If you have missing teeth, perhaps you’re experiencing emotional side effects because you feel embarrassed to smile and can’t fully enjoy life. Tooth loss can lead to declining oral health and function, negatively impacting your chewing and nutrition. Even one missing tooth can cause loss of bone and shifting of surrounding teeth, while the spaces can harbor bacteria and cause a gum infection that can spread to other parts of your body when left untreated. Fortunately, dental implants are the ideal solution to prevent these issues from impacting your quality of life. Dental implants are the most versatile tooth replacement because they can be used to replace a single tooth, multiple teeth, or a full arch lost to dental trauma, decay, or gum disease. They’re considered the gold standard tooth replacement solution due to their longevity, functional benefits, and natural appearance. Dental implants in Seattle-South Lake Union, WA will restore your oral health, smile aesthetics, and dental function and last for decades!
Leveraging their vast experience and knowledge, Dr. Dean E. Kois and Dr. Tara L. Kois have improved the oral health and smiles of thousands of patients with dental implants in Tacoma and Seattle, WA. From single restorations to full mouth dental implants, Kois Dentistry is dedicated to delivering state-of-the-art dental implant solutions with all the benefits that come with a restored smile.
Dental implants consist of a titanium or zirconia post that replicates the tooth root covered by a customized crown that resembles and replaces your natural tooth. The implant fuses with your jaw bone in a process called osseointegration, thereby functioning as a new root for the crown. Full mouth implants enable biting with increased force (up to 70% more), prevent bone deterioration, and restore facial features. Dental implants are stable — they don’t move in any way and are completely functional in terms of aesthetics and chewing ability.
State-of-the-art options offered at Kois Dentistry include natural-looking dental implants for single or several missing teeth, full mouth dental implants, and All-on-4 implant supported dentures. This alternative to traditional dentures maximizes the use of available bone with placement of a minimum of four implants. Implant-supported dentures are a more natural and functional option than removable dentures because they won’t slip, click, or fall out and you can eat all the foods you love. Whether you replace one tooth, several missing teeth, or a full arch, dental implants improve your ability to eat comfortably, feel confident in a complete smile, and live an overall healthier and better quality of life.
Dental implants are a lifetime investment in your health, function, and quality of life. Avoid the common mistakes people make when considering implants by following our recommendations.
When making the decision to get dental implants to replace missing teeth, it’s important to choose a professional with years of advanced training, in-depth knowledge of oral structure, and extensive restorative expertise. As a highly experienced prosthodontist and implant dentist, Dr. Dean Kois has placed and restored thousands of dental implants in Seattle-South Lake Union, WA and also trains other dental professionals in these methods at the prestigious Kois Center. As a team, Dr. Dean and Tara Kois leverage sophisticated surgical technologies and restorative materials to provide long-lasting solutions that are customized to each patient. For example, they offer zirconia dental implants in addition to standard titanium. This metal-free and hypoallergenic alternative is made of a durable ceramic material, thereby offering more favorable biocompatibility with the body than metal. While both titanium and zirconia have unique benefits, the team at Kois Dentistry go above and beyond during the diagnostic and planning stages of your dental implant process to explain your options and select the best option to meet your needs.
During your initial visit, we’ll discuss your dental and medical history, take digital x-rays, and create a customized treatment plan. Using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), we’ll create a detailed 3D digital image of your mouth and jaw. The 3D image is used to place your dental implants “virtually,” a process that provides an idea of what the end result will look like before the procedure starts. This also enables us to create a precise plan that eliminates any guesswork to ensure accurate placement the day of your implant surgery.
Aided by this custom surgical guide, a small incision is made in your gums and the implant is placed underneath the gums into your jaw bone. If you don’t have sufficient jaw bone volume to support an implant, we may use a bone graft to strengthen it. One or more temporary replacement teeth (e.g. dental crown or implant-supported denture) are attached to the implant posts. As your mouth heals over the next three or more months, you’ll be able to eat comfortably and enjoy renewed smile aesthetics until you receive your permanent, custom-made restoration.
Dental implants provide numerous advantages over other tooth replacement options. Unlike traditional dentures, dental implants are permanently secured in your jawbone and function like artificial tooth roots. Once they fuse with your jawbone, dental implants offer superior strength and stability and restore nearly 100% of natural biting and chewing power. Unlike dental bridges, dental implants don’t require healthy teeth to be present to support the restoration. Dental implants are the only tooth replacement that provide stimulation to keep the bone healthy. While other tooth replacement options need to be repaired or replaced periodically, dental implants are designed to last for the rest of your life! For these reasons, implants are a preferred solution for most of our patients.
Although they are associated with a higher upfront cost, dental implants are a cost-effective treatment compared to other tooth replacement options. With proper care, dental implants are an investment in your oral health that can last for decades, if not a lifetime! We have seen firsthand how dental implants deliver amazing benefits to our patients, so we want to make your dental implant surgery in Seattle-South Lake Union, WA as affordable and convenient as possible. We file insurance claims on your behalf, work to maximize your benefits, offer in-house financing, and partner with a leading financing company to enable manageable monthly payments.
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