• NYC UES Office
  • 970 Park Avenue, Suite GFN,
    New York, NY 10028
  • Carnegie hill Office
  • 1175 park avenue,
    new york, ny 10128

What is involved with getting dental implants?

Dental implants are designed to replace missing teeth due to damage or decay. Your smile is often the first thing people notice about you and it should help your confidence, not embarrass you. Upper East Side oral surgeons have some of the best dental implants in the field, and will be able to perform the procedure in multiple stages so it is done and heals properly. If you have one or more missing teeth, healthy teeth otherwise, strong bone structure, and are looking for a solution that doesn’t involve dentures, getting dental implants might be the best option for you.

In terms of oral surgery, dental implants are usually part of a five step process. First, the soft tissue reflection is performed over the bone. It’s done so the implant has a thick, protective layer of tissue around it once the final procedure is over. Pilot holes are then placed to prevent the bone from burning. The pilot hole is expanded through low-speed drilling. The implant is actually placed during the fourth step. The site has already been prepared so it is screwed into place with a torque controlled wrench. It’s very carefully placed in order to keep from overloading the bone. Finally, the gingiva is healed around the implant. Upper East Side oral surgeons time the implant procedures very carefully after a tooth is extracted or lost.

The healing time after getting dental implants takes some time; it varies depending on the stability of the implant once it’s been placed. Bone has to be grown to the surface of the implant, through a process known as osseointegration. For the implant to survive, it needs to make the connection to healthy bone and have healthy tissue surrounding it as well.

Are you a candidate for getting dental implants?

Not everyone ends up being a good candidate for oral surgery. Dental implants require you to meet a few different criteria in order to have a better chance of the surgery being successful. Overall, patients need to have good dental hygiene and an understanding that the procedure is not instantaneous. The recovery period takes several weeks to months; patients need to be able to follow up appropriately.  Two major factors Upper East Side oral surgeons will examine closely to determine your candidacy for getting dental implants is your bone density and potential for gum disease. The implant needs to heal to the bone and with enough healthy tissue around it, so any insufficiency in these areas will make the procedure more difficult.