Douglas AZ Dental Implants

A dental implant does not merely fill a gap in your smile; it replaces your entire tooth, including the root and the crown. It consists of a metal root form, or post, that bonds with the bone tissue beneath your gums after a minor surgical procedure. This metal post is then fitted with a restoration such as a crown or dental bridge.

Dr. Gilberto Tostado is an implant dentist and prosthodontist with more than three decades of experience. A prosthodontist is a dental specialist who has expertise in designing functional and natural-looking tooth replacements. He also has advanced training in implant surgery from post-graduate training in the United States and Europe and is a member of the American Prosthodontic Society. So he does the entire procedure—the surgical placement of the implant and placing the final restoration.

Getting Implants: What to Expect

Your treatment journey will begin with a consultation to determine whether implants are right for you. If Dr. Tostado informs you that you are a candidate, then our team will help you schedule your treatment.

Here is what the process looks like:

• At your first dental implant appointment, Dr. Tostado will do a comprehensive examination, including a 3-D x-ray scan, to determine if you are a good candidate for dental implants, to give you a complete estimate of the time and cost involved, and to plan the procedure.
• At your next visit, Dr. Tostado will make an incision in your gums, drill a small hole in the bone underneath, and insert the implant post. You will not feel any pain during this procedure because the surgical site will be numbed with local anesthesia.
• Your surgical site will be allowed to heal over a period of several months so that the bone can form a bond with the implant post, a process called osseointegration. Our team will provide you with after-care instructions to help you heal as quickly as possible.
• Dr. Tostado will then fit your implant for a custom restoration such as a crown, bridge, or implant-supported denture.

Besides replacing individual teeth, dental implants can also be placed to give you a more stable bite with an implant-supported denture. Please see our page on implant-supported dentures if you would like more information on that treatment.

Your New Life with Dental Implants

Dental implants offer advantages that traditional dentures cannot. Implants can improve the quality of your life by:

• Giving you confidence in the appearance of your smile
• Maintaining the alignment of the remaining teeth in your mouth
• Preventing the loss of bone in your jaw, which would lead to facial collapse
• Helping you comfortably and effectively chew foods and thus enjoy a more varied and nutritious diet

If you are looking for a dental implant specialist located just across the border, then request an appointment online or call us to schedule a consultation with Dr. Tostado.