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Dental Implants

Dental Implants in O'Fallon, IL Dental implants are this century's most significant advance in tooth replacement technology. They are the most realistic option when it comes to mimicking the look and function of your natural teeth. While traditional tooth replacements sit either on top of your gums or are attached to adjoining teeth, dental implants are fixed deep within your jawbone via an artificial root we surgically place at our O'Fallon, IL, dentist's office.

At Innovation Dental Group, Dr. Alex Schillinger and his team have extensive experience with this innovative dental restoration technology. While our most popular implant procedure replaces a single tooth with a dental crown, we also use multiple implants to replace several missing teeth. In addition, an entire arch of failing teeth can be replaced with only four to six implants.

The Negative Consequences of Missing Teeth

If you've lost a tooth, it may impact your daily life in numerous ways. In your front teeth, gaps are the most noticeable, but lost molars impede your ability to chew. Certain teeth also help you speak and support your underlying facial structure. The situation worsens because teeth around the gap may shift into that space over time, causing loose teeth and bite misalignments.

Another problem with missing teeth is how it harms your bone health. Chewing pressure is transmitted to your jawbone via the tooth root, stimulating bone growth. When that pressure decreases, your bone does not regenerate at the same rate, causing the bone to be thin and potentially ongoing tooth loss.

The Advantages of Dental Implants in O'Fallon, IL

Dental implants use a surgical-grade titanium replacement for tooth roots and provide a permanent foundation for replacement teeth. Although dental implants aren't your only tooth replacement option, they do offer several advantages:

Replacement tooth root becomes permanent
Tooth implants look and perform like natural teeth
A single tooth implant doesn't impact surrounding teeth
Dental implants are easy to clean compared to dentures and bridges

We Are Your O'Fallon, IL, Implant Dental Office

When you lose one or more teeth, you can suffer more severe consequences than a gap in your smile. So if you're looking for the most advanced tooth replacement option, the Innovation Dental team can help educate you on a dental implant as a potential solution.

We encourage you to contact our office to learn more.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does healing take after dental implants?

The healing process can vary widely from person to person. Whether it's a minor cut or recovering from surgery, factors like a person's age, immune health, and general well-being influence how long recovery may take. This is also true for dental implants.

After Dr. Schillinger has placed your implant's titanium root, your jawbone and gums will need several weeks to heal before we perform any further work. This gives your jaw and the implant screw time to fuse. During this process, the titanium structure, which is known as osseointegration, integrates into your bone structure to provide a robust and stable base for your final restoration.

The total time from the implant surgery to complete healing may range from three to six months.

How Do You Confirm Healing Is Complete?

At Innovation Dental, we can take advantage of leading-edge technology to assess your level of healing. With our Osstell handheld device, we can scan your implant site, and the tool translates your healing status into a single number. When that number is appropriate, Dr. Schillinger will place your final restoration, whether it be one crown for a single tooth replacement or an implant bridge where you need multiple teeth replaced.

Meet Our Doctor:

Dr. Alex Schillinger DMD
Owner/Dentist

Dr. Schillinger has a level of training and expertise that sets him apart from most O’Fallon dentists. Dr. Schillinger is a 1999 graduate of Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine. Upon graduation, he also completed a General Practice Residency in Advanced Dentistry at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio, where he received certification in intravenous (IV) conscious sedation.

Dr. Schillinger is also a graduate of the Dawson Center for Advanced Dental Study, a leading Institute for the practice of comprehensive dental care, complex restorative treatments, and the treatment of Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJ). In addition, ...

Featured Blog Posts - Dental Implants

June 3, 2025

Dental Implants: A Lasting Fix for Missing Teeth & Smile Renewal

Dental implants have revolutionized tooth replacement by offering a permanent and aesthetically appealing solution for missing teeth. In recent decades, clinical research has confirmed that implants not only restore the smile but also maintain jawbone integrity and enhance overall oral function. This article serves as a comprehensive guide on dental implants, discussing their fundamentals, long-term benefits, candidacy, placement journey, maintenance, and financial and alternative considerations. By understanding the intricacies of dental implants—from the materials science behind titanium alloys and osseointegration to the impact on chewing function and aesthetics—patients ...

March 4, 2025

Are You a Candidate for Dental Implants? 5 Signs You May Need This Tooth Replacement Solution

If you’re missing one or more teeth, you may be considering dental implants as a long-term solution. Dental implants are the most advanced tooth replacement option, offering durability, functionality, and a natural appearance. Unlike traditional bridges or dentures, implants are permanently anchored into the jawbone, mimicking the structure of a natural tooth. But are they the right solution for you?

At Innovation Dental in O’Fallon, IL, we specialize in state-of-the-art dental implant technology to restore your smile and improve oral health. If you’re unsure whether implants are the best choice, ...

Read Our Blogs

Dental Implants Technology

CBCT Cone Beam

Our office uses Cone Beam Computed Tomography software, which obtains a wide-angle x-ray that assembles the images into a 3-D facial anatomy reconstruction. This holistic view includes your teeth, jaw, and other oral structures and the relationships between them. This technology offers enhanced diagnostic capability for pathology, accurate and safe dental implant planning and placement, and even offers a 3-D view of the internal root canal anatomy.

Using a scanning unit that moves all the way around your head, this tool uses a conical-shaped x-ray beam that widens as it transmits to capture a complete cross-section of your face. As a result, this tool puts together a more precise mapping of your mouth and face with less radiation exposure.

CBCT Technology Uses at Our O’Fallon Dental Office

The Innovation Dental Group team uses cone-beam technology for better diagnosis and treatment in the following instances:

Any deviations in your mouth’s bony structures
Provides ideal implant orientation
Confirms your need for a bone graft or sinus lift
Determines the length and scale of your potential implant
Instantly sends images to dental planning software

We often pair CBCT scans with other imaging technologies to ensure the best possible treatment outcomes.

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