Dental Implants — Park Slope, NY

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

The dental implant process begins with an initial consultation, during which Dr. Sapienza will evaluate your oral health to ensure you’re a candidate for dental implants. This will also involve reviewing a CT scan to look for any potential complications. Based on the results, you might need additional procedures before moving forward, like tooth extractions or periodontal therapy, to increase the chances that your treatment will be successful. At this consultation, Dr. Sapienza will go over an estimated timeline for your treatment. You’ll also have an opportunity to ask him any questions you may have.

Dental Implant Surgery

Once your mouth is ready to support dental implants, we’ll help you schedule your placement surgery. Dr. Sapienza works closely with local specialists to ensure that you’re receiving the highest quality care possible.

Your implant dentist in Park Slope will help you feel comfortable by numbing your mouth and administering sedation before making small incisions in your gums. Then, your implants are inserted into the jawbone at precise locations and angles. Protective caps are placed atop the implants, and you are sent home to begin the healing process.

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment

Over the next four to six months, your implant posts will actually fuse to the surrounding bone and tissue through a process called osseointegration. Although osseointegration takes a while to complete, the end result is a sturdy, lasting foundation for your new teeth. During this time, you will most likely receive a “temporary” restoration so that you won’t have to go without teeth any longer.

After osseointegration, the oral surgeon will attach metal fixtures called abutments on top of your implants. These connectors are what will allow Dr. Sapienza to secure your new teeth in place.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s)

Once you have finished healing from your abutment placement, your dental implants in Park Slope should be ready to support your restoration. You’ll return to our office to have your custom dental crown, bridge, or denture attached to your implants. Thanks to the materials we use, your new pearly whites should look extremely lifelike. In fact, other people shouldn’t even be able to tell that they’re not your “real” teeth!

Day-to-Day Benefits

• Confidence: It can be difficult to smile, speak, and feel good about yourself if you have an ill-fitting denture or missing teeth. Dental implants allow you to show off your grin in any social or professional setting while speaking with ease with a boost in confidence and self-esteem.
• Appearance: Dental implants placed by an implant dentist in Park Slope look, feel, and function just like natural teeth, giving you a replacement that is the next best thing to a natural smile. In fact, the implants allow your restorations to mimic the way that your teeth emerge from the gums because they are rooted in the jawbone.
• Diet: Do you avoid certain foods because they are hard to eat? Whether it’s missing teeth, or an unstable denture, it’s difficult to enjoy your meals. However, implants allow you to eat anything, giving you a more delicious and nutritious diet daily.

Health Benefits

• Dental health: Unlike dental bridges, dental implants don’t require the removal of healthy tooth enamel, keeping your smile as preserved and natural as possible. Plus, dental implants can be cared for like your original teeth, making dental care at home much easier than dentures.
• Bone health: Your jawbone requires stimulation from teeth to stay healthy and strong. When you lose teeth, it loses some of the stimulation that it was getting, eventually leading to deterioration and even additional tooth loss. Dental implants are the only replacement that stimulates the bone to keep it strong and full!
• Overall health: Research shows that dental implants decrease risk of common issues like gum disease, which helps with overall health and the costs associated with it.

Long-Term Benefits

• Predictability: One of the most impressive stats about dental implants is that they have a success rate of 95% even after 10 years, making them incredibly predictable even though they require a minor surgery.
• Longevity: Dental implants in Park Slope can last for decades and even the rest of your life with proper care. This is much longer than other options like dental implants or bridges, which will require replacement every 5 to 10 years.
• Cost: While implants come at a higher cost initially, they can end up saving you money in the long run. That’s because they help you avoid necessary replacements in the future, saving you money on restorations and the dental visits that come with them.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

The only way to definitively know if dental implants are right for you is to see us for a consultation, where Dr. Sapienza will examine your mouth before making any recommendations. However, good dental implant candidates usually:

• Are committed to diligent at-home oral hygiene
• Are missing at least one tooth
• Have a strong enough jawbone to accommodate implants (or be willing to undergo a bone graft first)
• Do not use tobacco products

Missing One Tooth

A titanium implant post is inserted into your jawbone to act as a new root. An abutment is placed on the post to connect your custom-made crown.

Missing Multiple Teeth

Two or more missing teeth in a row can be replaced with an implant bridge. A dental implant at either end anchors the bridge to your jawbone instead of relying on your adjacent teeth for support.

Missing All Teeth

Your denture can be secured to your jawbone using 4 to 6 dental implants. This permanently eliminates slipping and irritation, a common problem with traditional dentures.

Types of Dental Implants

A dental implant is different because it recreates the tooth from the root up, and therefore has multiple components. Each component has a separate cost. Therefore, you can assume you’ll pay more if you need to treat multiple teeth. We’ll provide you with a personalized estimate during your initial consultation and discuss the fees associated with your procedure.

What are the Stages of Dental Implant Treatment?

Unlike other treatments, the process of replacing a tooth with a dental implant takes several steps. Each phase of your plan has separate fees. This can make it easier to pay for your new smile because you won’t need to cover the entire amount at once. Every plan differs, but here’s what you can expect your estimate to include:

• Initial Consultation
• Additional Procedures
• Placement Surgery
• Abutment
• Restoration

Are Dental Implants Worth the Investment?

You’ll initially pay more for dental implants in Park Slope than other treatments, but they are the most affordable long-term. They are proven to last for decades with the right aftercare, so you should never need to stress about paying for new ones in the future.

As the only treatment to replace the root, a dental implant will preserve your jawbone to stop your teeth from drifting. Your remaining teeth will have the support they need to stay in place to lower your risk of several issues, like cavities, gum disease, and additional tooth loss. This reduces your overall oral health expenses to save money down the road.

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

Every policy differs, but most plans offer some coverage for dental implants. After reaching your annual deductible, you can use your yearly allowance to help offset the cost of certain steps in your treatment, like your consultation, periodontal therapy, or restoration. A member of our team will file the necessary claims to lower the amount you need to pay out-of-pocket. We’ll help you find the solutions you need to cover any remaining balance.