13
Apr
Spring Is a Great Time To Replace Missing Teeth With Dental Implants and Complete Your Smile
If you have missing teeth or tooth issues, opting for a dental implant is one of the best tooth replacement options you can choose – whether you have lost teeth due to tooth decay, periodontal disease, or injury. Now is a great time to spring into action with a dental implant restoration to complete your smile and put your tax refund to good use!
Bridges and Dentures Make Way for Dental Implants
Before implants, bridges and dentures were the only tooth restoration choices you had. Thanks to today’s advances in dental technology and techniques, you can opt for a dental implant restoration to complete your smile! Did we mention that dental implants generally have a success rate of up to 98%?
One of the biggest dental implant advantages is it becomes a part of you. It replaces not just the top of the tooth (crown) but your tooth roots as well. It means you get a solid foundation to hold your fixed (permanent) tooth or removable tooth replacement that blends in naturally with your teeth.
Why Choose Dental Implants
- Aesthetics: They look and feel like your natural teeth in size, shape, and color and work the same way, being fused within your bone to give you exceptional strength and sturdiness.
- Better speech: If you wear dentures and they constantly shift when you speak, that worry will be eliminated with a dental implant.
- Comfortable: Once your implant has fused in your mouth, you will never need to worry again about uncomfortable removable dentures, feel embarrassed about removing your dentures, or apply messy denture adhesives to hold them in place.
- Easy to chew: Your implant works like the rest of your natural teeth, so it doesn’t slide around like dentures often do. Your implants allow you to bite and chew your favorite foods without worrying about slippage.
- Greater self-confidence: With dental implants, you can, once again, smile with confidence!
- Better dental health: With bridges, you tend to need to have some surrounding teeth worn down, but with implants, you don’t. Instead, the teeth can stay the same size, and the dental implant allows access between your teeth so you can floss them more easily.
- Longevity: Your implants can last many years (sometimes a lifetime) if you take proper care of them like you do your own and keep gum disease away.
What To Expect With a Dental Implant
- Once approved for an implant, your treatment plan will be created involving oral surgery and restorative dentistry.
- Next comes the biocompatible titanium tooth root implant that is surgically placed into the bone socket of your former tooth.
- Then, healing must take place in a process called osseointegration. It can take up to three months while the jawbone fuses with the metal implant post so it will sit solidly in your jaw, just like your natural teeth.
- After that, an abutment (or small connector post) will be attached to the post, anchoring the new tooth securely.
- Impressions will then be made to create your new tooth (or teeth) with a model of your bite so the tooth replacement can be created.
- Finally, your replacement tooth or crown will be attached to the abutment, and the tooth will be made to match your surrounding teeth.
Call for Consultation
Once your dental implants are in place, taking good care of them is no different than your usual daily oral hygiene to protect your natural teeth. Simply brush, floss, rinse with a good antibacterial mouthwash and see our dentist regularly for exams and cleanings. If you are thinking about replacing a tooth with a dental implant, there’s no better time than tax season if you’re expecting a refund! Give us a call to learn more!
Dr. Matthew Scaffa
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Matthew Thomas Scaffa, DDS, graduated from Stony Brook University with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and a Doctorate of Dental Surgery from New York University. He has been a dentist in Staten Island, NY, for over 35 years.
Dr. Scaffa annually attends continuing education courses to stay current on emerging technologies and procedures in dentistry. He has received advanced training in implants, Invisalign, and veneers. He is a member of the American Dental Association, New York State Dental Association, and the 2nd District Dental Society.
Dr. Scaffa opened his practice in 1985 and moved to more spacious premises several times before settling at the current location in 2000. He believes in “over-delivering” professional and high-quality dental care so patients will have healthy and beautiful smiles. Among the accolades he has received include being in the 99th percentile on Healthgrades for Dental Providers in the New York Area, a Top pick for NextDoor Neighborhood Faves ratings, and the MetLife SpotLite on Oral Health designation.