Dental Implants – Plattsburgh, NY
Delivering Permanent Root-to-Crown Tooth Replacement
No matter how many teeth you may be missing, you are probably already experiencing the struggles that millions of people face throughout the world. Living with an incomplete smile can have a negative impact on your oral and overall health as well as your emotional and mental well-being. At True North Dental Group, though, Dr. Heins welcomes patients who desire a fully restored smile. Completing his Associate Fellowship from the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID), he can deliver permanent root-to-crown tooth replacement with dental implants so that you can take control of your life. Call today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Heins for dental implants in Plattsburgh.
Why Choose True North Dental Group for Dental Implants?
- Dentist with Associate Fellowship from the AAID
- Start-to-Finish Dental Implant Placement & Restoration
- CT/Cone Beam Scanner for Enhanced Imaging & Treatment Planning
What Are Dental Implants?
As small, titanium posts that look similar to screws, dental implants stand high above all other types of tooth replacement, such as dental bridges and dentures. The reason is that they are designed to replace more than the visible portions of teeth (the crowns). They mimic tooth roots, so they are positioned within the jawbone where they fuse over time through osseointegration, creating a permanent foundation for your new smile.
The 4-Step Dental Implant Process
- Initial Dental Implant Consultation – A scheduled consultation with Dr. Heins will have you experiencing a thorough examination so that he can determine if you are in good enough health to receive dental implants.
- Dental Implant Surgery – Whether you require preliminary treatments or not, the day of your oral surgery will require local anesthesia before each implant is placed and positioned within the jawbone.
- Dental Implant Osseointegration/Abutment – You will spend 4-6 months recovering and allowing osseointegration to occur before returning to our office to receive your metal abutments, which are small connectors that attach the restoration to your implant.
- Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s) – Once finished by lab technicians, your restoration will be available for you to come in for a fitting. We’ll secure the dental crown, bridge, or denture into place so that you can begin to enjoy your new smile.
Benefits of Dental Implants
There are countless benefits you can expect with dental implants. Dr. Heins will discuss many of these with you during your consultation, but if you are interested in experiencing life with a set of teeth that are designed to last 30+ years, you won’t regret your decision to receive dental implants. Other unique benefits include the ability to eat your favorite foods without fear of embarrassment, greater confidence in your appearance, improved oral health, and continuous jawbone stimulation so that your facial features do not sag, and you avoid the potential for additional tooth loss.
Who Dental Implants Can Help
Most individuals suffering from tooth loss can receive dental implants; however, it may be necessary for additional treatments to be provided first. The reason for this is that some patients lack the necessary jawbone to support dental implants. It’s also possible that gum disease may exist and need to be eliminated before any kind of tooth replacement treatment occurs.
No matter the situation, the first step is to undergo a scheduled consultation with Dr. Heins. He will go over your oral and overall health history to determine if you are in good enough shape to undergo minor oral surgery. He’ll also survey the state of your current smile to decide if you need preliminary care. Finally, your jawbone will be thoroughly examined, as we may need to perform a bone graft to create greater density for your future dental implants.
Missing One Tooth
With more than 120 million people living with a single missing tooth, we can remedy the problem with one titanium dental implant post, a metal abutment, and a custom-made dental crown. By focusing only on the vacant socket, we avoid the need to alter healthy teeth and instead, fill in the gap with a natural-looking, fully functional artificial tooth.
Missing Multiple Teeth
While a fixed dental bridge requires altering healthy abutment teeth on either side of the gap, an implant bridge uses two dental posts that are placed on each side to support a customized restoration. Using only the empty sockets, we can affix the implant posts to the jawbone so that it supports an implant bridge, effectively filling in the space to produce a complete smile.
Missing All of Your Teeth
An implant denture uses between 4 and 6 implant posts along an arch. Once in place, the custom-made denture is secured on top so that you no longer need to worry about fear of slippage when eating or speaking (this is especially true for those who previously wore traditional dentures). Instead, you can remain confident in your ability to speak clearly and eat the foods you love.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants
Your treatment plan is going to be vastly different than another person’s. The reason is that dental implants are not the same for everyone. The same four-step process must be completed, but the other facets are likely to be very different (i.e., number of implants, type of restoration, preliminary treatment, etc.). This is why there is no definite cost for dental implants. It is a customized method of treatment, so you can expect our team to work with you to identify ways you can save while working toward a complete smile.
Maintaining & Caring for Your Dental Implants
Dental implants are known to be reliable and have an incredibly high success rate of more than 90%, but that doesn’t mean they’re invincible. Caring for them correctly is essential to your recovery after your procedure and the long-term maintenance of your recently restored smile.
If you’re unsure what that looks like, don’t worry; our True North Dental Group team in Plattsburgh has your back! Continue reading to learn several recommendations for keeping your prosthetics in excellent condition, and feel free to contact us for more information.
Make Oral Hygiene a Priority
Your mouth is full of bacteria that can form plaque on the surfaces of your new teeth or penetrate your gums around the titanium rod. This can cause a form of gum disease known as peri-implantitis, the leading cause of failure. If it goes unaddressed, it can spread to your jawbone or enter your bloodstream and contribute to other issues.
To prevent it, you should brush and floss twice daily as usual, taking care not to push your floss too deeply into the pocket of your gums because you might damage the seal.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Gaps in your grin can lead to gastrointestinal problems from swallowing overly large pieces of food, or malnutrition if you stick to softer foods that aren’t as wholesome. Thankfully, dental implants restore an estimated 80% to 90% of your original bite force, meaning you can eat a wider variety of ingredients to support your dental and overall well-being.
For instance, eating plenty of dairy like milk, cheese, and yogurt can boost your calcium levels to strengthen your bones and enamel. Meanwhile, citrus fruits and leafy greens contain vitamin C to build strong collagen in your connective tissues.
Break Bad Habits
If you regularly smoke cigarettes, vapes, or chew tobacco, now’s the perfect time to quit. These products contain nicotine, which is a vasoconstrictor. It reduces your blood oxygen levels and flow, so you cannot deliver infection-fighting cells and nutrients to your teeth and gums.
According to a 2021 data analysis of hundreds of thousands of dental implant patients, this toxic habit can potentially increase the likelihood of failure by up to 140.2%. Also, alcoholic beverages can erode the cement anchoring the tooth-shaped cap to your prosthetic and should be avoided.
Protect Your Dental Implants
Athletes and others who participate in team sports and high-contact physical activities are putting their grins at risk. You’re much more likely to sustain an injury that damages your teeth or restorations or lacerates the tender tissues inside your mouth when you’re in such close proximity to others.
Our team can provide patients in Plattsburgh with custom-fitted mouthguards that protect your teeth if you take a blow to the face.
Schedule Regular Dental Checkups
Finally, you should see our team every six months for a routine checkup and cleaning so we can monitor your condition and address any areas of concern before they progress.
For instance, if your implant is aching or your gums look darker than usual, we can check for gum disease or stabilize your restoration to ensure it integrates correctly with your jaw without developing an infection.
Dental Implant FAQs
Does Getting Dental Implants Hurt?
Dr. Heins is an expert in placing dental implants, so he will make sure you’re comfortable. Dental implants are a surgical procedure, as such, your mouth will be fully numbed with local anesthetic before your procedure. Once the treatment moves into the jawbone, you should only feel pressure from the instruments as bone has no nerve endings. After your surgery, there may be some soreness around the implant site for a few days as it heals. However, this is easily managed by over-the-counter pain medications and the use of cold compresses. If the pain worsens after two to three days, call Dr. Heins for an evaluation.
How Long Do Dental Implants Last?
While the lifetime of your dental implants will vary, you can expect at least 30 years or longer. The biggest factors to take into account for dental implant longevity are your level of oral hygiene and your lifestyle. While implants can’t get cavities, they’re still vulnerable to bacteria and can chip or break from consistently chewing hard objects like fingernails or using them as tools to open bottles or packaging. Regular checkups with Dr. Heins at True North Dental Group are the best way to monitor, clean, and treat any issues that may threaten their longevity.
How Successful Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants have one of the highest success rates of any dental treatment. When placed by a skilled professional like Dr. Hines, they generally take up to 95 percent of the time. However, your implants’ location and your oral habits can cause this number to fluctuate. Here are some ways to maximize the odds of integration:
- Eat a healthy diet that includes plenty of lean protein for recovery as well as dairy products fortified with calcium and vitamin D.
- Brush your teeth twice a day and floss daily to remove plaque and debris that could interfere with your implant.
- Avoid excess alcohol or tobacco use while your implants are healing.
What Can Cause Dental Implants to Fail?
While the risk of failure is small, it can happen. Implant failure usually happens due to poor oral hygiene or a lack of jawbone density. This is why Dr. Hines is so thorough in his examination during your initial consultation. He may ask you questions about how often you brush and floss, what your diet looks like, and if you have any history of autoimmune disorders. These kinds of questions are designed to get a picture of the odds of success for your implants. He’ll also check your jawbone using X-rays to ensure that your implants will hold. If not, a bone graft or other procedure may need to be performed first.