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Dental Implants Replace Missing Teeth
If you’ve lost one or more natural teeth, our The Smilist Dental Medford team can help you enjoy a complete smile once again. Several effective and lifelike tooth replacement options are available at our Long Island practice, including state-of-the-art dental implants — a seamless match for your natural smile! Contact us today to schedule an initial consultation with one of our excellent doctors, or if you have any questions about whether you’re the right candidate for this transformative procedure.
Why Are Dental Implants The Right Choice?
The unparalleled success of implants is actually pretty simple. Unlike other tooth replacement options, they’re designed to rebuild the entire natural tooth from the root up. The root is well-hidden under the gum tissue, but its presence is necessary to keep the jawbone strong and healthy. Without a functioning root in place, the bone can begin to deteriorate, leading to reduced oral health and the drawn, hunched facial appearance that’s common in older patients who have lost all their teeth. By replacing the root in addition to the visible crown, dental implants provide patients with the excellent appearance, function, and renewed oral health they deserve.
Dental Implant Placement
Once you decide that you’re interested in dental implants, our doctors will invite you in for an initial consultation. Patients need an adequate amount of healthy jawbone structure to support their prosthetic teeth in order to ensure successful results. After we’ve determined that you’re a good candidate for the procedure, the implant(s) will be surgically inserted into the jawbone. At The Smilist Dental Medford, we have the training and experience needed to provide this service right here in-house, no outside specialist required.
After the implants are secure within the jawbone, your body’s natural inclinations will take over from there. The oral tissue will gradually form a bond with the biocompatible implant and create a solid foundation for eventual replacement teeth.
How Dental Implants Benefit You
Because a dental implant replaces both your root and your tooth, it also protects your oral health. Losing a natural root results in deterioration of your jawbone. Placing a dental implant into your jawbone helps to keep it stimulated and healthy and provides the support your new tooth needs.
Without a replacement tooth, your surrounding teeth will begin to tilt and shift into the open space. Your new implant crown helps to keep your natural teeth and your bite aligned properly.
Dental Implant Restoration
As the final step, patients will return to our Long Island area practice to have their new implant(s) restored with high-quality, custom-made prosthetics. All-ceramic dental crowns are ideal for individual implants, as they replace the natural tooth without negatively affecting the surrounding natural dental structure.
If your tooth loss is more extensive, we may recommend an implant-retained bridge or denture. These appliances cover multiple implants, and because they are fixed in the smile, they’re the sturdiest option available. If a patient is familiar with using a traditional denture and would prefer their tooth replacement to remain removable, we can provide that sort of denture (an “overdenture”) as well, combining convenience with the valuable health benefits of implants.
Advanced Dental Implant Procedures
Have you been told in the past that you’re not a candidate for dental implants? Maybe you’re lacking enough healthy bone structure for proper implant support? Or perhaps your sinus is getting in the way of your dentist successfully placing the implants?
Whatever the case may be, at The Smilist Dental Medford, we always encourage our patients to contact us for a consultation. Our dentists are extensively trained to provide advanced dental implant services for patients who may have been told that they couldn’t have a dental implant procedure.
Bone Grafting
Periodontal (gum) disease is a condition that is often responsible for tooth loss. If you’ve suffered from periodontitis (advanced gum disease), you may have also suffered from bone loss. If you don’t have enough healthy bone structure to support an implant, you were probably told in the past that you weren’t a good candidate; however, you may benefit from having a dental bone graft procedure.
During bone grafting, your dentist will add grafting material, which is typically bone minerals that have been processed to ensure their safety. These minerals encourage your body to deposit new bone cells around them, which over time, builds your jawbone back to its full strength, which will then allow it to successfully support one or more dental implants. After your bone graft, it typically takes around three to six months for your bone to heal and integrate before your implants can be placed. Healing time varies depending on how much bone structure needs to be replaced.
Sinus Lifts
In some cases, it is the sinus that is impeding the placement of dental implants because it is too close to your jaw. In this situation, a sinus lift, or augmentation may be required for the successful placement of dental implants.
During a sinus lift procedure, your dentist may also be adding bone graft material to build up your bone, as well as gently lifting the sinus out of the way. This procedure will allow your dentist to place dental implants successfully in the future after several months of healing.
PRP/PRF (Platelet-Rich Fibrin & Platelet-Rich Plasma)
When meeting with our team of doctors, we can discuss the idea of using platelet-rich fibrin or platelet-rich plasma to assist in faster healing after your oral surgery. Not only are these methods clinically proven, but they are ideal solutions designed to promote quicker recovery while reducing the potential risk for infection. Our team will apply the PRF or PRP to the surgical site, allowing the plasma or fibrin to work its magic to minimize complications, the need for strong pain medications, and reduce anti-inflammatories.
Ridge Expansion
When the jaw is not wide enough to properly provide support to your dental implants, you can count on us to recommend what is known as a ridge expansion. This requires using specialized dental instruments to separate the ridge bone and create a wedge. This will exist between the inner and outer areas of the bone. Once space is created, we will fill it with bone grafting materials to encourage a stronger, more reliable foundation.
A Wise Investment in Your Oral Health
Dental implants are a smart choice if you are looking to replace one or more missing teeth because they offer excellent longevity. Implants can potentially last for lifetime with the right home care and regular dental checkups, while other replacement options will need to be replaced over the years.
Dental implants are also a very reliable procedure as they offer a 95% success rate. In the long run, choosing dental implants is a wise investment in your oral health.
All-On-4 Implant Dentures
Have you been living with the frustration and embarrassment of missing multiple teeth? You should know that there are excellent solutions for replacing most or all of your teeth with a denture, and an All-on-4 system can provide the stability you’re looking for. Learn more about All-on-4 implant-supported dentures here.
Implant-Retained Dentures
When searching for a viable solution to replace all your teeth, you might be thinking dentures is the only way. Although traditional dentures do have their benefits, implant-retained dentures add a level of security and permanence. Not only will you improve your oral health, but you’ll also have increased confidence in your ability to eat, chew, and speak again. Find out if this tooth replacement solution is right for you.
Single Tooth Implants
If you have a missing tooth, you may be considering replacement options. Of these solutions, none are better than a single tooth implant. With this treatment, we can restore your entire tooth from the roots up, allowing for unmatched function, beauty, and strength. We can’t regenerate a new, natural tooth for you, but this is the next closest thing! Using a dental implant combined with a customized dental crown, we can seamlessly complete your smile. Read on to learn more about single tooth implants.
Dental Implant Aftercare
What comes next after completing implant treatment? Taking proper care of your newly restored smile! Good dental implant aftercare is critical to making sure your new replacement teeth last as long as possible – possibly even for the rest of your life! Fortunately, caring for dental implants is simple and straightforward. Check out these tips from an implant dentist on how to protect both your natural teeth and your new ones.