If you’re missing one or more teeth, trying to consume Thanksgiving dinner can be challenging and even painful.

But here’s something to be grateful for: With Houston Uptown Dentists, it’s easy to revive your smile and your bite! And one of the most secure and durable ways to do it is with dental implants.

At our Houston, TX office, we’re proud to offer several dental implant solutions to fit your needs. Not only will filling the gaps in your smile make eating more enjoyable, but it will also give you a boost of confidence before your family gathering.

Continue reading to learn more about how dental implants can restore your smile. Then, give us a call at 832-463-1021 to schedule an appointment!

Dental Implants: A Secure and Lasting Solution

Dental implants are quickly becoming one of the most popular ways to replace missing teeth, and for good reason — they’re as close as you can get to brand new teeth!

Here’s how it works. A dental implant is a small titanium post that acts as a replacement for the root of the missing tooth and is attached to the jawbone. On top of the implant, we affix a dental restoration, which replaces the visible part of the missing tooth.

Once the implant is fully healed, it both looks and feels like a real tooth. It’s a great solution if you’re looking to replace a single tooth, but we can even use dental implants to anchor a prosthetic that replaces multiple missing teeth — like a bridge (which replaces several teeth in a row) or a full-arch prosthetic (which replace a full upper or lower set of teeth).

Dental Implants And Dentures

If you’re looking to replace a full set of teeth, dental implants can still help you — particularly if you’re worried about traditional dentures slipping while you speak or are turned off by the thought of denture adhesives.

At Houston Uptown Dental, we offer both implant-retained dentures and implant-supported dentures!

Implant-retained dentures anchor a full upper or lower set of artificial teeth on several dental implants to ensure a secure hold without adhesives. These prosthetics can only be removed by a dentist.

If you’re looking for the security of dental implant dentures but want to be able to remove the prosthetic more easily, you might want to consider implant-supported dentures. These dentures attach to your implants using a special connector, but you can remove them easily for regular cleanings.

In addition to the security dental implants dentures offer, they can also maintain the health of your jawbone. When you bite down with dental implants, the biting force goes into your jawbone, reducing your risk of bone loss. That’s not the case with traditional dentures, where the biting force goes to the gums.

Comfort While Placing Your Implants

Many people who have dental implants would say the benefits of dental implants far outweigh any anxiety they had about the procedure required to place them.

Still, if you feel intimidated or nervous about the procedure, Houston Uptown Dentists offers three dental sedation options to make the process comfortable and stress-free! Here are the options we offer:

  • Nitrous oxide. Also known as “laughing gas,” this form of dental sedation is fast-acting. We’ll cover your nose with a small mask and then ask you to take a few deep breaths. After that, you’ll likely feel joyful and a mild sense of euphoria.
  • Oral conscious sedation. This form of dental sedation is administered in the form of a pill, which we’ll prescribe for you and instruct you to take a certain amount of time before your procedure. It’ll help you feel calm and comfortable during your visit, but you will need a trusted friend or family member to drive you both to and from the office.
  • IV sedation. This is the strongest form of dental sedation we offer. With IV sedation, you’ll experience your procedure in a sort of dream-like state. You won’t remember much afterward. We closely monitor and adjust your level of sedation throughout the procedure to ensure your comfort and safety. Like with oral conscious sedation, you’ll have to arrange a ride home from our office.

Dental Implants Can Restore Your Smile

Replacing teeth will improve the look of your smile, but we think you’ll find that the benefits go far beyond that. By filling the gaps in your smile with dental implants, you’ll experience improved dental function. Plus, dental implants can last a lifetime when properly cared for!

To learn more about how dental implants can boost your confidence and quality of life, call Houston Uptown Dentists at 832-463-1021 to make an appointment. You can also use our convenient online form.