Dental Implants Long Island

Dental Implants - A Basic Understanding

After almost forty years there is still a great deal of confusion concerning dental implants. In reality the concept goes back to Dr. P. I. Brånemark, an orthopedist who found that when placing screws in a dog's leg  that they kind of got stuck and fused to the bone. That's really where dental implants got there start.

Today, dental implants are a huge part of the practice of dentistry. Without dental implants, patients would have to suffer with moveable full and partial dentures, open spaces etc. Thanks to Dr. Per-Ingvar Brånemark patients with one of more missing teeth can now have a true life like and totally functional dentition in just a few weeks or months.

What Are Some Of The Basic Facts About Dental Implants?

1. Dental implants are much like a molly or anchor placed in a wall. The implant is a very sophisticated screw which is gently threaded into the appropriately diagnosed bone receptor site.
2. After about 4 - 6 months, depending on whether it is placed in the upper or lower jaw, the dental implant fuses to the jaw bone.
3. The dentist then, depending on the type of restoration being created, uses the implant in much the same way as he/she would use a natural tooth.

How Are Dental Implants Used In Replacing Missing Teeth?

Dental implants can be used to:

• Replace one or more single teeth by anchoring a cap (crown) to the implant. For example, if a patient loses a front tooth a dental implant can be placed in that space and after appropriate healing time a new crown can be placed on the implant.
• Dental implants can be used to replace an entire jaw of teeth either with cemented in crowns or a variety of removable prostheses. The choice will depend upon your dentist's diagnosis, the costs involved and your wants and needs.
• Dental implants are also used in a wide variety of other applications including orthodontics and maxillofacial prosthodontics.

What Are Dental Implant Costs?

The cost of dental implants varies from one part of the country to another, from one dental office to another and from one type of restoration to another. Generalizing when it comes to cost is very difficult. Just remember, that cost should not be a major decision maker when it comes to dental implants and parachutes!

Are Dental Implants Successful?

The answer to this question is a bit tougher. A great deal of the success depends upon the skill of the dentist placing the implant, the skill of the dentist restoring the implant, the overall health of the patient (smokers beware) and the quality of the bony receptor site as well as several other factors. Taking all of this into account, today success rates of dental implants are reported to be in the high 90% range overall.