Dental Implants Washington, DC

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

The first step is always a consultation with Dr. Kham at our office so he can evaluate your oral health and determine the best way to replace your lost teeth. Patients must have adequate jawbone density and no lingering oral health problems to be a good candidate for dental implants, so we may have to address infections with restorative treatments or refer you to a specialist for bone grafts before you can be a suitable candidate. When you’re ready, we’ll schedule you for implant surgery.

Dental Implant Surgery

Since Dr. Kham can place dental implants right here in our office, you won’t have to worry about coordinating with other providers. As for the surgery, it takes roughly one hour to place a single implant, and anywhere from one to eight can be placed along one arch. This process is rendered completely painless with anesthetic treatments. Sometimes we collaborate closely with trusted local implant specialists, depending on your individual treatment needs.

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment

After the implant surgery, the posts will need several months to heal and fuse with the jaw through a process called osseointegration. After this is completed, you will return to our office so you can receive your abutments, or connector pieces, which will securely anchor your lifelike restorations to your dental implants.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s)

Your custom-made dental restoration such as a crown, bridge, or denture will be crafted to be indistinguishable from your natural dental structure. When your device is ready, you’ll come back to our office in Washington, D.C., so we can attach it to your implants. After we make any final adjustments to ensure proper fit and bite alignment, you’ll be ready to show your gorgeous and complete new smile to the world.

Day-to-Day Benefits

Let’s start with the benefits of dental implants in Washington, DC that you’ll notice first:

• Restored Bite Strength – Like many other patients struggling with tooth loss, you may have been stuck eating the same soft, bland foods on repeat. Fortunately, dental implants can restore some of the strength of your bite that you lost. This, in turn, allows you to eat a more satisfying, well-balanced diet again.
• Clearer Communication – Another downside of tooth loss is that it makes enunciating clearly difficult. If this sounds all too familiar, then you’ll be happy to hear that we can fill any gaps in your smile with dental implants. Before long, you’ll sound like your usual self again.
• Boosted Self-Esteem – Have you struggled to smile confidently over the last few weeks, months, or years? Good news: dental implants can give you a complete smile again. Not only that, but they are extremely lifelike, which helps you look and feel your absolute best.

Health Benefits

Another reason dental implants are widely loved is that they benefit your oral and overall health in the following ways:

• They Stimulate Your Jawbone – While other tooth-replacement solutions rest against the gums or the surrounding teeth, dental implants are secured to your jawbone. As a result, it gets stimulated every time you bite down. This helps prevent further bone and tooth loss.
• They Prevent Dental Drift – It doesn’t take long for dental drift to occur following tooth loss. Fortunately, we can replace any number of missing teeth with dental implants. That way, the alignment of your bite is preserved.
• They Reduce Your Risk of Illness – Over the years, several studies have shown a correlation between tooth loss and an increased risk of multiple diseases. In that way, rebuilding your smile with dental implants can help keep you healthy!

Long-Term Benefits

There are several long-term benefits that make dental implants well worth the investment of your valuable time and money, including:

• They Help Maintain a Youthful Appearance – Oftentimes, patients who are missing teeth look older than they really are. Dental implants can help prevent a sunken-in look as well as bone loss, which helps you maintain a youthful appearance throughout the years.
• They Have an Impressive Success Rate – Dental implants have a success rate of over 95% for non-smoking patients.
• They Can Last for Decades – With proper care, dental implants can last for 30+ years. You don’t need any expensive cleaning products either! Just use the same habits you use to take care of your natural teeth, like brushing and flossing consistently.

Does it sound like dental implants are the solution you’ve been looking for? If so, schedule a consultation at our office. That way, we can confirm if you’re a good candidate!

Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

In order to determine if you’re a good candidate for dental implants in Washington, DC, Dr. Kham needs to complete a comprehensive oral exam. In the process, he will determine:

• If your jawbone is dense enough to support dental implants
• If your gums and any remaining teeth you have are healthy
• If you are committed to taking good care of your smile
• If you’re willing to break harmful habits, like smoking

If the answer is “yes” across the board, then he will begin working on your custom treatment plan. If that’s not the case because you’ve experienced considerable bone loss or there is an active infection in your gums, don’t get discouraged. After all, the necessary preliminary care can often be provided, like gum disease treatment.

Missing One Tooth

If you are missing only one tooth, a dental bridge is no longer your only option. Now, we can insert a dental implant into the open space, securing it to the jawbone in the process. Then, after the two have fused together, we can secure the custom dental crown we made on top. Not only does this effectively restore the entire structure of the tooth, but it restores your chewing power, oral health, and self-esteem!

Missing Multiple Teeth

Patients who are missing multiple teeth throughout an arch have a few options. The first is replacing each tooth with a single dental implant. However, that usually isn’t the most efficient or cost-effective option. For those reasons, patients often opt for an implant bridge or partial implant denture instead. Rest assured, we will discuss both of these options in-depth with you during your consultation, including which one we recommend due to your unique dental history, needs, and goals.

Missing All Teeth

Are you struggling with considerable tooth loss? If so, you’ll be happy to hear that traditional dentures aren’t the only way to rebuild the strength of your bite and the appearance of your smile. With implant dentures, we can secure a custom restoration in place with 4-6 strategically placed dental implants. There are several benefits that come with this state-of-the-art solution, including the fact that they don’t slip or slide unexpectedly because they are secured to the jawbone.

Make Oral Hygiene a Priority

Your new teeth are not made out of the same organic components as your natural ones, so you don’t need to worry that they’ll get cavities. However, you must continue to brush and floss twice daily to prevent your remaining teeth and connective tissues from developing decay or disease. For instance, if germs penetrate the surgical site, you might develop peri-implantitis, the leading cause of failure.

When flossing your restoration, remember to be careful not to push so deeply into the pockets of your gums that you damage its protective seal.

Eat a Healthy Diet

There are very few dietary restrictions once you’ve fully recovered from the dental implant procedure because your new tooth is so firmly embedded in your jaw. However, eating too many overly hard, crunchy, sticky, or sugary foods can potentially be problematic.

Thankfully, you have a greatly improved bite force with your prosthetic in place, so you can enjoy a wider variety of wholesome foods that support your oral and overall health.

Break Bad Habits

Do you regularly smoke, vape, or chew tobacco? If so, now is an excellent time to consider quitting. These products contain nicotine, which can suppress your immune system and increase the risk of infections, like gum disease, after your procedure.

You should also avoid using your teeth as tools to open packages or containers, and try not to chew hard objects, like ice cubes, pen caps, or your fingernails.

Protect Your Dental Implants

Athletes and others who participate in close-contact activities are prone to sustaining injuries that could break or dislodge a tooth, including their implant. Also, if you tend to grind your teeth at night, the constant clenching can put added pressure on your implant and cause it to fail.

Dr. Kham and the rest of our team are happy to provide a custom-fitted oral appliance, like a mouthguard or nightguard, to shield your smile.   

Schedule Regular Dental Checkups

Seeing Dr. Kham every 6 months for a routine examination and professional cleaning allows our team to monitor your oral health and treat any areas of concern, such as early gum disease, before they progress and cause further harm. We can also help avoid potential discoloration by professionally polishing your teeth until they shine!