Implants services offered in Hicksville, NY

Metal posts called dental implants can hold new crowns in your mouth as if they were natural tooth roots. The office of Monika Bhatia, DDS, located in Hicksville, New York, provides dental implants and natural-looking restorations that are custom made to fit in among your other teeth. To book your dental implants consultation, call the office or schedule online today.

Implants Q & A

What are dental implants?

Dental implants are devices made of titanium that look like little screws. An oral surgeon places them in your jawbone, and they act as sturdy posts to support restorations like dental crowns, bridges, or even full or partial dentures. If you’re getting implants for dentures, you’ll probably need 4-6 of them in one arch.

Dental implants function in the same way as the roots of your teeth. While technically a part of your teeth, the roots anchor your teeth in place and support the structure of the jawbone. When you lose a tooth and its root, there’s a risk of the jawbone in the area deteriorating and getting weaker.

When a dental implant is in place and holding its restoration, you likely won’t ever have to worry about it again. Thanks to a process called osseointegration, your jawbone bonds with the titanium to hold the implant in place permanently. 

How long does it take to get dental implants?

Getting dental implants requires a few visits. First comes the planning. Your dentist takes X-rays and digital scans of your mouth both for planning the implant surgery and for creating your dental restorations. 

During the initial surgery, your oral surgeon accesses the jawbone through an incision in your gums and places the dental implant there. They suture the gums and send you home, where you heal for 3-6 months as osseointegration takes place. Your dentist can provide temporary crowns to wear over the implants during this time. 

Once the implant has healed, your dentist reopens the incision and places an attachment called an abutment, which will later support your restoration. They create custom restorations to look just like your natural teeth and permanently attach them to the abutments. 

What are the benefits of dental implants?

Dental implants have more benefits than you might expect, and they’re not just cosmetic. By filling the gap in your smile with a dental implant holding a bridge, crown, or denture, you can enjoy a smile that looks natural and soon feels like your own, after a brief adjustment period. 

The exact benefits you experience from dental implants depend on how many teeth you’ve lost and a few other factors like your oral health, but generally, they can include:

• Improved speech clarity

• Better chewing

• Prevention of bone loss in the jaw

• A full, natural-looking smile

• Stability and sturdiness

• Easy maintenance and cleaning

• No altering of other teeth (like traditional bridges)

• No dietary restrictions

Once it’s healed and you’ve adjusted to using it, you can use your implant-supported restorations just like you would use your natural teeth. You might even forget you have implants eventually.

The team at Monika Bhatia, DDS, encourages you to continue coming in for six-month checkups and cleanings to keep your oral health and structure intact. 

Learn more about dental implants and how they might benefit you by calling Monika Bhatia, DDS, for an appointment or scheduling your visit online today.