Fill the Gap in Your Smile
If you’re living with one or more missing teeth, it can make you really self-conscious. It can also have a serious impact on your daily routine, first impressions, and even your health. If you find yourself covering your smile or having difficulty eating, a dental implant could be right for you.
A dental implant is a natural-looking, permanent solution for anyone suffering with missing, damaged, or decayed teeth. Your dental implant consists of three parts:
- Fixture — Made of titanium, it secures the implant to your jawbone to provide support for the restoration.
- Abutment — The middle piece that connects the fixture to your porcelain crown, creating a seamless appearance.
- Porcelain crown — Placed on top of the abutment, it’s customized to blend with your smile.
Single-Tooth Implant
A dental implant is the only type or restoration that reverses the damage caused by missing teeth. The implant stimulates healthy jawbone growth and provides a strong foundation to hold your natural teeth in place. If you’re missing a tooth, Dr. Stanislaus can reconstruct it with a dental implant in only a few visits.
The implant process starts when we surgically attach the fixture to your jawbone. The bone will then merge to the implant fixture, which is a process called osseointegration. After the fixture is secured to the jawbone, Dr. Stanislaus will attach the abutment and porcelain crown.
Your attractive crown is designed to blend in with your smile. Porcelain is an outstanding material for dental restorations because it’s strong and it reacts to the light like your natural teeth do.
Multiple-Tooth Implants
According to a 2004 study, adults have lost an average of seven teeth by the age of 64. If you’re missing more than one tooth, Dr. Stanislaus offers two dental implant options to fill in the gaps to restore your smile.
If you have a gap in your smile caused by several adjacent teeth, Dr. Stanislaus may elect to restore them using a customized implant-supported bridge. This is a single, implant-support restoration that contains two or more prosthetic replacement teeth called pontics. However, if you’re missing teeth that aren’t beside each other, Dr. Stanislaus will use individual implants to fill each space. We use advanced technology such as the CEREC system to craft prosthetic teeth that naturally and seamlessly blend into your smile.
Implants vs. Bridges
The most promising treatment for missing teeth is a dental implant. And yet, some patients believe that a bridge is a better replacement option. Though bridges may be necessary in certain cases, a majority of patients would find dental implants to be more beneficial.
For instance, implants don’t deplete the health of surrounding teeth, as bridges would. And, thanks to the process of osseointegration, Dental implants stimulate bone growth and preserve your structure of your jawbone. Without an implant, the jawbone will begin to deteriorate and weaken, which is common when a missing tooth is replaced with a restoration that sits on top of the gums, like a bridge. And lastly, since the implant is secured to your jawbone, it feels and functions like a natural tooth. You can feel confident knowing that your smile looks healthy and attractive.
Dental Implants Can Help
If you’re missing one tooth or several, we encourage you to schedule a no-obligation consultation to achieve your smile goals. Dr. Stanislaus believes every patient deserves a beautiful smile which is why we offer single and multiple tooth replacement options, as well as full arch overdentures.
Fill out our simple contact form below or give us a call at (718) 865-8320 to speak to a member of our friendly staff. Don’t wait another day to complete your smile with Dr. Stanislaus.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's my best option for replacing a single tooth?
If you only need to replace one tooth, Dr. Stanislaus can restore it from root to crown with a single dental implant. Anchored to your jaw for unmatched stability, implants are the only natural-looking, permanent solution for tooth loss.
They also stimulate healthy jawbone growth and can be cleaned just like natural teeth. Best of all, implants can last up to a lifetime with proper care.
What's my best option for replacing multiple teeth?
If you’re missing multiple teeth, Dr. Stanislaus can replace each tooth individually with its own implant. However, this can be very expensive and time-consuming if you’re missing several teeth. Instead, we can secure a dental bridge or customized dentures with multiple implants for a stable restoration.
If your missing teeth are adjacent, then an implant-supported bridge is likely the most convenient and affordable option for you. Alternatively, if you have missing teeth spread throughout your smile, Dr. Stanislaus can customize a set of partial dentures just for you and anchor them with implants. By taking advantage of these options, you can save lots of time and money while enjoying maximum health benefits.
Why should I get dental implants instead of dentures?
While traditional dentures are an attractive and affordable replacement for missing teeth, they’re often highly inconvenient. First of all, they can fall out or slide around in your mouth while you’re talking or eating. In addition to causing embarrassment, this makes it difficult to chew certain foods.
Dentures also need to be removed and soaked in a solution every night, and you’ll have to rely on messy adhesives to re-apply them. Worst of all, dentures don’t support your jawbone, resulting in a rapid loss of bone tissue and shifting teeth.
Since they’re permanently secured to your jaw, dental implants allow you to avoid all the hassles of dentures. They’re stable, natural-looking, easy to clean, and never removed. Implants are also the only tooth replacement that stimulates jawbone growth to protect your long-term health.
Why should I get dental implants instead of a bridge?
While dental bridges are natural-looking and affordable, they can’t match the versatility and long-term benefits of implants. First of all, bridges can only be used to restore adjacent teeth and often require removing some of your enamel to ensure a perfect fit. They also need to be replaced every 5 to 15 years.
Unlike bridges, dental implants can be used to restore any number of missing teeth in any part of your mouth. They also leave your surrounding teeth completely intact and can last up to a lifetime with proper care. Thanks to their stunning appearance and durability, implants are the only tooth replacement that allows you to eat, speak, and smile with total confidence.