Dental Implants
Dental Implants in Kearny Mesa
The closest thing to getting it back.
An implant replaces a missing tooth at the root. It looks like a tooth, works like a tooth, and asks nothing of the healthy teeth on either side of it. We plan, place and restore dental implants in this Kearny Mesa office.
At a glance
- What it is
- A titanium post that replaces the root of a missing tooth, with a crown on top.
- Where
- Kearny Mesa Smile Center, 8018 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92111.
- Phone
- (858) 256-4838
- When
- Fridays and Saturdays, 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
- Planning
- 3D CBCT imaging, planned in software. Dr. Cortes fabricates the surgical guide in this office.
- Typical timeline
- Several months, most of it healing time.
- Placed and restored
- Both, in this office.
A Gap Does NotStay A Gap
Losing a tooth is not only about the space. The jawbone that used to hold that root no longer has a job to do, and bone that is not being used starts to shrink away, fastest in the first year.
Meanwhile the teeth on either side begin to lean into the space, and the tooth above or below it starts to drift down or up looking for something to bite against. Most people also start chewing on the other side without ever deciding to, which puts years of extra work on that half of the mouth.
None of this happens quickly enough to notice. That is exactly why it is worth dealing with before it becomes three problems instead of one.
How Dental Implants Work
01. Imaging. We take a 3D CBCT scan, a digital scan of your teeth, and photographs. The CBCT shows how much bone is there, where the nerve runs, and exactly where the implant should sit. All of it happens here, so you are not sent to another office to be imaged.
02. Planning the surgery on screen. With those files, Dr. Cortes plans the placement in CAD/CAM software and then fabricates a custom surgical guide for your mouth himself, in this office. The guide fits over your jaw during surgery and puts the implant exactly where it was planned. About 98 percent of the implants we place are placed this way.
03. Placing the implant. A titanium post goes into the jawbone under local anesthetic, positioned by the guide. For a single implant this is usually a shorter appointment than people expect, and most patients are surprised at how little there is to it.
04. Healing. The bone grows onto the surface of the implant and locks it in place. This takes a few months and there is nothing to do but let it happen.
05. The crown. Once the implant is solid, we take a scan, the lab builds a crown shaped and shaded to match the teeth beside it, and we fit it. That is the part you see.
When It Is,And When It Is Not
An implant needs enough healthy bone to sit in. If the tooth has been gone a long time, there may not be enough left, and a graft may be needed first. The CBCT tells us that before anything is scheduled, not partway through.
Some health histories and habits affect how well an implant heals, and smoking is the most common one. Dr. Cortes will talk that through with you honestly rather than after the fact.
Dental Implants in Kearny Mesa and San Diego
Everything happens at 8018 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. We place the implant and we restore it, so you are not coordinating between two practices or telling your history twice.
We are open Fridays and Saturdays, so the stages of treatment are spaced across weeks rather than crammed into a week. For most people that suits implant treatment well, since the healing time is the long part anyway.
We also work closely with specialists. Depending on what your case needs, a specialist may come into the office to work alongside Dr. Cortes, or we may send you to their office for part of the treatment. That is decided at the planning stage, before anything starts.
You will see the scan on the screen, and you will know the full cost and the sequence before anything is booked.
Dental Implant Questions
Most of it is waiting. Placing the implant is one appointment. The bone then needs a few months to grow onto it before the crown can go on. Your exact timeline depends on where the implant is and what your bone looks like, and Dr. Cortes will give you a schedule at the planning visit.
The placement is done under local anesthetic and most patients report less discomfort afterward than they expected, often less than an extraction. You will be given specific aftercare instructions before you leave.
That is common, particularly if the tooth has been missing for years. A bone graft can rebuild the site so an implant can be placed later. The CBCT scan tells us whether this applies to you before any treatment is planned.
Implants are designed to be permanent, and with good hygiene and regular checkups many last for decades. The crown on top is a separate component and may need replacing sooner, in the way any crown might.
Yes. Several missing teeth can be replaced with individual implants, or implants can support a bridge or a full arch. Which approach makes sense depends on how many teeth are missing and where.
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8018 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92111
info@kearnymesasmilecenter.com
Call (858) 256-4838Text (858) 256-4838
Office hours
Friday and Saturday: 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Sunday through Thursday: Closed