An Overview of Dental Implant
Have you lost one of your teeth, making you feel embarrassed to smile? A smile is one of your greatest facial features and should not be hidden because of a temporary problem. Even though losing your natural tooth can be jarring, modern dentistry has solutions that can permanently replace your lost tooth. Whether you are missing one tooth or if you’re missing multiple teeth, there are dental implant services near you that can help restore your smile along with your self-confidence.
If you need more information, talk to our prosthodontist at Great Neck Dental Associates to get a dental implant consultation today.
What Are Dental Implants?
They are small screw-like metal posts that are installed in the jawbone to hold a replacement crown in place of a missing tooth. Implants work by replacing the roots of teeth first (the post), then the visible tooth (the crown). The procedure is different from other tooth replacement alternatives in that it involves surgery. Before you begin to worry about what dental surgery would mean for you, understand that dental implants are as close to a truly permanent dental solution that we currently have available in dentistry. You can think of them as closely matching natural teeth regarding strength, stability, and even longevity. Dental implants can last 25 or more years if performed by a qualified dentist and are properly maintained.
What Is the Procedure for Getting Dental Implants?
The timeline and procedure for getting dental implants differ from patient to patient. Your dentist will determine the kind of procedure that’s best for you after careful examination and consultation. The first thing they’ll look at is the health of your gums and jawbone. If there are any issues there, that will be the first step towards getting a dental implant. If needed, you’ll undergo bone grafting, a process that helps restore the health of your bone tissue, which is the primary target area for the entire implantation procedure. If you have unhealthy gums, our dentist will recommend perio treatment prior to the cosmetic and restorative treatment of implants.
For bone grafting, the process involves getting bone grafts from other parts of your body or synthetic sources. The grafts are then used to repair your damaged bone tissue, promoting the generation of new bone tissue. After your surgery, you will need to heal and recover for 2-4 months. This time frame differs from one patient to another. Until you are fully healed, you cannot proceed with the rest of the implantation procedure.
Once your jawbone is healthy, the implantation procedure will entail the following steps:
- Incision – your dentist will make a small incision on your gums at the area of the lost tooth. These steps will be painless because your dentist will use local anesthesia to numb your mouth and employ sedation dentistry to help you stay calm and relaxed throughout your treatment.
- Drilling – the dentist uses special dental tools to drill a hole in your jawbone. The size of the hole is equivalent to the size of the metal post to be inserted.
- Implantation – your dentist will carefully place the screw-like implant in the drilled hole. Once the implant is placed, they will sew the gum tissue back in place. This step will ensure that the implant receives ample support from both your jawbone and gum tissue. After this step, you have to go home for a couple of weeks until your mouth heals. In some cases, this may take up to three months. Meanwhile, a lab will create your new crowns using impressions taken prior to surgery.
- Filling and crowning – on your next dental visit, your dentist will install an implant crown.This crown varies from individual crowns that you’re likely very used to all the way to bridges, all-on-four implants, or all-on-six implants in the case of multiple missing teeth where individual implants would be painful and expensive.
Schedule an Appointment
As you can see, the procedure of getting dental implants in Great Neck, NY takes time and requires patience. It’s different for every patient, and only a qualified implant dentist can really help you understand the process that’s best for YOU. You will need a properly planned out treatment plan to cover the entire timeline of the procedure. Visit our dental implant practice at Great Neck Dental Associates today for an appointment.