Missing teeth create challenges that extend well beyond aesthetics, affecting your nutritional choices, speech clarity, social confidence, and the structural integrity of your jawbone and remaining teeth. For Sun City Summerlin residents facing tooth loss, whether from decay, gum disease, injury, or simply the cumulative effects of decades of use, dental implants offer a permanent, reliable solution that can restore complete function and improve quality of life during years that should be enjoyed to the fullest.
Drs. Chin and Pharar Dentistry provides comprehensive dental implant services for patients from Sun City Summerlin and throughout the Las Vegas area. Dr. Robert Chin and Dr. Jessica Pharar bring specialized expertise in complex cases and understand the unique considerations involved in treating mature adults, ensuring you receive personalized care that addresses your specific health circumstances, goals, and expectations.
Why Dental Implants Represent the Gold Standard
Dental implants have become the preferred tooth replacement option for good reason. Unlike bridges that require grinding down healthy adjacent teeth for support, or dentures that rest on your gums and may slip at inopportune moments, implants function independently and provide stability comparable to natural tooth roots. Each implant consists of a titanium post surgically placed into your jawbone, which fuses with the bone through osseointegration, creating a permanent foundation for replacement teeth.
Research indicates that dental implants have a success rate of approximately 97 percent, making them one of the most predictable procedures in dentistry. With proper care and maintenance, implants can last a lifetime, representing a long-term investment in your oral health and quality of life. According to industry statistics, more than 2.3 million Americans receive dental implants annually, with this number growing as more people discover the transformative benefits of this treatment approach.
Preventing Bone Loss and Facial Changes
When you lose a tooth, the jawbone in that area no longer receives the stimulation it needs from chewing forces to maintain its density and volume. Over time, this leads to bone resorption, where the bone gradually deteriorates and shrinks. This progressive bone loss can cause significant facial changes, including a collapsed appearance around the mouth, deepening wrinkles, and a sunken profile that adds years to your appearance and can make you look prematurely aged.
Dental implants are the only tooth replacement option that prevents this bone loss by transmitting chewing forces into the jawbone just as natural tooth roots do. This ongoing stimulation signals your body to maintain the bone, preserving your facial structure and preventing the progressive deterioration that occurs with bridges and dentures. For Sun City residents concerned about maintaining a youthful appearance and healthy facial structure throughout retirement years, this bone preservation represents a significant advantage.
Implant Options for Different Situations
The versatility of dental implant technology allows us to address tooth loss ranging from a single missing tooth to complete arch restoration. For individual missing teeth, a single dental implant provides an independent restoration that looks, feels, and functions like a natural tooth. This approach preserves the health of adjacent teeth that would need to be altered for a traditional bridge while providing superior aesthetics and long-term outcomes.
When you’re missing several teeth in the same area, multiple dental implants can support a fixed bridge, eliminating the need for removable partial dentures. This solution restores your ability to eat all types of food without concern while preventing the shifting of remaining natural teeth that often occurs when gaps are left untreated. The fixed nature of implant-supported bridges means they feel remarkably natural, and most patients quickly forget they have replacement teeth.
All-on-4 Solutions for Complete Arch Replacement
For patients who have lost most or all teeth in an arch, All-on-4 dental implants offer a revolutionary approach that can restore your entire smile with just four strategically placed implants per arch. This innovative technique maximizes the use of available bone, frequently eliminating the need for bone grafting procedures that would otherwise delay treatment and add to the complexity and cost.
The All-on-4 approach often allows you to leave our office with a temporary set of functional teeth on the same day as your implant surgery. This immediate loading protocol means you don’t have to go without teeth during the healing period, an important consideration for maintaining your quality of life and social engagement. Once osseointegration is complete after several months, we replace the temporary prosthesis with your permanent restoration, custom-designed for optimal function, comfort, and aesthetics.
Flexible Payment Plans Available
Comprehensive dental treatments with flexible financing options to make quality care affordable for everyone.
Special Considerations for Mature Adults
Age alone is not a barrier to successful dental implant treatment. Many of our Sun City Summerlin patients receive implants in their 60s, 70s, 80s, and beyond with excellent outcomes. However, certain health conditions and medications common among older adults do require special considerations and planning. Conditions like diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, and autoimmune disorders don’t necessarily preclude implant treatment, but they do require careful evaluation and sometimes coordination with your other healthcare providers.
Medications for osteoporosis, particularly bisphosphonates, require special attention during implant planning and placement. Blood thinners must be managed carefully to prevent excessive bleeding during surgery while maintaining the protection they provide against dangerous clots. Our experience with medically complex patients, including those undergoing cancer treatment and individuals managing multiple health conditions, ensures that we can safely provide implant therapy even when other health concerns are present.
Managing Bone Loss in Mature Patients
Many Sun City residents seeking implants have been missing teeth for years or even decades, during which significant bone loss has occurred. In some cases, inadequate bone volume prevents immediate implant placement without first rebuilding the foundation. We perform bone grafting procedures in-house when necessary, using advanced materials and techniques to regenerate bone in areas where it has deteriorated. While grafting extends the overall treatment timeline, it enables successful implant placement and long-term stability when bone loss would otherwise make implants impossible.
Sinus lift procedures may be necessary when placing implants in the upper back jaw area where the sinus cavity has expanded into space previously occupied by bone. These specialized techniques, which we provide routinely, create the vertical bone height needed for adequate implant length and stability. Our comprehensive approach to implant dentistry means you receive all necessary preparatory procedures in our Summerlin office rather than being referred to multiple specialists.
The Implant Process and Timeline
Your implant journey begins with a thorough evaluation including advanced imaging to assess your bone density, volume, and the position of vital structures like nerves and sinuses. We review your complete medical history, discuss your goals and expectations, and develop a personalized treatment plan that addresses your unique situation. This comprehensive planning phase ensures optimal implant placement and sets realistic expectations for your treatment timeline and outcomes.
The surgical phase involves precisely placing titanium implant posts into your jawbone at planned locations. Most patients experience less discomfort than they anticipate, and the procedure is performed using local anesthesia. For patients with dental anxiety or those undergoing extensive implant placement, we offer sedation options to ensure your complete comfort throughout the process. Following placement, the implants require a healing period typically lasting three to six months to properly integrate with your bone.
Restoration and Long-Term Care
Once osseointegration is complete, we attach custom-designed crowns, bridges, or dentures to your implants. These restorations are carefully crafted to match the appearance of natural teeth while providing optimal function and durability. We ensure proper fit and comfortable bite before finalizing your restoration, making any necessary adjustments so your new teeth feel natural and work perfectly.
Caring for dental implants mirrors the care of natural teeth. Regular brushing and flossing remove plaque and prevent gum disease that can compromise implant health. Professional cleanings every six months allow us to monitor your implants and address any concerns before they become problems. With this consistent care, your implants can provide decades of reliable service, potentially lasting your entire lifetime.
Investment in Quality of Life
Dental implants represent a significant financial investment, but one that pays dividends in improved health, function, and confidence for years or decades to come. The ability to eat nutritious foods that require chewing supports better overall health and nutrition during years when maintaining strength and vitality becomes increasingly important. Speaking clearly without worrying about slipping dentures and smiling confidently without self-consciousness enhances social connections and emotional well-being.
We work with multiple dental insurance carriers commonly held by Sun City residents, including Delta Dental, MetLife, CIGNA, and Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and our team helps you understand your coverage and maximize benefits. While dental insurance typically covers only a portion of implant costs, any contribution reduces your out-of-pocket investment. We provide clear, upfront cost information before beginning treatment so you can make informed financial decisions about your care.
Why Choose Our Practice for Implants
Our experience with complex cases and medically diverse patients distinguishes our practice and ensures you receive appropriate care regardless of health challenges you’re managing. Dr. Jessica Pharar’s training at UNLV School of Dental Medicine and her research background provide a foundation of evidence-based practice, while Dr. Robert Chin’s complementary expertise creates a team approach that benefits patients with diverse needs.
We perform implant procedures in our Summerlin office rather than referring you to outside specialists, providing continuity of care and eliminating the stress of coordinating treatment among multiple offices. This comprehensive approach means you work with familiar faces throughout your implant journey, from initial consultation through final restoration and ongoing maintenance.
Begin Your Implant Journey
If you’re tired of struggling with missing teeth, uncomfortable dentures, or bridges that compromise healthy teeth, dental implants may offer the permanent solution you’ve been seeking. Many Sun City Summerlin residents have discovered that implants can truly be life-changing, restoring abilities and confidence they thought were permanently lost.
We invite you to contact our office to schedule a consultation where we’ll evaluate your candidacy for implants, discuss your options, and answer all your questions. Together, we’ll determine whether dental implants are the right choice for your situation and develop a treatment plan that aligns with your goals, timeline, and budget. Your journey to a complete, confident smile begins with a single call.