Long Island Suffolk County Dental Implants and Implant Dentists
At Sachem Dental Group, one of the most effective treatments we recommend when replacing missing teeth is dental implants. We offer comprehensive, start-to-finish implant therapy right here in our Long Island office, so there’s no need to bounce back and forth between multiple specialists or clinics throughout Suffolk County. Sedation options are also available!
What Are Dental Implants?
Implants are artificial tooth roots made out of biocompatible materials. When placed into your mouth near the location of your missing tooth, the bone around implants grows and fuses with it, permanently anchoring it into place as if it were a natural part of your body.
Because implants are so strong, they can support a tremendous amount of weight (even more than a healthy tooth.) As such, they’re reliable for anchoring fixed restorations or removable prosthetics for your comfort and confidence.
Additionally, it’s important to note that you do not necessarily need to have an implant placed for each tooth that is missing. They are often used in pairs or sets of four to permanently anchor multi-tooth or full-mouth restorations!
Advantages of Replacing Missing Teeth with an Implant
Compared to other types of tooth replacement treatments, dental implants offer significantly superior advantages and benefits, like:
• Allowing you to select from multiple types of restorations, including single-tooth implant crowns, multi-tooth dental bridges, and implant supported hybrid dentures
• Denture stabilization for removable prosthetics, using as few as four implants
• Preserving bone height and quality through the jaw, which benefits your facial profile and the support of soft tissues like your lips and cheeks
• Being non-invasive to adjacent teeth — there is no need to cut down otherwise healthy teeth to support a fixed prosthesis
• Maintenance of natural tooth spacing and bite alignment
• Durability for eating and chewing
• Improved aesthetics and comfort, compared to traditional prosthetics
In fact, implants are now regarded to be the gold standard in modern dentistry for tooth replacement treatments. You can essentially replace a single tooth or all of them at once, using this advanced therapy.
Types of Dental Implants
Most dental implants come in a traditional size that is similar to that of a natural tooth root. However, if there is not adequate space in the mouth or too little bone, a “mini” dental implant might be used. There are other variations of implants as well, including Zygomatic implants which use other facial bones for support.
Implant Care and Maintenance
Caring for your implants is no different than what you do for your other teeth. Implants should be brushed and flossed daily, taking care to especially maintain healthy gum tissues around them. Although implants cannot get cavities, they are susceptible to a type of gingivitis known as “peri-implantitis” if plaque buildup accumulates around them.
You’ll also want to schedule routine exams and dental checkups, just like you would with a natural smile. Implants require ongoing maintenance and professional cleanings to ensure they last as long as possible.
How Long do Dental Implants Last?
One of the things that makes implants so different than any other type of restoration is that they have the highest success rating in dentistry. Approximately 98% or more of dental implant surgeries are successful, with a life-expectancy that matches that of the patient.
Yes, when you get dental implants and care for them properly, you can generally expect them to last the rest of your life! You will, however, occasionally need to replace the restoration on top of your dental implants if they wear out or break. Crowns, bridges, or implant supported dentures may only last 10-15 years in some cases…but the implants below them should remain stable and healthy.
What to Expect During Implant Placement
Before getting dental implants, we’ll need to examine your bite to make sure you’re a candidate for treatment. Some of the things we’ll look for include healthy bone support and proper spacing in the area where the implant needs to be installed. Additionally, we’ll take other things into consideration — such as the health of adjacent teeth — to determine the number of implants that you need.
Your actual implant placement is a fairly straightforward appointment. Like any other procedure, we’ll carefully numb the area around the implant site and set the artificial tooth into the mouth. Most of our Long Island implant patients say it’s easier than they thought it would be.
After implant surgery, you’ll want to wait a while for the surgical site to heal and for new bone to integrate with the biocompatible root. Because of the materials that implants are made from, your body is triggered to create new bone, which fused with the small threads on the implant. We call this process “osseointegration” and it can take up to 3-6 months in some cases. But don’t worry, while you heal you’ll have a restoration to wear for comfort, function, and aesthetic purposes!
The Smart Investment in Your Smile
You may be wondering how much dental implants cost. The good news is that our Suffolk Count dentists can work closely with your insurance carrier to minimize any out of pocket expenses related to your procedure. Plus, affordable financing plans are also available for portions not covered by insurance (or if you’re paying for the implant treatment without benefits.)
Because dental implants are designed to last for your entire lifetime, they offer a better return on investment than most other types of restorations and prosthetics. Although the initial procedure may seem like it costs slightly more up front, implants wind up being the most cost-effective solution for the long-term health of your smile.
Schedule Your Long Island Dental Implant Consultation
Sachem Dental Group has provided high quality care to Suffolk County families for over 35 years. When it comes to getting dental implants, we’re a team that you know and trust. We treat each patient like a part of our own family, only recommending services that we believe will be successful and beneficial to your smile’s health and future.
Contact us today to book an appointment with one of our implant dentists!