Dental Implants
Living with missing teeth robs your life of comfort and your ability to enjoy simple things like sharing a confident smile or eating all the foods you love. Missing teeth are also unhealthy and can lead to numerous oral health problems.
Dr. Amy Wenninghoff is pleased to offer dental implant restoration at her Lincoln, NE, dental office. A dental implant is a complete, long-term tooth replacement that mimics the look, feel, and function of a natural tooth.
How Do Dental Implants Work?
A dental implant is an artificial tooth root made of titanium and is the next best thing to a natural tooth. Dr. Amy works with top specialists in our area who expertly place the implant post in your jawbone. She will coordinate your treatment with them and monitor the healing process.
Implant healing takes anywhere from three to six months to complete. Titanium is a biocompatible material, meaning it’s compatible with living tissue. As it heals, the artificial root bonds securely with bone and tissue and takes the place of the missing tooth root. This healing process is called osseointegration.
Eat, Speak, and Smile Confidently with Implants
After implant healing, our dentist attaches a realistic-looking porcelain dental crown to complete your smile and allow you to chew comfortably again.
Dr. Amy uses a single implant to replace one missing tooth or multiple implants to anchor a bridge or denture when replacing multiple teeth.
The result is a beautiful replacement tooth that looks natural and lets you share your beautiful smile confidently again. Dental implants provide a long-term solution to tooth loss and can last a lifetime when cared for properly.
Benefits of Dental Implants
A dental implant improves your smile aesthetics by filling the gap left by the missing tooth while also improving your oral health.
Over time, tooth loss causes numerous problems, including pain when chewing, dental wear, gum recession, shifting teeth, and bone loss.
A dental implant solves these problems because it takes the place of the missing tooth root. As soon as you lose a tooth, the bone that supports it stops regenerating, leading to bone loss, shifting teeth, and loose teeth. With a dental implant, the titanium root stimulates the jawbone to keep regenerating new bone and returns your mouth to a healthy state.
Placing one or more dental implants also helps give facial features a fuller appearance and eliminates the sunken or aged appearance that commonly develops after tooth loss.
Implant-Supported Dentures
Removable dentures help millions of people smile with confidence again but tend to shift and slip out of place, causing discomfort and embarrassment.
One of the greatest innovations in tooth replacement is pairing dental implants with full dentures. At our Lincoln, NE, dental office, we restore multiple missing teeth with implant bridges, locator dentures, and full arch implant restorations. These options allow you to have a beautiful smile you love without worrying about dentures that move and shift unpredictably.
Implants hold your denture securely in place so it won't move around when you are eating or chewing. Since we anchor your dentures to dental implants placed in your jaw, they can’t move. With implant-supported dentures, you never have to experience another awkward moment while socializing with family or friends!
Dental implants not only provide a solid foundation for denture teeth but also help prevent the bone loss that commonly follows tooth loss. Dr. Amy would be happy to explain all these options and help you choose the one that’s just right for your needs.
Want to Learn More About Dental Implants?
If you need to replace missing teeth but haven’t considered dental implants, Dr. Amy would love to meet with you to see if you’re an appropriate candidate.
If you have questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please call our Lincoln, NE, dental office at (402) 413-6686.
Frequently Asked Questions
A dental implant is a long-term, stable tooth replacement that looks, feels, and functions like a real tooth. While getting a dental implant requires multiple appointments and several months to complete, patients tell us their only complaint is that they wish they’d done it sooner!
5 Steps for Getting a Dental Implant
A dental implant consists of three parts: the titanium implant post, the abutment, and the tooth restoration. The five steps for placing and restoring a dental implant are as follows:
- Initial consultation — During this appointment, Dr. Amy will perform a comprehensive evaluation and take x-rays to determine if you are a good candidate.
- Dental implant surgery — An experienced oral surgeon will expertly place your implant in your jawbone. This procedure is done in-office under local anesthesia, so you won’t feel any pain.
- Implant healing — As the implant starts to heal, it fuses with bone and tissue around it. This process is called osseointegration, which gives the implant strength and stability.
- Abutment placement: — The abutment is the connector piece that attaches the implant to a crown, bridge, or denture. The oral surgeon uncovers the implant and attaches the abutment to it.
- Adding the tooth restoration — About two weeks after the abutment is added, Dr. Amy will attach the custom crown, bridge, or denture to complete your smile and restore chewing function.
Dr. Amy coordinates closely with the oral surgeon throughout implant placement and healing. She will explain all the steps involved and answer your questions to ensure you are comfortable with the process.
Are You a Good Dental Implant Candidate?
A dental implant replaces one or multiple missing teeth and can last a lifetime with excellent oral health care. If you want to find out how a dental implant can benefit your smile, please call our Lincoln, NE, dental office to schedule an appointment with Dr. Amy.
Meet Our Doctor:
Dr. Amy Wenninghoff
I am originally from Minot, North Dakota, and I met my husband, Garin—a Wahoo, NE, native—when completing my undergraduate studies at the University of North Dakota. I graduated from the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry in 2012, and we were married a week later. We then moved to Omaha, where I completed a one-year general practice residency at UNMC and the VA, focusing on dentistry for adult patients with special needs, comprehensive dental rehabilitation for our veterans, and care for patients with complex medical problems.
Next, we moved to Lincoln and ...