Your Dental Implant Specialist in West Houston, TX
Restore Your Smile and Your Confidence
Dental implant treatment has revolutionized the way we replace missing teeth. If you are one of the 125 million Americans who have experienced tooth loss, this restoration can help you rediscover the confidence to eat, speak, laugh, and enjoy life again. A dental implant replaces the entire tooth from root to crown, simulating your natural tooth structure to perfection!
With something as significant as your smile and oral health, it is important to have your dental implant treatment done by an experienced professional. Kenneth M. Lubritz, DDS specializes in periodontal health and dental implants and uses the latest technology to provide you with the safest, most comprehensive implant treatment available. Call us today to schedule your appointment!
CALL US: (713) 789-7676 REQUEST APPOINTMENT
What is a Dental Implant?
A dental implant is made up of three parts — the implant post, the abutment, and a crown or other custom prosthetic. The post is made of biocompatible titanium and is surgically placed in the jaw. The abutment connects the post to the crown, which is the last and most visible part of the implant. Crowns are attached to each post individually or grouped as a bridge or denture. Implant treatment can even be used to replace a full arch of upper teeth, lower teeth, or both!
The versatility and stability of implants make them an ideal option for restoring your smile, and no matter how many teeth you have missing, or how long you’ve been without them, Dr. Lubritz can provide a treatment solution to support your overall oral health.
Reasons to Consider Dental Implants
- Natural
- Permanent
- Effective
- Comfortable
How Implants Keep Your Mouth Healthy
- Stimulate jawbone
- Restores bite function
- Placed without damaging healthy surrounding teeth
Why Do I Need a Specialist for an Implant?
Although advancements in dental technology have made the treatment safer and more efficient, there are advantages to going to a periodontal specialist. Dr. Lubritz has additional training in the supporting structures of teeth and how they relate to oral health as a whole. He has a comprehensive understanding of what to expect underneath the gumline and what techniques will be the most conservative. He is trained to manage surgical complications and offer other procedures like bone grafting and sinus lifts to ensure your procedure is a success.
Benefits of Advanced Diagnostic Tools
- Less radiation exposure
- Faster and more comfortable
- Easy to share imaging so you can actively participate in your care
- More accurate treatment planning means more predictable outcomes
- 3D and 3600 view of dental anatomy not visible with a traditional x-ray
- Reduced length and cost of your therapy without sacrificing quality
- Clear digital map of important structures to ensure a safe surgical experience
Dental Implant Procedure
The first step is to determine if you are a good candidate for dental implants. If you are healthy enough for tooth extraction, you will most likely qualify to receive dental implants. Your health is more important than your age, so even if are in your golden years and have been living with dentures for years, you could still be eligible for treatment.
After you decide to go forward with implant treatment, there are five important steps:
Planning: As the most critical stage of the process, planning for implants takes careful consideration. At Periodontics & Dental Implants, we use advanced 3D imaging and Dr. Lubritz’s vast experience to evaluate your oral structure and precisely mark where your implant will be placed and at what angle. The digital imaging also allows us to get all the information needed to create your final crown or other restoration so your general dentist can have it ready for you. If there is not enough bone to support an implant, we will perform a grafting or augmentation procedure before placement.
Placement: A local anesthetic is administered, and a small incision is made to insert the titanium post. Computer-guided imaging lets Dr. Lubritz place the implant with extreme precision safely and in less time. When your implant is placed correctly, it will be in an ideal spot that encourages gum tissue growth.
Healing: It takes anywhere from 3-5 months for the bone to gradually bond with the implant, depending on your own healing time and where it is placed. To encourage a quick recovery, eat healthy, soft food, avoid hot foods and drinks, and refrain from alcohol and smoking.
Abutment Placement: You will visit our office regularly so we can check how your implant is healing, and when we can see that it is stable enough, we will attach the abutment. In some cases, we can include the abutment when we place the implant. As experts in gum disease and other soft tissue conditions, we can assist you throughout your healing period to make sure you achieve the best results possible.
Restoration: When your implant is ready for the final crown or other prosthetic, you will return to your general dentist for placement and any adjustments that may be needed.
Correcting Failed or Loose Implants
Although rare, problems can develop years after placement. Poor oral hygiene can cause the gum tissue around the implant to become infected by bacteria, which leads to a form of periodontal disease called peri-implantitis. It is important to diagnose and treat this condition early to prevent bone loss or other serious complications.
Other Implant Complications Include:
- Breakage from an excessive occlusal force (hard biting, chewing, or grinding)
- Failure to integrate with the bone
If you have had an implant placed by another dentist that is now causing problems, Dr. Lubritz can quickly asses your situation and provide successful re-treatment. The best way to prevent peri-implantitis is with regular dental exams and using the best implant material from the beginning.
Benefits of Zimmer® Dental Implants
Zimmer Biomet Dental implants are scientifically advanced and very versatile. With Zimmer’s proven track record and a wide variety of implant types, we can provide for unique patient needs with greater stability and precision. With these implants, your treatment is faster and safer, which reduces the cost and time investment associated with implant procedures.
Benefits of Zimmer Dental Implants
- High-Quality, Beautiful Results
- Exceptional Versatility
- Affordable
- Greater Comfort
- Optimal Stability
- Shorter Treatment Process
- Faster Healing Time
Can Your Dental Implant Stand the Test of Time?
You have several choices when it comes to tooth replacement, and it is important to consider long-term implications for your oral health and your budget. Implants may cost more upfront, but over time you will be glad you invested.
Dental Implants
• A lifetime with proper care
How to Care for Your Dental Implants
Even though dental implants will not develop cavities like natural teeth, their health and stability are still dependent on healthy bone and gum tissue. Take care of your implant and your oral health by brushing and flossing at least twice a day. Also, we recommend professional cleanings several times throughout the year to ensure adequate plaque removal and consistent monitoring of your implant health.
The Best Dental Implant Experience
The main factor determining the success of your implant is the skill and expertise of the doctor who places them and your overall oral health. Some implant cases are easy, and others are difficult. If there is limited bone or soft tissue, the implant will need advanced expertise to last.
Placing an implant in a compromised site may achieve the short-term goal for replacing a missing tooth, but what about a few years from now? To ensure your implant and your oral health receive the best care, consult with the experts at Periodontics & Dental Implants for a beautiful, natural-looking smile.
What Can I Expect After Receiving a Dental Implant
Your teeth require conscientious at-home care and regular dental visits. Dental implants are like your original teeth and will require the same care. To keep your implant clean and plaque-free, brushing and flossing still apply!
When properly prepared, placed, and looked after, dental implants can last your lifetime. The key to their endurance is the foundation on which they are placed. We make sure that your implants are embedded in healthy bone and gum tissue. Our goal is to provide the best implant dental care for you and your family in a calm, friendly, and comfortable atmosphere.
Our team is prepared to exceed your expectations and provide you with exceptional health care. Contact Kenneth M. Lubritz, DDS Periodontics & Dental Implants in Houston today for a complete evaluation and see how dental implant treatment can improve your quality of life.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dental Implants
A dental implant is a small titanium screw that serves as the replacement for the root portion of a missing natural tooth. Dental implants can be placed in either the upper or lower jaws. Due to the biocompatible properties of titanium, a dental implant fuses with the bone and becomes a good anchor for the replacement tooth. Dental implants can be used in solutions for replacing single or multiple missing teeth.
There are a number of reasons why you should consider a dental implant:
Without the root structure of a natural tooth present, the jawbone can shrink. This shrinkage will make your face look older than it is. There are no loose parts to worry about losing. The dental implant is stable and comfortable. Normally, it will serve its owner for many years, perhaps a lifetime.
With more than three decades of clinical experience and over a million patients treated, statistics confirm a success rate of nearly 95%. Results based on dental implants and dental bridges remaining and in function over a five-year period.
Periodontists are specially trained to place dental implants. They are experts in bone and soft tissue augmentation and regeneration. The restoration (the teeth) is planned with the restorative doctor who is responsible for placing the teeth on the implants.
The fee for tooth replacement with dental implants depends on several factors, including the number of teeth being replaced and the number of dental implants required to support your replacement teeth. Some additional procedures may be required prior to the placement of your dental implants to ensure the long-term health of your dental implants. To obtain a specific fee estimate, it is necessary to have a doctor examine your mouth. After a thorough diagnostic examination, your dentist will recommend the treatment that is best for you. The dentist will consult with the periodontist after the periodontist has examined you. The periodontist will give a surgical fee for placement of the dental implants and the dentist will give you a separate fee for placing the teeth.
Anyone who is missing one or more teeth due to injury, disease or tooth decay may be a candidate for dental implants. The determining factor is the amount of available bone. Your dentist and periodontist are the best people to evaluate whether dental implants are viable solutions for you.
Occasionally, older patients express concern that their age may prevent them from enjoying the benefits of dental implants. However, health is more of a determining factor than age. If you’re healthy enough to have a tooth extracted, you’re probably healthy enough to receive dental implants. Certain chronic diseases may contraindicate dental implant treatment. Your periodontist will determine if you are a candidate for dental implants after a careful evaluation of your dental and health history.
Improved appearance: When you lose the entire tooth - crown and root - shrinkage of the jawbone may cause your face to look older. Dental implants can stop this process. A traditional denture or dental bridge doesn’t.
Preserve natural teeth: With traditional dental bridges, teeth adjacent to missing teeth are normally ground down to be used as anchors for a dental bridge. Dental implants often eliminate the need to modify healthy teeth.
Dental implant-supported replacement teeth look, feel and function like natural teeth. This means that you can eat and drink whatever you choose. But most importantly, dental implants often improve quality of life in a very concrete way. People who have felt embarrassed and worried because of their tooth problems are often overwhelmed by what new permanent teeth can do for their self-esteem.
When dental implants are used in combination with modern restorative dentistry, their appearance, comfort and function are very likely to feel much like your own teeth and may exceed your expectations. They are often hard to tell apart from your natural teeth.
Yes. Following a brief adaptation period, chewing capacity is comparable to that of natural teeth.
The conventional process can take from three to six months. First, the dentist places the dental implant, which is left for three to six months to heal and integrate with the jawbone. During the healing period, you are given a temporary prosthesis until the permanent crown is put in place.
The procedure chosen depends on several factors, such as your dental health, the number of teeth involved and which teeth are replaced. These factors will also determine the total number of visits to the dentist and periodontist throughout the treatment period. In many cases, the implant can be placed on the same appointment as the extraction of the teeth. If conditions are optimal, the teeth can be placed on that same appointment or shortly thereafter.
With any surgery, there can be some discomfort. Placing one implant normally causes less discomfort then placing several. Anesthesia and patient sedation are commonly administered to help reduce any discomfort during the dental implant process. Most patients report that they were much more comfortable following the procedure than they had anticipated. Your doctor will prescribe medications to ease any discomfort that may occur. Ask your dentist to recommend another patient who has already had tooth replacement therapy to assess their personal experience.
It is normal to have little to no bruising and swelling in the gum and soft tissues. But usually the discomfort, if any, is treated with an ordinary painkiller. You should expect to be able to work the next day.
Your new teeth must be cared for and checked regularly, just like your natural teeth. Brush and floss as recommended by your dentist, periodontist, or dental hygienist. Usually you will see your periodontist and dentist on a three month, alternating schedule.
Contact our Houston Dental Implant Specialist
Please call, (713) 789-7676 to contact our practice and setup your consultation with Dr. Lubritz.
CALL US: (713) 789-7676 REQUEST APPOINTMENT