Los Angeles Dental Implants

Los Angeles dental implants at Boston Dental Care at Boston Dental Care

Choose your California implant dentist carefully

There's something you need to know, if you're looking for quality implant dentistry. Dental implants are a relatively new area of dental treatment, and implantology is not yet a legally recognized specialty area. This means that you as a patient can be particularly vulnerable, because dentists without any specialty training can claim to be qualified to place and restore dental implants. This is leading to a lot of cases of dental implant failure. You may want to read this dental implant failure page to learn about all the things that could go wrong with improper treatment.

But that doesn't mean that you are completely without guidance in this area. There are some certifying organizations that can assure you that a dentist is properly trained. The number of dentists who can document their qualifications with certification is fairly small—fewer than one-half of one percent of dentists take the trouble to become certified. Certification, however, can provide great assurance to patients.

Dr. Thein - board certified - maybe the best Los Angeles implant dentist

Is Dr. Thein the best implant dentist in Los Angeles?

There are no recognized standards for judging who is the best implant dentist. But Dr. Robert Thein has some impressive credentials. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology. This board certification is given to recognize the highest level of competence in Implant Dentistry. Dr. Thein's clinical areas of expertise also include dental anxiety and cosmetic dentistry. Additionally, he is a diplomate of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists. He did not have to obain these credentials in order to provide implant dentistry treatment. But Dr. Thein's patients recognize that his pursuit of these difficult-to-obtain credentials and the expertise that he has shown by obtaining them are part of the reason they trust him so implicitly. He has a long list of testimonials from these grateful patients.

What do Dr. Thein's dental implant credentials mean for you?

The best way to illustrate what all this means for you is with a personal story. Let's tell you about Joe, a patient who came to Dr. Thein a couple of years ago. He had been busy running a successful business and hadn't been to the dentist in quite a while. Besides that, he was extremely nervous about dental treatment. He was missing some teeth, and many of those he had left were loose or broken. He was embarrassed to smile and so he was uncomfortable at parties. And one thing that particularly troubled him as an Italian-American—he wasn't able to enjoy his food.

He went to a local dentist, who told him that he couldn't save any of his teeth, and his only option was to have them all extracted and get removable complete dentures. Joe protested that a denture would cover his palate and interfere with the enjoyment of his food and wine, but the dentist insisted that was his only option. Not satisfied, Joe sought out the services of Dr. Thein for a second opinion.

On the left is a photograph of how Joe looked when he presented in Dr. Thein's office. You can see that he is missing some front teeth. Many of the remaining teeth were indeed hopeless because of Joe's advanced periodontal disease. But there were some that were able to be saved.

Dr. Thein presented Joe's full range of options, and he chose to have the very best care that Dr. Thein could offer.

The end result is pictured at the right. Joe is happy, smiles confidently, and enjoys his food just as if he had his own natural teeth. That's because dental implants restore both the root and the crown of the tooth, and look and feel completely natural.

For an explanation of what Dr. Thein did for Joe, please click to see our page: Joe's dental implants.

Joe, after, showing his new Los Angeles dental implants

Joe's mouth showing dental deterioration
Before

Joe's mouth, after dental implant restoration
After

More about our Los Angeles Dental Implants

Boston Dental Care is located in beautiful La Crescenta, California (in Los Angeles County) and proudly provides service to La Canada, Glendale and the surrounding areas. This website provides information on Dental Implants, Cosmetic Dentistry, Sedation Dentistry and more. For further information on cosmetic dentistry, you may want to consult Dr. Thein's Los Angeles cosmetic dentist website. We appreciate the opportunity to provide you with the finest dental implant care available. Our La Crescenta Dental office is dedicated to serving our patients in a caring and friendly environment.

If you want to replace one or more missing teeth, Dr. Thein can definitely help you. Dental implants provide greater structural support and last longer than bridges, removable partials or dentures. But they are a complex procedure requiring specific knowledge and training. It is important to find an implant dentist who has special training and experience in this area of dentistry. Dr. Thein has that special training, certified by both the American Board of Oral Implantology and the International Congress of Oral Implantology.

Our office is completely equipped for dental implants and Dr. Thein, because of his expertise, can take care of your entire case, including both the surgical and restorative phases. Having all treatment done in one location eliminates the inconvenience of your going from surgeon to dentist, etc. It also eliminates mistakes in treatment, because sometimes surgeons will place the root forms in positions that make the restorative part of the treatment not work as well. Those communications problems don't happen when the same dentist does both the surgery and the restoration.

Helping people like yourself to achieve a sense of well-being by enhancing your dental comfort, function and appearance is our mission. Our staff is made up of well-trained professionals who work together to bring you the highest quality treatment in a warm, comfortable and caring setting.

The Benefits of Dental Implants

• end the embarrassment of removable teeth
• renewed confidence, knowing that your teeth won't slip or fall out
• you can eat whatever you like
• since your palate isn't covered, you can fully taste all your food
• you can talk without denture clatter
• smile without reservation
• feel good about yourself
• be healthier and look better
• make dentures secure/reliable
• improve speech/increase comfort
• replace missing teeth

Your Initial Visit

First you will have the opportunity to meet with Dr. Thein privately, to discuss any desires or concerns which you may have relating to your smile and your general oral health. A gentle but thorough examination of your mouth will then be performed. A detailed evaluation of your teeth, soft tissues, alignment, bite, jaw joint and an oral cancer screening will be completed. A set of x-rays will be taken and study models of your teeth will be made as necessary. All the information obtained will be carefully evaluated so that we may accurately assess your dental health.

Fees and Payments

First ask yourself, can I afford not to get dental implants? With missing teeth, loose-fitting dentures or bone loss your quality of life is greatly affected. Inability to chew food properly or to eat the foods you like, premature aging (sunk-in look of the mouth), embarrasing denture clatter, and worrying about your appearance shouldn't hold you back from enjoying life. All these problems can be improved through dental implants.

Dental implant costs vary from individual to individual and are based on different conditions. After your first examination, we'll accurately assess your dental health and can better answer your questions. Dr. Thein understands your concerns. Many patients in our office have the same concerns.

Recently we finished implant care on a patient named Tom. He is a retired railroad worker on a fixed income that hated the dark spaces between his teeth. We tailored his treatment plan to fit within his budget. Now he is enjoying his new smile. We can do the same thing for you.

Making dentistry affordable is very important to us. That is why we make every effort to keep down the cost of your dental care. We provide a private consultation relating to any dental problem of your concern. We will answer all of your questions. We will go over all of the charges in advance and we won't start any dental treatment without your approval. If you have dental insurance, we will work with you to assure that you receive the maximum benefits to which you are entitled. We accept Visa, Master Card, Discover and American Express. With Care Credit® we offer no interest financing with low monthly payments for qualified patients.

Will Insurance Pay for Dental Implants?

Although some insurance plans will cover a portion of the cost of Dental Implants, most will only pay for the procedure if you are replacing a tooth lost as the result of an accident. Our office can help you find out what your dental plan provides.

What Our Dental Implant Patients Are Saying...

"Dr. Thein has completely rebuilt my mouth. From 1999 to 2003 he has worked on a bridge for my front teeth and eight Dental Implants, while removing all the loose teeth in my jaws. During that time he performed sinus augmentation surgery to grow bone and several office procedures to place Dental Implants into my jaws. Through all the procedures I have felt no pain and have had the pleasure of being kept fully apprised of all that was happening along the way. Now I am able to chew my food with confidence!"

- Thomas McKegney