Our Long Island patients who are considering dental implants have several restorations options to consider regarding the procedure. At Astoria Dental Group in Long Island, dental implants are an excellent option for our patients who are seeking a permanent solution to tooth loss.
Our professionals are practiced in prosthodontics options and can help each patient decide whether dental implants are a viable and desirable option.
How Dental Implants Work
Dental implants are a long-lasting solution to tooth loss. They provide a sense of stability and comfort by restoring the full functionality of teeth for patients who have lost some or all of their own natural teeth.
Dental implants are titanium posts that are surgically inserted and embedded into a patient’s jawbone, mimicking the placement and purpose of a natural tooth’s root. These titanium posts serve as anchors upon which dental crowns, dentures, and bridges can be attached.
Dental implant surgery will involve several months of recovery after the titanium posts are inserted. During this time, the implants will fuse with the jawbone in a process called osseointegration. This ensures that the dental implants are securely embedded with the jawbone. During this time, patients are usually given a temporary set of false teeth to wear during the osseointegration healing process.
Once dental implants have integrated within the jawbone, a process that typically takes three to six months, the patient is fitted with prosthetic teeth that affix to the implants via small posts or balls at the end of the titanium posts. After the artificial teeth are “snapped” onto the posts, they provide full functionality and greatly improve the patient’s appearance.
What Prostheses Work with Dental Implants?
The dentists at our Long Island cosmetic dentistry practice use three types of dental prostheses that can be attached to dental implants. They include:
- Implant-supported crowns, which replace weakened or decayed teeth. Crowns fit over the natural tooth, or in the case of dental implant patients, top off the dental implant. Crowns are handcrafted to mimic the look of a patient’s natural teeth.
- Implant-supported bridges, which consist of one or more false teeth that usually affix to surrounding teeth, but can also be attached to dental implants. Bridges offer security, durability, and easy cleaning.
- Implant-supported dentures, which much like traditional dentures, can replace all or most of a person’s teeth on the top and/or bottom jaw. Implant-supported dentures eliminate the use of messy glues or adhesives that traditional dentures necessitate, and offer an unparalleled security in full-teeth replacement.
The type of dental implant restoration that is right for the patient largely depends on the number of teeth that are missing, as well as the location of the missing teeth. Crowns replace a single missing tooth, a bridge can replace two or three consecutive teeth, and partial and full dentures are used when all or most of the teeth are missing.
For more information on the dental implant procedure, risks, benefits, and how it can restore confidence to your smile, contact us in Long Island at Astoria Dental Group. We will schedule a caring, confidential consultation with our practiced team and dental restoration professionals.
