Dental Implants – Covington, LA

What is a Dental Implant?

A dental implant is a titanium post that Dr. Moreau places below the gum line to restore the missing root portion of a tooth. Because the metal is biocompatible, it’s able to fuse with your jawbone through a natural process called osseointegration. This allows dental implants to preserve the structure of your jawbone and face while looking and feeling completely natural. Once you’ve healed from the surgery, our team will custom-craft your dental bridge, crown, or denture and place it atop a metal connector piece that’s attached to the implant called the abutment.

Thanks to technology like the Galileos 3D imaging system, Dr. Moreau can use guided surgery to more accurately ensure the implant is placed in a way that will allow for the most aesthetically pleasing result. This technology also allows Dr. Moreau to view the supporting bone before, during, and after placement to assure it is successful. When you’re ready to begin your safe, comfortable, state-of-the-art tooth replacement plan, call MoreSMILES Dental to schedule a dental implant consultation in our Covington dental office.

Benefits of Dental Implants

There are many reasons why patients choose dental implants. Some of the benefits that make this a viable treatment option for just about any patient include:

• Because the root structures are replaced, your tooth replacement prosthetic will be completely self-sustaining, and it will not adversely impact the health and function of surrounding teeth or oral structures.
• Once in place, dental implant-supported restorations have a 90 to 95% success rate after twenty years, making them the longest lasting option.
• Implant-supported tooth replacements closely resemble natural tooth structures, so they look and feel more like your real smile.
• Advanced implant-supported partial and full dentures can restore 70% or more of someone’s bite strength, allowing patients to consume a wider range of nutritious foods than is possible with traditional dentures.

Are Dental Implants
Right for You?

Following the surgical placement of the new implant(s), patients will need time to heal; this breathing room allows the implant to form a strong and gradual bond with the natural oral tissue, setting the stage for custom-made restorations. Depending on the number of teeth that require replacement and the patient’s personal preference, we may recommend individual dental crowns or an implant-retained prosthetic to recreate your strong, natural-looking smile. Our in-house prosthodontic specialist, Dr. Israel Finger, is here to help with complex cases, which means patients can enjoy added convenience without sacrificing high-quality results.

Missing Single Tooth

To replace one tooth, a dental implant post will be surgically positioned into the gum line. Then, a dental crown will be attached to the implant to seamlessly repair your smile.

Missing Multiple Teeth

To replace two or more missing teeth in a row, we’ll use two dental implant posts to support a fixed bridge restoration. Like traditional bridges, an implant fixed bridge prosthetic is anchored to support structures at either end, but unlike traditional options, implant-retained bridges do not harm healthy tooth structures. For consecutive and nonconsecutive teeth, a partial denture will be used to fill in the gaps in your smile. We can typically use between two and four strategically positioned implant posts to provide support.

Missing All Teeth

To replace a full row of teeth, implant-supported dentures are recommended. In most cases, we can use four to six implant posts to support the full denture, recreating a healthy, flawless smile that lasts a lifetime.

All-on-4 Implant-Retained Dentures

For some patients, traditional implant dentures aren’t necessarily the right option, and All-on-4 may be a valid alternative. With All-on-4, our dental team can restore an entire arch of missing teeth with just four strategically placed implants instead of requiring one implant for each tooth. In addition to the reduced cost, All-on-4 also allows patients to have their smile restored with a stable, aesthetically pleasing denture on the same day as their initial implant placement, which means they’ll spend virtually no time without the fully confident smile they need and deserve.

Start to Finish Convenience

Many dentists have to refer their patients to outside specialists for the surgical portion of the procedure, which requires extra traveling time and overall cost. Thankfully, that is not the case here at MoreSMILES Dental. We're able to personally carry out every stage of the treatment process right here, which means that you can stay with a team you already know and trust as you regain your full, confident smile! Dr. Moreau is proud to offer this important convenience while also remaining committed to providing reliable, long-lasting quality. 

Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants

Before we begin your dental implant tooth replacement, we’ll take the time to review every step of the process, the costs associated with each, and help you plan to budget for the price. We will be happy to process and file dental and medical insurance claims to maximize any available coverage and partner with you to access low and no interest financing. Every dental implant restoration plan is different, and many factors impact pricing. Some of the considerations to keep in mind include:

• The number of missing teeth
• The material used to craft implant posts
• The surgical placement of implants, including the use of dental sedation as necessary
• The need for preparatory tissue grafts or tooth extractions before implant placement
• The cost of the abutment posts and their placement
• The type of dental restoration you need – crown, bridge, or denture