Missing teeth cause discomfort and embarrassment. Let us help restore your comfort and confidence with state-of-the-art dental implants.

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Dental Implants in Birmingham, AL

Serving the Birmingham, AL community

Tooth loss can take a toll on your everyday life. You may struggle to chew the foods you love. Smiling may cause you embarrassment and your confidence to plummet. Those and numerous other health consequences make addressing tooth loss essential, and many patients today turn to dental implants, among the most advanced leading-edge tooth replacement options.

At Cook Family Dental, we recommend dental implants for numerous reasons, but to start, they have a 95% success rate, so the quality-of-life improvements they provide will last for years.

What is a dental implant?
How does the dental implant process work?
Is the procedure for placing implants painful?
The Benefits of Tooth Implants
Why is it important to replace missing teeth?
How do implant-supported dentures work?
What's the best way to care for my implant?
How do I arrange an implant consultation to get started?

What Is a Dental Implant?

Couple hugging after getting dental implants at Cook Family Dental

A dental implant is a tooth replacement that is the most natural tooth analog in function, appearance, and comfort. While dental bridges or dentures sit on your gums, we provide dental implant surgery to place an artificial tooth root in your jaw. This structure is made from biocompatible titanium.

Dental implants also support several different tooth restorations, making them one of the most versatile tooth replacement options.

Our Implant Process in Birmingham

Dr. Cook has specialized training in placing dental implants. This helps him ensure that you're a good candidate (some patients require bone grafting) and that your treatment plan is carefully prepared. Then, with his expertise and experience, he surgically places the implant in your jaw during a procedure that takes just one to two hours.

As your artificial root heals, it fuses with surrounding jaw bone tissue. When healing is complete, the implant has become a permanent part of your dental anatomy.

When ready, we will supply a tooth restoration, depending on your needs. To replace a single tooth, we will attach a dental crown. For multiple tooth restorations, we will provide a dental bridge, removable partial denture, or denture. Finally, we fasten the planned restoration securely to the artificial root to complete your dental implant procedure.

Is the Implant Placement Procedure Painful?

We understand that the dental implant procedure may sound extensive, but we typically find it easier to place an implant than to extract a tooth. In addition, because we perform the procedure under a local anesthetic that numbs the area, most patients report little pain.

But at Cook Family Dentistry, your comfort is our priority, so if you feel concerned about the procedure, please let us know. We can discuss oral sedation to help you relax while Dr. Cook places your implant.

The Benefits of Tooth Implants

An illustration of a dental implant with crown in Birmingham,AL While you may choose from several tooth replacements, dental implants have numerous advantages over more conventional options. Among those are:

Durability – Being securely anchored in your bone makes a dental implant the most secure replacement possible.
Bone health – Because they mimic natural teeth, the pressure transmitted via tooth implants promotes jaw bone regeneration.
Versatility – Your dental implant can restore anywhere from one tooth to an entire implant-supported denture.

Why Is It Important to Replace Missing Teeth?

Many people in Birmingham, AL, may not realize that a gap in your smile has many impacts beyond the most apparent. If you avoid replacing a lost tooth, you can suffer from many problems, such as:

Lost tooth alignment when neighboring teeth slip into the space
Uneven and premature tooth wear
Jaw bone degeneration from lack of chewing pressure
Nutrition loss from trouble chewing healthy foods
Lost confidence from a "gappy" smile

If you're ready to replace missing teeth, Dr. Cook's team of dental professionals is happy to help get you back on the road to a complete and functional smile.

How Do Implant-Supported Dentures Work?

Dental implants have dramatically improved the quality of life for many people who wear dentures. Implants solve many problems with removable dentures by providing a more stable base. Dr. Cook places implants at various points along your jaw and then designs your dentures to snap onto them. As a result, secure dentures won't irritate your gums and rarely shift, slip, or fall out at the most awkward moments.

What's the Best Way to Care for My Dental Implant?

The long-term success of your tooth implant depends on your gums and jaw health, as they are your implant's foundation. So it is essential to keep your gum tissue healthy and avoid developing periodontal disease, supplemented with a commitment to good oral health and hygiene and routine visits to Cook Family Dental. These appointments allow Dr. Cook to look for signs of gum disease and treat it early before it threatens the stability of your implant.

Dental Implants and Tooth Replacement Options in Birmingham, AL

Dental implants are a way to replace missing teeth that we are happy to explain, recommend, place and support. Please use our convenient online form or call our dental office at (205) 894-3101 and speak to one of our friendly team members.

Very pleased!

I was very pleased with my experience at Cook Family and Cosmetic Dentistry on August 6. Sarah, who cleaned my teeth, was very friendly and professional; she was gentle and thorough in cleaning my teeth, and she gave me useful information in response to my questions on how best to care for them. Dr. Cook was great too--always friendly and helpful. I strongly recommend this dental practice to those who are looking for a new dentist.

Miriam B

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are dentures a good option for me?

If you are missing all of your teeth on either the top or bottom (or both), complete dentures are one way to replace them. Complete dentures have been around for many, many years, and they have definitely improved over the years. They can provide an "instant facelift" by adding volume under previously shrunken cheeks and lips, and the teeth can be custom made to the patient's preference. They are also a relatively inexpensive way to regain some chewing ability, as well as personal confidence.

Disadvantages of Dentures

Some of the disadvantages of dentures include the fact that they are removable, and they can take a while to get used to. Upper dentures usually cover the entire roof of the mouth to ensure their strength and stability, and lower dentures tend to be loose-fitting and uncomfortable for many patients. Fortunately for many patients, these disadvantages can be addressed with implants! By allowing the denture to be snapped onto implants, their fit is much improved, the roof of the mouth does not have to be covered, and perhaps most importantly, the jawbone is preserved by the implants.

Please do not hesitate to call us at (205) 326-6384 if you have any questions about your smile and how we might be able to help!

How do dental implants work?

Dental implants in Birmingham, AL replace missing teeth with restorations that mimic their natural relative more closely than anything currently available. In addition, implants are anchored to your jaw and into the bone so that structurally, they have the same stability and longevity as the teeth they replace.

To begin, the team at Cook Family Dental will create a treatment customized to your personal needs, whether you require a single tooth or a prosthetic to restore multiple teeth. The implant process has several steps and may take several months, depending on your particular oral health conditions.

Dental Implant Advantages

Compared to similar types of missing tooth replacements, dental implants are superior in several ways. Some of the main benefits are:

Durability – Dental implants can last for years or longer, especially the foundation.
Comfort – The surgical stability of a dental implant means no sliding or shifting to compromise the fit.
Health – By attaching to your jawbone, dental implants restore bone pressure during chewing, promoting bone regeneration.
Appearance – We make the tooth portion of your restoration from high-quality ceramic and composites that perfectly match natural teeth.

The Anatomy of a Dental Implant

We may divide your dental implant into three parts: the implant screw, the implant abutment, and the crown, which is the visible part of the implant. Each section is installed individually, building the restoration from the bone up.

The implant screw, also called the artificial root, is the part that embeds into the bone. This portion is made from titanium, specifically designed to become fused into your bone structure, resulting in a foundation as strong as you had in your original tooth.

Dental Implant Screw Healing Period

After Dr. Aaron Cook surgically implants the foundation of your restoration, you will undergo a process called osseointegration. This mechanism takes several months while also promoting healing, where bone tissue grows around the implant screw. Once osseointegration is complete, your implant's foundation will have the strength to withstand the repeated and powerful stress you place on your teeth when chewing.

Connecting Your Dental Implant Crown or Denture

The abutment joins the implant's foundation and the portion that looks most like your teeth: the crown or crowns in the cases of a bridge or denture. Your abutment will take one of the various shapes depending on the specific restoration you need. For example, we fit a single tooth implant with an abutment to attach to a single crown.

Dental Implants Replace Multiple Teeth at Once

But if you have multiple missing teeth, we will design your implants to support a multiple-tooth replacement.

Our patients agree that dentures backed by implant attachments are more stable and comfortable than conventional dentures, which fit over your gums and depend on less reliable adhesive methods. Therefore, the final restoration you chose will be the best option we can offer, and Dr. Cook and his team will help you choose the restoration that meets your goals.

Dental Implants in Birmingham, AL

In modern dentistry, you can have your missing teeth restored by dental implants in various ways. We encourage you to reverse the effects and embarrassment of missing teeth and give us a call. Our warm staff can schedule an appointment today.

Why is it important to replace missing teeth?

Missing teeth are not just an aesthetic problem. They make it difficult to speak and chew properly. Worse yet, if you don’t replace missing teeth with dental implants or a bridge, you can face serious oral health problems in the future.

The root of a healthy tooth does a lot more than just hold it in place. It actually stimulates the regeneration of healthy tissue in your jaw. When the root is lost, this process comes to a halt and your jawbone can start to deteriorate.

Health Issues When a Tooth is Not Replaced

A missing tooth can also affect the alignment of the rest of your teeth. Even though you’re not aware of it, your teeth are always moving to some extent. This movement allows teeth surrounding the missing tooth to gradually drift out of place.

This starts a cycle of unwanted effects including misaligned teeth, premature wearing of teeth due to grinding, and even TMJ if the tooth is not replaced.

Tooth Replacement Solution

Dental implants are the perfect solution for replacing missing teeth. They are held in place in the jaw so they solve the problem of the missing root. Since dental implants are so stable, they offer a perfect base for a restoration like a dental crown.

You don’t have to live with the inconvenience of missing teeth. Please contact our Birmingham dental office, and we’ll be happy to arrange a consultation to see if dental implants are right for you.

Meet Our Doctor:

Dr. Aaron Cook | Dentist | Cook Family & Cosmetic Dentistry | Birmingham, AL

Aaron Cook DMD

Welcome to Cook Family Dental!

My name is Dr. Aaron Cook. I am very excited to be a part of this dental family, and I look forward to getting to know each one of our valued patients. Let me tell you a little about myself.

I grew up in Hoover and was a member of the first graduating class from Hoover High School. I attended Birmingham-Southern College and got my dental degree from UAB Dental School in ...

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