Implants

Dental implants restore the function and appearance of your teeth through artificial replacements and support structures. Surgery typically involves replacing tooth roots with a metal piece, consisting of a screw-like body and a top fixture called an abutment. These replacements are inserted into the jaw to support the placement of crowns and other artificial pieces that mimic the appearance and function of real teeth.

Implant surgery may not proceed in the same way for everyone, as the manner in which it’s performed depends upon the health and structural integrity of your jawbone. This type of procedure is generally best suited for someone with a healthy, fully-developed jawbone who has healthy oral tissues and refrains from activities that negatively impact oral health, such as smoking.

Dental implant surgery is a multi-step process that may take as much as several months to complete. Additionally, you may require follow-up care to identify or treat any potential surgery complications, such as infection, injury to surrounding structures, nerve damage, infection, implant rejection, or sinus problems.

Implant Placement: Initially, a space will be created in the jawbone below your gums to allow room for the implant body to be placed. At this point, a temporary denture can be placed to fill in the gap left by this part of the procedure before moving on to the next step of the process several months later.

Abutment Placement: Once your bone has fully accepted your implant, a healing abutment is placed to contour your tissue to accommodate a permanent abutment and dental crown. The permanent abutment is typically placed within a few weeks of the placement of the healing abutment.

Dental Crowns: Once you’ve healed from the placement of the healing abutment and your final abutment can be placed, you may begin the process of choosing the dental crown for your implant. Crowns appear and function similarly to real teeth and are based on impressions of your mouth and existing teeth. Your dental crowns may be cement-retained or screw-retained depending on several different factors, meaning that they don’t detach from the implant, or removable, allowing them to function in a manner similar to a conventional denture.

Follow-Up Care: After the full implant process is completed, you should continually follow up with your specialist to ensure that no unexpected issues arise related to your surgery and that oral health problems are caught and treated quickly. This will also help to ensure that you’re adequately maintaining good oral hygiene habits following your procedure.

Let us offer our expert help through every stage of the dental implant placement process, ensuring high-quality results and a smile that you can feel confident in. Schedule an appointment with our NYC dental implant specialists by calling (718) 670-5521 now!