Dental Implants – Eugene, OR

The Healthiest, Most Lifelike Tooth Replacement

Losing your teeth is a serious event that causes several different issues. One of the most obvious impacts of missing teeth is the deterioration of your smile. Empty spaces between your teeth can significantly affect the quality of your smile, as well as your confidence. Eating becomes more challenging, and you may soon find that you can no longer enjoy your favorite foods. Additionally, with difficulty chewing, you cannot effectively break down what you eat, which can then affect your digestion. Your speech also suffers. Without teeth, you can develop a lisp or have trouble speaking properly. Along with these more obvious effects of tooth loss, missing teeth also affect the health of your jawbone. At College Hill Dental, we can restore the functions of your teeth, and your quality of life, with dental implants in Eugene, OR.

 

Why Choose College Hill Dental for Dental Implants?

  • Dental Implants Placed & Restored in One Location
  • In-House Dental Savings Plan Available
  • Multiple Sedation Dentistry Options to Soothe Nerves

 

What Are Dental Implants?

Woman looking at smile after tooth replacement with dental implants

Dental implants are a treatment designed to replace missing teeth. They are a revolutionary alternative to dentures and bridges, using small titanium posts that are surgically implanted into your jawbone. As you heal from surgery, the bone fuses to the posts, stabilizing the implants in your jaw. The posts are then used to support ceramic crowns, which are used to replace the visible portions of your missing teeth.

The 4-Step Dental Implant Process

Model of smile demonstrating four step dental implant process
  • Consultation – First, Dr. Paskalev performs an exam, determines your candidacy for dental implants, and walks you through what to expect throughout treatment.
  • Surgery – Incisions are made in your gums, exposing the jawbone. Next, holes are drilled into the bone, and the titanium posts are inserted inside. Finally, your gums are stitched closed around the posts.
  • Osseointegration/abutment – The process of osseointegration (the jawbone growing around the implant posts) can take up to six months. Once you’ve fully healed, we place abutments (metal connectors) onto your implants.
  • Delivery of restoration(s) – Finally, we take impressions of your mouth, which are used to design the crowns, bridges, or dentures that we secure onto the abutments.

Benefits of Dental Implants

Dentist explaining the benefits of dental implants

Dental Implants offer several benefits, including:

  • They function just like your natural teeth.
  • They look and feel completely natural.
  • Greater comfort than traditional treatments.
  • Ease of care.
  • Permanent.
  • Preservation of your jawbone.

Who Dental Implants Can Help

Woman smiling after tooth replacement with dental implants

As long as you’re a generally healthy adult, dental implants can most likely rebuild your smile no matter how many teeth you’ve lost. The main prerequisites for the treatment are good oral health and a strong jawbone, but Dr. Paskalev can often help you meet these criteria with the right preparatory procedures. Dental implant treatment can be personalized to meet virtually any patient’s needs.

Missing One Tooth

Smile with one missing tooth

Dr. Paskalev can vertically position a single implant post into the empty space and use it to support a dental crown, which will have been tailored to match the teeth around it. Unlike a dental bridge, an implant doesn’t need to modify the structure of the adjacent teeth.

Missing Multiple Teeth

Smie with multiple missing teeth

For several missing teeth along an arch, we can secure a partial denture onto a small number of strategically placed implants. We can even bring back multiple missing teeth in a row by placing one implant at each end of the gap and anchoring a custom dental bridge onto them. Implant bridges are much more stable, realistic, and conservative than traditional ones.

Missing All of Your Teeth

Smile with all teeth missing

With as few as four to eight implants, we can support a full denture that restores an entire row of teeth. Whether we create a brand-new prosthetic or retrofit your current one to attach to implants, rest assured that your implant denture will provide greater biting strength and stay more firmly in place than a regular denture could ever hope to.

Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants

Dentist using smile model to explain the cost of dental implants

Before getting dental implants, you should know that they tend to cost more in the beginning than dentures and bridges do. The treatment is more complex, after all, and includes oral surgery. That being said, implants can provide long-term savings, as they’re able to last for many times longer than traditional treatments. To help you afford dental implants, our team is happy to help you navigate your financing options.

Dental Implant FAQs

woman smiling after getting dental implants in Eugene

Are you struggling with tooth loss and want an effective way to restore your smile? One of the best solutions for this is dental implants. While they provide numerous benefits for preserving your oral health, you may still want to know as much as possible about the treatment before committing to it. For this reason, our team at College Hill Dental has collected several commonly asked questions we get from our patients about dental implants in Eugene to make it easier for you. Feel free to reach out to us if you don’t see the specific answers you’re looking for!

Does Getting Dental Implants Hurt?

Dr. Paskalev will make sure to numb your mouth with a local anesthetic to keep you comfortable and pain-free before starting your procedure. Though you may not feel much or any discomfort during the surgery itself, you might feel mild soreness for the following few days. This can be easily managed by applying a cold compress to the outside of your mouth and taking over-the-counter pain relievers. However, if any discomfort worsens or persists for too long, you should visit us as soon as possible.

How Long Do Dental Implants Last?

While the exact lifespan of your dental implants can vary, you can typically expect them to last you for three decades or more with proper care. Several factors that can influence their longevity include maintaining good oral hygiene, avoiding bad habits (like smoking, chewing on ice, and using teeth as tools), and visiting our team for routine checkups and cleanings. By practicing preventive care, you can make the most of your new pearly whites for a lifetime!

Will I Have to Take Off Work for Dental Implant Surgery?

Many patients generally need to take only a day or two off from work to undergo their dental implant procedure. This can vary from patient to patient, as the amount of time you’ll need for your treatment will depend on your specific circumstances. You might especially need three to four days off work if your job is physically demanding. This is because strenuous exercise can divert blood away from the implant site, disturbing the blood clot forming and interfering with your recovery process.

What Can Cause Dental Implants to Fail?

Two of the most common reasons for dental implant failure are failed osseointegration and peri-implantitis. Osseointegration is the process where the metal post bonds with the jawbone tissue. This will allow the implant to act as the new permanent root, directly anchoring your restorations for many years to come. If unsuccessful, it can lead the implant to loosen or be unstable. Peri-implantitis is a kind of gum infection that happens from poor dental hygiene, damaging the soft tissue and jawbone. Dental implant failure can also be due to taking certain medications, chronic teeth grinding, diabetes, and even cancer.