Dental – Implants
Regain confidence in your smile with our durable dental implants, providing a permanent solution for missing teeth and restoring functionality and aesthetics
Until not so long ago, people who were unfortunate enough to lose all or most of their teeth had only two options: dentures and bridges. Today, there is another alternative called dental implants that looks and behaves like natural teeth. As artificial teeth go, they are so good, you can use them to bite and chew any kind of food you can with your natural teeth.
Understanding Dental Implants
Dental implants are replacement teeth roots. They are made of titanium, a metallic-white metal that is a strong, yet ductile, metal. The reason this metal is used is it fuses very well with the bone — a process called osseointegration. They look like screws or posts and are fixed and implanted in or on the jawbone directly, without touching the adjacent teeth. There are two types of dental implants: endosteal and subperiosteal.
- Endosteal implants: Endosteal means “‘located within the bone.” As the name suggests, these implants are placed surgically into the jawbone at the exact location formerly occupied by the lost teeth. As the gum heals, it grows around the implant. After the gum has healed, which can take up to 12 weeks, another surgery is performed to attach a small connector post, called an abutment, to the implant to secure it properly. After that has healed, a custom-made crown is placed over it. This completes the procedure. Endosteal implants are the newer and more advanced type of dental implants.
- Subperiosteal implants: Subperiosteal means “located on the bone.” As the name suggests, these implants are placed on the jawbone and under the gum with the help of a metal frame. One or more posts are then fixed to the frame. The posts can be seen protruding from the gums. Dental crowns are placed over the posts to complete the process. Subperiosteal implants are the older types of dental implants. They are used on jawbones that are too short for endosteal implants.
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Advantages of Dental Implants
- They look and behave like your natural teeth: Dental implants look and behave like natural teeth. Once the titanium screw fuses with your bone, it becomes permanent. They look so natural nobody will know you have artificial teeth. They allow you to chew and bite any food you can with your natural teeth.
- There are comfortable and feel like your natural teeth: Dental implants do not slip in the mouth, which means you can speak without mumbling and slurring. Once they fuse into your jawbone, you won’t feel any difference between them and your natural teeth. Since they are permanently fixed to your jawbone, you do not have to remove them.
- They don’t require other teeth to be altered or reduced: Dental implants do not require the neighboring healthy teeth to be altered or reduced. This is good for your long-term oral health.
- They will last your lifetime: Dental implants are permanent and will last your lifetime. Since titanium neither rusts nor decays, they will, in fact, outlast your natural teeth.
Dental implants have a remarkable success rate. They are recommended for anyone who has healthy gums and enough jawbone to hold them. In need of more information? Feel free to contact Maiden Lane Dental by phone at 212-509-4585 or use our contact form. We are located in lower Manhattan and have been serving the Financial District for many years.