Living with a missing tooth can have devastating consequences—both on your self-confidence and your oral health. You might feel self-conscious about smiling, or worse, others might make unfair judgments about you based on your appearance. If you have a missing tooth that you don’t replace, this can jeopardize the remaining healthy teeth in your mouth, leading to even more tooth loss because of shifting and difficulty with maintaining good oral hygiene in this area.
Dental implants offer us options never before possible in tooth replacement. We can restore single, multiple, or an entire arch of missing teeth with dental implants. Patients at our Chesterfield, MO dental office who have undergone the dental implant process all say the same thing: “It was much easier than I expected.”
Through the years, Dr. Mahlin has undergone extensive surgical and prosthetic implant training through the world-renowned Misch International Implant Institute. With Dr. Carl Misch serving as one of his many mentors, Dr. Mahlin has acquired both Surgical and Prosthetic Implant Fellowships through the institute and holds Fellowship standing with the International Congress of Oral Implantology.
Most people make fine candidates for this life-changing tooth replacement option. Find out more by contacting Dr. Scott Mahlin at Clarkson Dental Group in Chesterfield MO.
No long-term tooth loss solution can match the natural look, feel, function, and awesome durability of dental implants.
Many of our patients report minimal to zero discomfort after their dental implant placement when IV Moderate Sedation is utilized for their procedure. In most cases, our patients may experience minimal discomfort and swelling at the implant site for a 5-7 days after surgery. This may be managed with pain medication and at home post-operative care.
Just like our natural teeth, dental implants need to be regularly maintained with both home care and routine evaluation/cleaning by your dental professional. For all medical and dental surgeries, there are potential complications or side effects that can occur. The risks may include infection and/or nerve injury at the site of the dental implant placement. However, when a qualified dental professional performs the dental implant procedure, it considered one of the most predictable and safest procedures in dentistry.
Considering your individual surgery, we typically advise allowing the numbness to subside before eating at the site of the dental implant placement. To minimize post-operative discomfort, we advise a soft-food diet for the 24 hours after surgery. This includes yogurt, ice cream, soup, jello, applesauce, etc.
Our office works with you to ensure a quick and full recovery as soon as possible. This can be expedited by following all post-operative directions and care to include taking prescribed antibiotics and analgesics, maintaining diligent oral health care by carefully brushing and keeping area clean, and rest at home. Of greatest importance, is to not disrupt the surgical area and allow for it to heal. Absolutely refrain from the following: smoking, spitting, strenuous activity, or sucking through a straw for the first 24 hours after your dental implant placement.
We begin the creation of your custom crown within 4 months of having your implant placed and full healing of the dental implant is observed.
Your first step is to make an appointment to talk about dental implants with Dr. Mahlin. He will conduct an examination to assess your overall oral health and to determine whether
you have the bone density to support dental implants. If you don’t, he can talk to you about your options for building up the bone.
If your oral health is good enough to support dental implants, your next course of action will depend on the type of dental implants you will be getting.
Single dental implants—If you have just one tooth to replace, you might opt for a dental implant to replace it. After the healing process, which usually takes about three to four months, Dr. Mahlin will put the dental crown restoration on the implant to complete it.
You don’t have to live with missing teeth. Contact Clarkson Dental Group today to find out more about your options.
"This is an exceptional dental group in every aspect. Dr. Mahlin is an excellent dentist, compassionate and very skilled and knowledgeable in his field. He listens to and spends a great deal of time with his patients. And he has the very best staff around!! To a person, they are friendly, kind and sensitive to their patients’ concerns and needs. I would highly recommend this group to anyone!"
- Susan Jentes
It’s disheartening to visit your favorite restaurant and not be able to order the things you want, especially when you have to watch those around you enjoy their food.
This is one of the problems caused by tooth loss, as it significantly impacts your quality of life.
At Clarkson Dental Group, we ...
Adjusting to life after tooth loss can be challenging. Left untreated, the affected area can become infected, allow remaining teeth to shift out of alignment, and offer no protection against the loss of jawbone density that often accompanies tooth loss.
The good news is that a person's decision on how to ...
Dental implants are still the gold standard in tooth replacement. And they have earned this distinction through patient satisfaction and dentists’ recommendations.
Here are six reasons you should consider dental implants in Chesterfield, MO
Dental implants can last for decades and even for life, unlike other tooth ...
This precise machine is invaluable for planning implant surgery, complicated extractions, root canals, and orthodontics. In particular instances, this imaging allows for optimal care and communication when compared to the traditional 2-dimensional radiograph. We now have the ability to 'virtually' predict procedural results before they are initiated. We value your care and have taken great measures to ensure your treatment results meet your desired goals.
With high-tech dentistry, we can provide our patients with better diagnoses, more accurate planning, and highly successful treatments.
Chesterfield native Dr. Scott Mahlin earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at St. Louis University. He went on to earn a DDS at the University of Missouri at Kansas City; he did a sedation residency at the University of Alabama. His continuing education includes:
About his work, Dr. Mahlin says, “I understand that dental care is a very personal ...
