Dental Implants:  

*According to the Institute for Dental Implant Awareness 

Dental Implants are designed to replace missing tooth roots and provide a sound foundation for a custom-made crown, bridge, or denture. At Dental Arts in Independence, MO, Dr. Jeremy Bowen and Dr. Kirk Opdahl can perform dental implants treatment, while our highly qualified team designs your restorations. In addition, we offer a variety of implant options to address our patients unique needs, including traditional implants, All-on-4®, and mini implants. To ensure you receive the highest quality care from start to finish, we can perform all aspects of treatment in-house.

What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are small titanium posts, which serve as artificial tooth roots following tooth loss. These posts are embedded into the jawbone and provide a strong base for restorations such as crowns, bridges, and dentures. Through the natural process of osseointegration, these posts fuse with your natural bone to become a permanent part of your smile.

Types of Dental Implants

Our doctors offer several types of dental implants to meet our patients' varying dental needs. During your consultation, we can review your medical history and the structure of your smile to determine the best option for you.

Traditional Implants

Traditional implants are typically between four and five millimeters in diameter. These restorations are appropriate for patients who have sufficient jawbone tissue to support implant posts.

All-on-4 Implants

This solution is an alternative to traditional implants and requires less natural jawbone tissue. During an All-on-4 treatment, your doctor can place four longer posts at strategic angles in the jawbone. Using only four posts, we can replace an entire dental arch in a single appointment.

Mini Implants

Mini implants are ideal for patients who do not qualify for traditional implants because of jawbone recession. It is also an option for those patients who wish to avoid more extensive surgery. Mini posts are only two and a half millimeters in diameter, and they can be restored in a single appointment.

Determining Candidacy

Dental implants and implant-supported restorations are considered the best solution for tooth loss. To qualify for this procedure, you should be in good oral and physical health. If you have signs of gum disease, we must first perform the appropriate periodontal treatment to ensure optimal results. In addition, you should have sufficient jawbone tissue to support implants. If you have suffered from jawbone deterioration due to tooth loss, you may require a preliminary bone graft or sinus lift to restore candidacy. To streamline your treatment, we have a surgical suite and can perform all preliminary procedures on-site.

Unrivaled Benefits

Dental implants and restorations offer a wide range of functional and aesthetic benefits, including:

• Increased security and stability
• Lifelike look and feel
• Preserved and enhanced jawbone health
• Increased ability to chew and speak comfortably

Not only do dental implants repair dental form and function, but they also stop bone atrophy at the site of a missing tooth. As a result, these restorations can protect and preserve your longterm oral health.

The Treatment Process

During treatment, your doctor can make a small incision in the gums to access the jawbone. He can then create space for your dental implant, before embedding the posts directly into the jaw. Depending on your jawbone stability, we may either place temporary restorations or close the incision with sutures to promote proper healing.

To streamline your treatment, we have a surgical suite and can perform all preliminary procedures on-site.

Full recovery typically lasts between three to six months, during which your dental implant will fuse with your jawbone in a process called osseointegration. Once complete, you can return to our office to receive your custom restoration.