Dental Implants in Des Moines, IA

Hickman Family Dental provides high quality dental implants from Nobel Biocare.

dental implant illustration
Nobel Biocare logo

Effective Tooth Restoration With Dental Implants

Missing one or multiple teeth can make simple tasks like enjoying your favorite foods or speaking with friends more difficult. With dental implants, you’ll be able to eat, speak, and smile with confidence once again.

At Hickman Family Dental, we’re proud to offer Nobel Biocare implants to our Urbandale and Des Moines patients. Explore our helpful guide to dental implants to learn about this high-quality treatment and if they’re right for you.

What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are designed to replace missing teeth with long-lasting results that look, function, and feel like natural teeth. This restorative solution is secured directly to your jawbone, eliminating any shifting or loosening. It also helps prevent bone loss and gum recession, as they stimulate healthy jawbone growth

With a good oral hygiene regime and biannual visits to our Urbandale dental office, implants can last a lifetime. You can enjoy a permanent solution to tooth loss without needing to worry about any special care for your implants!

When Are Dental Implants Necessary?

When a tooth is damaged by decay or gum disease to the point that it’s considered unsalvageable, there are a couple of options for replacing it. The best and most conservative option is a dental implant.

Dr. Erickson may recommend dental implants to patients with:

  • Severely decayed teeth
  • Cracked or chipped teeth
  • Infected teeth
  • Missing teeth
  • Ill-fitting dentures or bridges

With a 98 percent success rate, this treatment has already helped millions of patients around the world restore their smiles. Contact our Urbandale office today to learn if dental implants are the best solution for you.

Benefits of Dental Implants

Considered the gold standard in restorative dentistry, dental implants come with many advantages that make them an attractive solution to missing teeth. Some benefits of dental implants include:

  • Natural Function and Appearance: Dental implants can restore the natural function and appearance of your teeth so you can enjoy the foods you love and smile with confidence. Dr. Erickson will also customize the color of your implant to blend seamlessly with your natural teeth.
  • Durability: While implants may look and function like natural teeth, they’re resistant to decay and discoloration. By practicing good oral hygiene and keeping up on biannual visits to our Urbandale office, your implants can last you a lifetime.
  • Secure Fit: Because they’re affixed to your jawbone, you won’t have to worry about your implants shifting or loosening over time. Additionally, there’s no need for messy dental adhesives.
  • Customizable: The shade of your implant isn’t the only way they’re customized for you. Dr. Erickson will also match the shape and size of your natural teeth for a more comfortable and seamless fit.

The Dental Implant Process

The process for receiving your dental implants will consist of multiple visits to our Urbandale office. Over the course of a few months, we’ll complete your implant treatment in three stages.

Creating Your Treatment Plan

The first step in your implant process involves an initial consultation with Dr. Erickson. During this visit, he’ll determine if you’re an eligible candidate for dental implants by seeing if you have sufficient bone density and good oral health.

If you meet all the requirements, Dr. Erickson will create your customized treatment plan. However, if you lack the required bone density or have underlying oral health problems such as gum disease, a supplemental procedure may be necessary.

During this appointment, any questions or concerns you may have about the treatment will be answered. Dr. Erickson will also tell you what to expect during the procedure, as well as how long the treatment will take depending on your individual needs.

Placing the Implants

The first step in the implant placement process involves prepping the jaw for the implants. After numbing your mouth with a local anesthetic, Dr. Erickson will create a small hole in your jawbone before fitting the implant post securely in place.

A temporary cover will be applied to shield against bacteria during your recovery period, which typically takes between three and six months. During this time the process of osseointegration will take place, in which the implant naturally fuses to the jawbone.

Final Fitting

After you’ve healed, you’ll return to our Urbandale office. Your customized restoration will then be attached to your implant, permanently replacing your missing tooth. This crown is customized to match the shape, size, and color of your natural teeth to give you a seamless and stunning smile.

Dr. Erickson will ensure the restoration fits as it should, making any necessary adjustments. Then, you can leave our office with a smile you’ll be proud of!

Frequently Asked Questions

Schedule Your Appointment With Dr. Erickson

You don’t need to live with missing teeth. When you’re ready to restore beauty and function to your smile, schedule an appointment at our Urbandale office by contacting us at (515) 276-4981. You can also fill out an online contact form and a member of our team will be in contact with you shortly. We proudly serve patients across Urbandale and Des Moines.

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