfort.

Your gums and mouth might feel sore for several days after the procedure, but these side effects are often mild. You can take anti-inflammatory medication to relieve swelling.  

Do dental implants require special care?

Caring for your dental implants is easy. Brush your teeth twice daily, rinse your mouth with an antiseptic mouthwash to keep bacteria at bay, and visit Uptown Dental twice annually for teeth cleaning and checkups.

Call Uptown Dental today to explore the benefits of dental implants, or book your appointment online.