Your Oxnard Dentist Answers Your Questions

Yes, dental implants are approved by the FDA. Your Oxnard dentist only uses products, tools, techniques, and technology that is FDA approved. Your health and well-being are our top priorities.

With proper home care, dental implants can last your entire life. The restorative fixtures (crowns, bridges, dentures) that fit over the implants may need replacement every 10-20 years or so. However, this depends on each individual’s needs.

In some cases, a dental implant can fail. The reasons for this include an allergic reaction to the metal or an infection around the implant.

If an implant fails, it doesn’t automatically mean you’re not a good candidate. We can try a different metal implant, or if an infection is the issue, we can let the area heal and try again.

Dental implants are a safe, effective, permanent solution to tooth restoration. Your Oxnard implant dentist stays up-to-date on the latest techniques to ensure the process is as quick and comfortable as possible.

You’re never too old for dental implants. However, your physician may urge you not to undergo implant surgery if your health is at risk due to age or a medical condition.

Patients under 18 years of age are typically not good candidates for dental implants, because their jawbone is still growing and developing. Sometimes, patients should wait until they’re in their 20s before getting a permanent restoration. In the meantime, your Oxnard dentist has several temporary solutions.

The purpose of dental implants is to look, feel, and function like natural teeth. Therefore, you can care for them like your other teeth.

Brush twice a day, preferably with an electric toothbrush. Floss once a day, making sure to slide the floss below the gum line to clean plaque out from the gum pocket around each tooth.

Make sure to visit your dentist at least twice yearly for professional cleanings.

It’s beneficial to your oral and general health to restore missing teeth.

Without implants, your teeth can shift, and your jawbone will recede. The result is excess pressure on your teeth and jaw joints, leading to cracked, chipped, or broken teeth, as well as TMJ disorder.

As your jawbone recedes, you’re more susceptible to gum disease and dental decay. Additionally, jawbone loss makes it difficult for dentures to remain secure and can make future implant placement challenging.

People lose their teeth because of trauma, decay, and gum disease.

Trauma is getting hit in the face somehow (falling, playing sports, a car accident), and the action knocks a tooth out or damages it to the point where it dies and needs extraction.

Dental decay can damage the tooth’s nerve, causing irritation or infection, resulting in an extraction.

Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss. As the disease progresses, the gums and bone will start to recede, causing root exposure, loose teeth, and eventual tooth loss.

You can replace all your teeth with single dental implants in Oxnard, though this would be quite expensive. Other more cost-effective options include implant-supported complete dentures to replace all your teeth or implant-supported partial dentures and fixed bridges to replace a few missing teeth.

Absolutely! You don’t see the metal part of the implant because that is under the gums. The part you see in the mouth is a dental crown that looks, feels, and functions like all your other teeth.

Yes. We offer three types of sedation.

The first option is an oral medication. Your Oxnard implant dentist will prescribe a medication to be taken before your appointment. The medication will relax you enough to remain comfortable, but you’ll still be awake during the procedure.

Next is nitrous oxide, which is inhaled through your nose during the procedure. You stay awake during your procedure, but the gas makes you feel completely relaxed.

And finally, general sedation. Sedative medications are administered via an IV, and you’re asleep or almost asleep throughout the surgery.

Please note that anyone sedated for treatment will need a ride to and from their appointment.

Yes. Implants are as strong or stronger than natural teeth. As with any dental restoration, it might be best to stay away from super sticky foods as these can pull restorations off or make them loose.

Depending on your anatomy, bone level, and oral health, additional procedures might be needed. You may need a sinus lift if you don’t have enough room for an upper implant. If you don’t have enough bone for an implant, your Oxnard dentist might recommend a bone graft.

The cost depends on the type of implants used, what type of surgery you need (whether you need an extraction or additional procedures), and the type of restoration.

Our team will provide you with a complete breakdown of costs and are happy to discuss payment plans and outside financing.

It depends on your insurance plan. Thankfully, some insurance companies now recognize dental implants in Oxnard as the standard of care, so they may be willing to cover a portion of the costs. If you have any questions about your insurance, we’re happy to help!