Dental Implants at Steinway Family Dental Center
Can you explain the full process of getting dental implants?
The first step of getting dental implants involves determining that there's a missing tooth and that you have enough bone to support an implant. An implant is essentially a screw, and you cannot place a screw in the air, so the width and height of the bone should be enough to support it.
Let's assume you already have enough bone and don't need additional procedures like grafting. The implant can be placed right away. On the same day, the tissue can be punctured, and the implant can be placed inside. A special part is then placed to make the gum close like a seal around it, similar to how it grows around a tooth.
It takes between three to six months for the bone to fuse with the implant completely so it can bear weight. That's when the dental crown can be placed. Before the crown is placed, it connects to the implant with a special part, essentially a screw that holds the crown on top. It could be a screw-retained crown that comes in one piece, or it could come in two separate parts, where the second part goes in first and the third part is cemented on top. That is the whole process.
How long does the dental implant procedure take?
If it's a single implant, it would probably take less than half an hour. The procedure itself doesn't take long, but you'll receive an injection and wait for the anesthetic to set before starting. The placement itself takes 3 to 5 minutes, sometimes less, sometimes a little longer, but for the most part, it's an easy procedure. Most of the time, it's painless as you receive local anesthetic. Post-operatively, there's almost no pain whatsoever.
What is a bone graft and why would I need one for dental implants?
Let's assume we don't have enough bone. For example, if we have a box of bone and we're placing an implant in the center, with sufficient bone on both sides, we don't need bone grafting. But if one side is missing a little bone, we need a bone graft.
It can be done before or at the same time as the implant placement, depending on the severity of the bone needed. If a lot is missing, it may need to be done ahead of time. If it's a small amount, it could be done on the same day. Bone grafting is a simple procedure where more bone is added, and then the implant is placed.
What is this single tooth replacement implant and how is it different from other types of replacements for the teeth?
When you need to replace a tooth, you're not touching any adjacent teeth; you're just replacing what's missing. If there is a tooth missing between two good teeth, you replace the root of the tooth with an implant and then put a crown on top. There's a third part that connects the implant to the dental crown, and all of this is done without affecting the other teeth.
The other option might involve getting a removable piece that replaces one tooth by using a denture. It also hugs the teeth next to it to hold it up, which puts abnormal pressure on them, as you're trying to pull them out of their socket. It's also uncomfortable to have a denture because you have to remove it and keep it in water.
An implant is much more comfortable because it feels like your own tooth, and all you have to do is brush it, floss around it, and see a hygienist as you would with your own teeth.
What should a patient expect in terms of healing after the placement of an implant?
From personal experience, it feels like the itch you get in your gum when your baby tooth starts shaking. It's not really painful. Most of the time, it's a painless process. For example, when I had mine, I didn't need to take any medication. It's completely painless.
How can a patient find a qualified dentist to do implant placements?
It's advisable to look online at reviews or call your dentist to see if they perform the procedure. Often, they don't advertise that it's available. If you can't find anyone, you can call us! We place implants here at Steinway Family Dental Center. Someone will contact you, and we can discuss your case in person, ensuring all your questions are answered by a professional, understanding what's possible, and how much it will cost.
What is the single tooth implant and how is it different from other types of tooth replacement?
Number one, when you're getting one tooth replaced, there are different options that you have. The first option, of course, the best option, is something that you can get to replace the tooth with, and it is an implant. You don't have to touch adjacent teeth. You just replace what's missing. Hopefully your extraction already happened and you have enough bone support there because an implant is basically a screw that will replace the root of the tooth. The dentist will place that, and then after a while, when the bone fuses with that implant, then you can have this implant loaded and put a tooth on that. So that is one option.
The other options would start with, again, a missing tooth, and if you have teeth on either side of the missing space, you can have a fixed bridge, something that is not removable. It consists of three crowns. The tooth in the front and the tooth in the back get a crown, and the third crown will be connected with the other two, and there will be one piece. It just looks like three teeth, and it gets cemented permanently, and you don't take it out at all.
And the third option would be to get something removable, something that you only put in when you need to, and you would remove it at night and keep it in the water. It's a removable piece. It is the least invasive, but it's also the least comfortable. The implant is the most comfortable treatment out of all of them.
How long does it take and what is a typical implant procedure looks like?
The first thing you do is you're going to come in to see a dentist, and let's assume that the tooth that we're replacing with an implant is already missing and it has been missing for a while, let's say more than 6 months. That means that the bone in the empty area where the implant is supposed to go has already formed and it's solid. Then the dentist will place the implant, and like I said, the implant is just a screw that will replace the root. It does not have a tooth on top of it yet. It takes 3 to 6 months for the implant and the bone to fuse together and be solid enough that we can load it. In other words, we can put some force on top of that.
Then you would see the dentist, and he would put a second stage on it, or he would place the part that goes inside of it and holds the crown, and then you would get the crown. That procedure takes about two weeks or so, and you'll have a tooth.
What is a bone graft then? When is it necessary for the implant placement?
If the tooth was missing for a while or if you're getting the tooth extracted now, there is a hole where the root used to be, and a lot of times it's necessary to place the bone graft material in there. In other words, bone replacement, kind of like when you have a tooth and it has a hole, you want to put a filling in it. The same thing with the bone. When there is a hole in the bone, you would want the bone graft to be placed in there so the walls don't collapse into the hole. Otherwise, it would take about 40% of the bone height that you would lose if you don't graft it. Grafting is important. It has a place to it, and it will preserve the bone around the teeth so you can use it for the implant placement or for any other restorations.
What should patient expect after the receiving an implant for the first time?
The area could have a little bit of soreness to it, but it's not really painful. For the most part, if it is painful, maybe something is wrong, but soreness is okay, and that's what you should expect from that.How much does the implant cost without dental insurance?
It depends on what needs to be done. Do we need to extract the tooth first? Do we need to do the bone graft first? Is it just an implant and the crown? It could run somewhere from about $3500 to about $7,000 depending on what exactly needs to be done. So if you want to know what it would cost you if you need an implant, then come in and we'll have a conversation about that.
At Steinway Family Dental Center, you come first. Whether you need dental care or simply have questions, call us at (929) 238-9944 or email [email protected] to schedule your visit. Our team is here to help you every step of the way.