In recent years, more and more patients have started turning to dental implants in order to fill in the gaps in their smiles. Compared to traditional tooth replacement options, dental implants offer better stability, make it easier to enjoy all kinds of foods, and can even help prevent bone loss in the jaw. Dr. Jay Lopez comes into our office to place dental implants, meaning the entire process can be handled right here at Sweet Smiles Dental Design. Call us today to schedule your initial consultation for dental implants in Castle Rock.
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What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are the only type of tooth replacement that can be used to replace the root structure of a missing tooth. They are designed to be placed in specific areas of your jawbone via surgery. The right number of dental implants can be used to support a crown, bridge, or denture depending on how many teeth need to be replaced. Thanks to the dental implant posts, your new smile will be very sturdy and will be able to handle all kinds of foods without issue.
The 4-Step Dental Implant Process

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Initial Consultation: We’ll confirm whether you’re able to have dental implants placed and determine whether any preliminary treatments (such as bone grafting) might be required.
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Dental Implant Surgery: You can have your dental implants placed right here at our office, and you can count on us to put your comfort first during the procedure.
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Osseointegration and Abutment: Osseointegration is when the dental implant posts join with the jawbone. This normally takes a matter of months, and at the end of the process, we can attach abutments to your dental implant posts.
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Delivery of the Final Restoration: Once your mouth is finished healing, all that’s left is to create a personalized restoration and attach it to your dental implant posts, thus completing your new smile.
Benefits of Dental Implants

There’s a reason so many patients are turning to dental implants as their choice for replacing missing teeth. They’re durable, dependable, and all-around fantastic for your oral health, providing many benefits you may not even know about! At Sweet Smiles Dental Design, we strive to ensure all our patients know exactly what they stand to gain from their treatment. So, if you’re curious how dental implants could change your life for the better, read more below!
Day-to-Day Benefits
Once your implants have fully integrated into your jawbone, you’ll start to see improvements right away! Some of these include:
- More Enjoyable Mealtimes: With dental implants, all your favorite foods are on the table from steak to snacks.
- Better Speech: Missing teeth can make holding conversations more difficult. Dental implants can help you speak clearly and confidently without worrying about slipping like dentures.
- Improved Aesthetics: Your new implants will look completely natural, blending seamlessly with your other pearly whites. This means you’ll always have a selfie-ready smile!
Health Benefits
Dental implants aren’t just about looks—they also provide lasting health advantages that protect your smile and other aspects of your well-being. With your implants, you’ll begin to see:
- Enhanced Oral Hygiene: Dental implants don’t need any special tools or cleaning routines. This ease of care means you’ll enjoy better oral health with less effort.
- Improved Digestion: Missing teeth can make chewing difficult, which in turn can make the digestive process more intense. Dental implants fill the gaps and improve your ability to process food.
- A Stronger Jawbone: Without the stimulation from your tooth roots, your jawbone will begin to deteriorate over time. Dental implants replace these roots and are the only treatment that can prevent jawbone loss.
- Better Bite Alignment: When teeth are missing, adjacent ones will shift over time to try to fill the gaps left behind, causing discomfort. Dental implants can shore up these gaps, preventing the shift.
Long-Term Benefits
Dental implants boast an impressive 95 percent success rate, making them one of the longest-lived treatments in dentistry. This means you’ll be enjoying the benefits of your enhancements for many years as long as you take care of them. With longevity comes another set of benefits:
- A More Youthful Appearance: Since dental implants keep your jawbone stimulated, your jawline will hold its shape longer, offering you a more youthful appearance as you age.
- Return on Investment: Other tooth replacement options like bridges and dentures often require adjustments and replacements, costing you money over time. Dental implants, on the other hand, can last a lifetime, providing more value the longer you keep them!
- Improved Confidence: Your implants will keep your smile looking bright and healthy for decades, offering you peace of mind and a boost of confidence!
Who Dental Implants Can Help

Many adults with missing teeth can potentially qualify for dental implants. Whether or not you’re a good candidate for the treatment depends on factors like your overall oral health and the amount of bone in your jaw. We can discuss these variables and how they affect your ability to get dental implants during your initial consultation. Additionally, we can give you an overview of what your treatment plan will look like based on the number of teeth you’ve lost.
Missing One Tooth
Regardless of which tooth is missing, we can fill the gap where it used to be with a dental implant post and a crown. Note that we will only place the crown once the implant post has finished fusing with the bone around it. On top of that, the crown will be carefully personalized to blend in with the rest of your smile.
Missing Multiple Teeth
Two well-placed dental implants can be used to support a dental bridge in order to replace three or more consecutive teeth in your upper or lower arch. Choosing an implant bridge over a traditional bridge means that our team won’t have to remove any enamel from your remaining natural teeth.
Missing All of Your Teeth
Four to eight dental implant posts can be used to support a full denture, thus allowing us to replace all of the teeth in your upper and lower jaw. Implant dentures always stay firmly in place, and you don’t have to worry about them losing their fit over time; you can also brush them as if they were your real teeth.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants

The cost of getting dental implants won’t be exactly the same for every patient. After examining your mouth, our team can give you an estimate of what you will likely need to pay for the dental implant process. Before we can give you a reliable number, we will need to consider a number of factors, such as how many dental implants you’ll require as well as what kinds of preliminary treatments might be needed (if any).