Dental Implants

What are Dental Implants, and Why Should I Get Them?

Integrative Dental Specialists of Long Island is well versed in both tooth extraction and in the placement of dental implants. Dental implants will restore the beauty and functionality of your smile where the missing tooth was taken out, and many patients are good candidates for same day dental implants at our state of the art dental office. Dental implants are conical root shaped foundations that support the replacement teeth, and support the underlying bone. It’s important to have a strong underlying jawbone in order for the dental implants to adhere properly, as mentioned above. If the bone has degenerated too much, an implant is no longer an option without having to do more complex bone grafting procedures in order to create adequate bone. This is precisely why Dr. Etess is a huge proponent of preventing bone loss rather than creating bone later.

A limited window of opportunity…

It is important to receive further comprehensive dental treatment after a tooth is extracted, because leaving an empty space in your mouth is more than just a cosmetic concern. It is an issue of structural and functional support. Over time, the empty space in your mouth will begin to experience bone shrinkage underneath the soft tissues, even if you have had a bone graft. What that means is, the tooth extraction site preservation will not preserve it indefinitely. In fact, ideally you have approximately three to six months after your extraction and socket grafting to replace a lost tooth with a dental implant, which will permanently take the place of the missing tooth. After 1 year, the preservation procedures will have been wasted and ideal implant placement will now be compromised.

Risks & Considerations

Without a dental implant, you will not only suffer the embarrassment from the missing tooth, but you will also have problems with disintegrating of your jawbone, which can lead to more pain and a difference in your facial esthetic appearance. As a result of missing teeth that have not been replaced, you are likely to have food trapped in the empty spaces or to have speech impediments.

The other alternative for missing teeth is a dental bridge that damages the adjacent support teeth or a set of partial or full removable dentures, which many patients dislike because they require messy adhesives, the possibility for slippage of the teeth, damage to the supporting teeth, and the need to remove them daily for cleaning and sanitization.