Implant Dentistry in Lakeway

When people lose a tooth, they may assume their only option lies in those removable mouthpieces: dentures. However, advanced implant technology has carried us far beyond the cliché cartoon of a man sleeping, a glass of water and teeth on his nightstand. Cosmetic dentistry professional Dr. Robert D’Alfonso, D.D.S., specializes in implant dentistry, offering patients the most effective way to fill their dental gaps with quality care, diligence and focus.

Anyone can lose a tooth at any time. An exceptionally active sport could yank a tooth out; even a simple misstep and a hard fall can give your smile a new empty space. Periodontitis, or gum disease, rules as one of the leading causes of tooth loss. Something as simple as daily use coinciding with a lack of daily hygiene ultimately harbors extreme tooth decay; when that tooth infection reaches the interior of the tooth, it deadens the nerves in the root, allowing the tooth to just fall out. Regular checkups at our Austin area dentistry office may avert some of these problems. Our preventive dentistry techniques recognize the signs of tooth decay and gum disease, cutting the issue at its source. Call today to discuss your unique oral condition and the possible pursuit of dental implants with one of our implant dentistry artists.

Dental Implant Procedure

If you still lose a tooth after our dentistry professionals have helped you take all the precautions available, implant dentistry provides a structural, aesthetic solution, combining general dentistry with cosmetic dentistry to give you the healthiest, most attractive smile possible. To get a dental implant, you first make an appointment to thoroughly explore your personal dental situation with our accomplished dentist.

Once Dr. D’Alfonso has determined you qualify as a candidate for implant dentistry, he embeds a titanium metal screw into your jawbone, creating the “root” of the tooth. Depending on your specific bone structure and healing abilities, the process of osseointegration, where the bone accepts the metal as part of itself and heals around it, takes between 6 months and a year. Then you return to our Austin area dentistry practice, and our dental implant professionals place a customized crown on the “root,” giving you a fully functioning artificial implant.

Dental Implant Benefits

Of course, other options exist for missing teeth – bridges and dentures both provide excellent solutions. However, implants refrain from impacting the neighboring teeth like bridges do. Dental implants also provide permanent solutions, letting you forget you ever had a gapped smile; dentures’ mobility puts them in the negative when you have to chew and talk carefully so your teeth don’t slide around. In addition, implants boast an extremely high success rate. Some cosmetic dentists offer Cerec crowns instead of regular crowns; Cerec same-day crowns allow the Cerec dentist to make the crown in their own implant dentistry office, instead of sending the impression of your teeth off to a lab for qualified technicians to mold the crown.

Some people choose not to pursue implant dentistry and leave the empty space in their smile. Our cosmetic dentistry and general dentistry experts encourage you strongly not to make that decision. Missing teeth can result in difficulty brushing and flossing the surrounding teeth, leading to tooth decay and eventual tooth loss. Without implant dentistry, the pockets in your mouth will allow your facial muscles to droop, giving you a prematurely aged appearance. Not to mention the potential speech impediments and general lack of confidence an incomplete smile provokes.

Call our Lakeway cosmetic dentistry practice today to schedule a free consultation with our implant dentistry professionals. If you’re looking for a dentist in Lakeway who specializes in implants, contact Dr. D’Alfonso and his qualified dentistry staff will provide you with the necessary information you need to make an educated decision about your dental implant future. Reach us at 512-518-6393 !