You know that feeling… that feeling when you’re munching away at your favorite snacks and all of a sudden… there it is again.  That tooth pain that you been “sort of” ignoring.  You think, well, maybe it will just go away on it’s own.  Wishful thinking indeed!  You tell your self that you’ve had pain like that before and it did go away.  Or did it?

You know that something must be done sooner rather than later.  But you have concerns.  Chief among them is “How much do dental implants it cost?”  That is a certainly valid concern, but let’s take a look at that concern from a more realistic perspective: how much does it cost to do nothing?  That’s the true concern. Another concern is shifting teeth.  Keep in mind too that your teeth are shifting all of the time, and any space created by a missing tooth means the rest of your teeth will start to “take up that open space” making an implant procedure more difficult.

But take heart!  When you have an expert San Diego dental implants dentist like Dr. George in town — with years of experience and hundreds of satisfied patients who have had dental implants in La Jolla just like those you will likely need, it’s a comforting feeling.  Comforting knowing that you will get the best treatment available from an experienced professional, and that the end result will be nothing short of perfect.  A perfect smile along with perfect functionality.  Above all, Dr. George will put you at complete ease every step of the way.  It’s comforting knowing you are getting the best treatment available.

OK.  So you’ve made the decision to do something about your toothache.  But you want to learn more about the dental implant dentist in San Diego and the procedures he uses to be sure you know exactly what to expect.  With a little research on our website, you’ll find out that there are three steps to replacing a missing tooth with a dental implant.  First, if the bad tooth is still in your mouth, it must be extracted.  This sounds like a painful procedure, but it’s really quite simple and painless.  Local anesthetic will have you feeling no pain at all.  However, should you feel any heightened anxiety, Dr. George can orally sedate you — or even provide IV sedation.  The important thing is that you are fully comfortable with every step of the procedure and Dr. George will see to it that this is the case.  Chances are your ailing tooth is ready to go, so it’s a simple procedure to remove it and make room for your new implanted replacement tooth.  On the other hand, if your bad tooth has already fallen out on its own, even easier.  We move on to the important first step in the implant procedure.

First, a post is installed or “implanted” into your jawbone.  Then we give your mouth time to heal.  On a subsequent visit, Dr. George will fashion a temporary crown that fits onto the implant.  He will take the time to be sure it feels just right as you bite down.  The next step is to have the temporary crown turned into a permanent, porcelain tooth to match the shade of the rest of your teeth.  On your third visit, Dr. George installs the final porcelain crown into the implanted post and your mouth is as good as new!

The final result is not only effective for chewing practically anything (popcorn being one exception as an un-popped kernel can damage the crown), but also enhances your smile and overall appearance.

Important to note: while the above procedure outline is usually how things go with implants, every mouth is unique and every patient unique, so there are always exceptions.  This is where the skill and experience of a La Jolla dental implants expert like Dr. George comes in.  Years of successful dental implants means that Dr. George has seen it all and done it all.  Has another doctor placed an implant some years ago that now requires restoration?  No problem!  Dr. George can take care of you.  Or maybe you have dentures you want to replace with implants.  Come and see Dr. George and with an evaluation he will tell you if that can be done.  Whatever your individual situation, Dr. George has the skill and experience to take great care of you.

Now comes the important part: your follow-through.  You are now somewhat educated on the implant procedure and you’re ready to make the call.  Dr. George’s friendly La Jolla cosmetic dentist staff will make you feel comfortable every step of the way.  Give us a call today at (858) 552-1223 and begin your journey to dental excellence with Dr. George!  We are conveniently located at 4510 Executive Drive, Suite 106 in La Jolla.