Dental Implants in Prairieville, LA
Living with a failing or missing tooth impacts your life in many ways, usually involving activities that you often took for granted before. For example, eating may become difficult and even painful with a missing tooth. You may also feel self-conscious about your appearance when you are smiling or talking to other people, which can impact your confidence.
Although these challenges can be frustrating, they don’t have to be permanent. If one of your natural teeth is missing, you don’t have to live with a gap in your smile. Instead, you can and should replace the tooth with a high-quality substitute.
The good news is that modern dentistry offers excellent solutions for replacing teeth, and you, too, can benefit. Dr. Palm of Palm Family Dentistry recommends dental implants in Prairieville, LA to repair the missing parts of your smile and restore function to your teeth.
- What is a dental implant?
- What are the benefits of dental implants?
- How do dental implants interact with my natural teeth?
- How long will my dental implant last?
- Am I eligible for dental implants?
What is a dental implant?
A dental implant is a modern, sturdy tooth replacement that we install in your jaw. The base, or “post,” of your implant screws into your jaw bone and remains there much like a tooth root does to provide support to your jaw and strength to your neighboring teeth. 
Three separate parts work together to create a dental implant and restore your tooth: the implant post, the abutment, and the tooth crown.
Biocompatible titanium makes up your dental implant post, and our Prairieville dentist places the post into your mouth to act like your natural root and create a foundation for your new tooth. Once Dr. Palm places your dental implant, the area will need to heal for approximately three months.
Once your mouth heals appropriately, Dr. Palm then uses an abutment to connect the top of your dental implant post to the bottom of a new dental crown. The visible portion of your new tooth is a high-quality porcelain crown customized by Dr. Palm to match your existing teeth and imitate your lost tooth in shape, shade, and form.
The entire dental implant process, which typically takes four to six months to complete, delivers an artificial tooth that closely mimics your own and complements your smile. Because our goal is for your new implant tooth to last a lifetime, we only use the highest quality materials when it comes to your dental implants in Prairieville, LA.
What are the benefits of dental implants?
Although you have several options for replacing missing teeth in Prairieville, Dr. Palm will likely recommend dental implants as his first choice. These restorations perform functions that other types of artificial teeth cannot, and they are typically the best investment in your smile.
Dental implants have quickly become the dental industry’s gold standard of tooth replacement for several reasons, such as:
- They closely mimic the look and feel of your natural tooth
- They protect your oral health by replacing both your root and your tooth. Without replacing your tooth, your bone would begin to dissolve, and your remaining teeth would start to shift, causing your bite to become misaligned
- You will enjoy all the functions of eating, chewing, talking, and smiling that you had before you experienced tooth loss
- Caring for your dental implant is easy since you can brush and floss around the restoration
- We can also restore the aesthetics of your smile with a customized porcelain tooth crown that completes your implant
- You will enjoy great longevity since your dental implant can potentially last a lifetime with excellent home care and regular dental checkups
- Long-term, dental implants are the most cost-effective replacement option for compromised teeth
- Dental implants are a very predictable treatment, boasting a 95% success rate
In summary, dental implants are unique because they replace missing teeth in their entirety rather than focusing only on the tooth crown, as other dental restorations tend to do. If you take care of them, your Prairieville dental implants can stay with you as long as you have your smile.
How do dental implants interact with my natural teeth?
Because your dental implants go all the way into your jaw bone, they function in your mouth the same way your organic teeth do. Our dental implants in Prairieville, LA work alongside your other teeth to help you bite, speak, and chew.
Choosing dental implants to replace your missing or extracted teeth benefits your smile as a whole because those implants help keep your natural teeth in their place. Think of your smile as a tightly packed bookshelf: when you move a book, the other books tend to shift around. Your teeth work the same way, and the structure of each row becomes affected when crucial pieces go missing.
Our Prairieville dentist can help you keep your remaining teeth in alignment by placing a titanium dental implant post beneath your gum line. This post stops your natural teeth from shifting and keeps the “books” from falling over.
How long will my dental implant last?
The answer to this question depends on several factors, including on how consistent you are in your oral hygiene and how diligently you visit your Prairieville, LA dentist for your six-month cleanings and exams.
The titanium post portion of your dental implant can last your entire lifetime so long as you take care of your gums and teeth. Daily brushing and thorough flossing will go a long way in preserving the implant post that lives beneath the surface. As long as you don’t develop gum disease or any serious dental decay, you should be able to keep the implant.
Your tooth crown portion of the implant, however, is a little less predictable. Even though your porcelain dental crown cannot decay or get cavities as your natural teeth can, it’s still susceptible to cracks, chips, and fractures.
If you bite down on something hard, hit your mouth during a sport, or simply use your tooth for everyday functions like chewing, it likely will break down over time. Your tooth crown is hardy and is designed to last for a decade or longer, but if you do happen to injure it, Dr. Palm can most likely repair or replace it.
It’s normal for artificial tooth crowns to need replacing now and again, so call our dental office if you notice something seems off with your dental implant in Prairieville, LA.
Am I eligible for dental implants?
Most likely, yes. Dental implants are generally a good choice for patients who are in good oral health and who have healthy immune systems.
Dr. Palm can help determine if dental implants are the right treatment for you during a consultation. With a thorough examination and some x-rays, he can ensure that you have enough healthy bone structure to support the implant and that you are in good overall health.
To be eligible for dental implants, you must be fully committed to taking care of your implants for the rest of your life. Our dental implants in Prairieville also work best when you avoid smoking and other tobacco products.
Don’t Let a Compromised Tooth Affect Your Quality of Life Any Longer!
Are you ready to learn more about the possibilities for your smile and how dental implants can help? Give us a call to schedule a dental implants consultation with Dr. Palm at our 70769 dental office today.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you just had a new dental implant placed, you may be wondering how long you can expect that implant to last.
The simple answer is that a well-placed dental implant should last forever. Because implant posts are made of strong titanium and placed below the gum line, they should stay firmly in place. These titanium posts act as replacements for natural tooth roots and are designed not to move or break.
Dental Crowns
The porcelain crown on top of the implant is the only portion that may need replacing over time. Artificial dental crowns can break or chip just like our natural crowns can, so you should always be as careful as you can with your porcelain dental crown. Do not apply extreme force or pressure to the crown area, and avoid chewing on inanimate objects such as pens.
Experienced Dentistry in Prairieville, LA
Dr. Daniel Palm has lots of experience placing dental implants. When you visit our Prairieville, LA dental office, you will always be treated by knowledgeable and skilled professionals. If you have a compromised tooth and are in need of dental restoration, implants are a wonderful treatment option that will last for many years to come.
Contact Our Dental Office in 70769
Do you have more questions about dental implants in Prairieville, LA? Call our team at Palm Family Dentistry today at (225) 622-2545!
If you have a missing tooth or teeth, it makes smiling, speaking, and eating a challenge, but missing teeth also impact your oral health.
When teeth are missing, you can also lose jawbone, and your remaining teeth may shift toward these spaces. This means a sunken appearance around the chin and bite alignment issues in the future.
Fortunately, dental implants in Prairieville can stimulate your jawbone to keep it viable and prevent the shifting of teeth. Dental implants are the only replacement choice that comes with a new tooth root.
A dental implant is a thin post made of sturdy titanium. Your dentist implants this post in your jawbone. After healing, approximately three to six months, we top your implant with a replacement tooth.
So, the dental implant process can take anywhere from three to six months to complete.
- The first step is your consultation
- The second step is implant placement, followed by healing time
- The third step is your replacement tooth
Remember, a dental implant is an investment in your smile future—a permanent solution to tooth loss.
If you’re considering dental implants, or if you have any questions about the implant process, contact a member of our helpful dental staff today. We look forward to your call.
We design dental implants in Prairieville to closely mimic your natural tooth in both shape and shade. Dr. Palm uses ceramic porcelain crowns to finish most tooth implants with a natural and appealing look.
We can customize porcelain to match the shade of your surrounding teeth, so it blends flawlessly with your smile. Porcelain also has a translucent appearance that closely resembles the properties of a natural tooth, making it an excellent choice for dental implants.
Your new tooth is easy to keep clean with routine brushing and flossing. And porcelain doesn't discolor at the rate of a natural tooth, which means your implant crown won't need bleaching treatments.
Not only do tooth implants in Baton Rouge look like the real thing, but they also function just like a natural tooth. Your new tooth will be able to help you chew, eat, and smile just as you did before. And you'll also enjoy great longevity since your implant also replaces your tooth root and protects your bone from deterioration.
If you are living with one or multiple missing teeth, you don't have to deal with the challenges of tooth loss any longer!
Dr. Palm would love to discuss your options with you and the benefits of choosing dental implants to restore your smile. Contact Palm Family Dentistry today at (225) 927-7545 to learn more.
The answer is yes! And this is also one of the most significant advantages of choosing dental implants for your smile is that they also protect your jawbone and your dental health.
When you lose a tooth, you also lose the root. Believe it or not, your tooth root plays an integral role in keeping your jawbone healthy through the stimulation provided by chewing. Without that stimulation, your bone begins to deteriorate, and it becomes weakened.
Dental implants in Prairieville protect your bone because they are placed directly into it, just like your tooth root. Since tooth implants are made of biocompatible titanium, they naturally integrate with your bone over time and actually become part of your dental anatomy. So, now your implant works just like your root did to keep your jawbone healthy.
There is no other tooth-replacement option that offers the benefits of replacing both your root and your bone. And since dental implants are so reliable and act just like a natural tooth, you can typically rely on them for a lifetime, making them a very cost-effective tooth replacement option.
If you're considering dental implants in Prairieville, LA, Dr. Palm would love to talk with you. We can help guide you through the process at either our Baton Rouge or Prairieville dental offices.
Meet Our Doctors:
Dr. Daniel Palm
Born and raised in New Orleans, Dr. Palm graduated from Louisiana State University in 2007, majoring in Biological Sciences with a minor in Psychology. He graduated from LSU School of Dentistry ...
Dr. Allison I. Landry
Dr. Landry is a proud Lafayette native who is passionate about providing compassionate, high-quality dental care to her community. She completed her undergraduate studies at LSU,
Dr. Catherine Neusetzer
Dr. Neu is a Prairieville native and a Dutchtown High School Alumna. She graduated from Louisiana State University, where she served as the President of the Pre-Dental Society. She then
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