Dental Implants in Gramercy Park, NYC
Dental implants provide a better quality of life for Gramercy Park, NYC, residents, serving as one step to improving oral health. This popular procedure can replace ill-fitting dentures with a more permanent, effective, and beneficial solution many dentists trust and support. Lux Smiles helps patients improve their confidence and happiness by providing a smile that can last a lifetime.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Some patients require just one replacement tooth, while others will receive a complete set of teeth. Regardless, there are many positives to obtaining dental implants, and the recovery process is more manageable with prescription pain medications. Some of the significant advantages include:
- Combat bone loss through stimulating tooth roots in the jawbone
- Natural-looking and beautiful appearance of teeth
- Increased confidence levels with a lovely smile
- Most successful teeth replacement option
- Requires no adhesive application
- Ability to eat any foods the patient desires
- No difficulty speaking
While Lux Smiles recognizes the significance of dental implants, some people are at greater risk for complications due to poor oral hygiene, being an immunocompromised or diabetic individual, receiving radiation therapy treatments, and tobacco use.
Understanding The 3 Stages Of Dental Implant Treatment
Dental implant treatment can take between 6-12 months depending on the patient, and involves a few different treatment stages. If you’re wondering what to expect, here’s a breakdown of what you can expect when you get dental implants in New York from Lux Smiles.
- Dental implant surgery – Once you’re approved for implants, Dr. Anthony Leonetti will create your treatment plan and then set up your dental implant surgery. Before your treatment begins, our team will clean and numb your mouth. Then, Dr. Leonetti will create an opening in your gums and jaw bone.Then, Dr. Leonetti will place a small metal implant in this area. Dental implants are made of titanium and are screw-shaped to ensure that they can attach tightly to your jaw bone. Once your dental implant is in place, Dr. Leonetti will clean and suture the area. He will repeat this process if you’re getting multiple dental implants.
- Healing and osseointegration – Once your dental implants are done, you’ll be sent home to heal and recover. It will take about 1-2 weeks to heal from your initial implant surgery. Dr. Leonetti will give you some instructions to follow as you heal. Make sure to follow these steps for a fast, pain-free recovery process.After about two weeks, your mouth will feel pretty much normal. However, it will usually take between 3-6 months for your dental implants to fully bond with your jaw bone. This is a process called “osseointegration.” During this time, you’ll come back to our office for a few checkups so that we can check on your progress and start building your dental implant restoration.
- Implant restoration placement – Once your mouth has fully healed, you’ll come back for a quick treatment to get an “abutment” placed on your dental implant post. This is a small piece of metal that allows your dental implant post to connect to a restoration, such as a dental crown. Then, once your mouth heals, you’ll come back to Lux Smiles for your final appointment. At your last appointment, Dr. Leonetti will begin by checking the fit of your dental crown or other implant restoration, and ensuring that it fits into your mouth perfectly. If everything looks good, he will bond the restoration to your dental implant permanently. Then, you’ll be sent home to enjoy your newly-restored smile.
Getting a dental implant does take a while, but it’s worth the investment. Dental implants last longer than any other type of false tooth, and they look and feel completely natural. For more information about what to expect from the dental implant treatment process, we recommend scheduling a consultation with Dr. Leonetti and the team at Lux Smiles.
Are Same-Day Dental Implants Possible?
Yes, in some cases, but it depends on the health of a patient’s bone structure. Eligible candidates will receive what is also known as immediate implant placement, while others who do not qualify receive delayed implant placement. This delay can occur between three to six months after the extraction appointment and often is because the bone needs to rebuild or a severe infection is present.
You can determine if you will have immediate or delayed implant placement following your initial dental consultation appointment.
Dental Implants vs. Bridges
Traditional bridges involve reshaping healthy teeth to make room for and anchor a new bridge. Flossing is difficult with bridges, and bridge pressure sometimes results in gaps that allow bacteria and decay to get through. Dental implant patients experience fewer issues than with bridges.
Dental Implants vs. Removable Dentures
Dental implants are so effective that dentists can install them as implant-supported dentures or overdentures. Missing teeth contribute to bone loss which only worsens with ill-fitting dentures that shift and shuffle. Dental implants stop this loss at the root and do not slide around loosely.
Unfortunately, complete dentures can cause people to gag and have trouble speaking clearly and confidently, but implants never cause this.
Caring for Your Dental Implants
Once dentists place implants into the patient’s mouth, the work is not necessarily over. It is up to the patient to invest in their oral health by regularly brushing and flossing to preserve the quality. An artificial tooth requires the same careful maintenance as a regular tooth, so it needs daily cleaning and attention.
Neglecting these crucial aftercare tasks can cause jaw swelling, pain, a receding jaw bone, and idle bacteria.
Will I Feel Pain When I Get A Dental Implant?
No. During the dental implant process, you will not feel any pain or discomfort at all. Dental implants are actually much less invasive than some other comparable treatments like tooth extractions, and cause minimal trauma to your gums and jaw bone.
And at Lux Smiles, we use the latest surgical techniques to ensure that we can provide minimally-invasive dental implant treatment in NYC. During your treatment, Dr. Leonetti will also carefully numb your mouth to ensure you don’t feel any pain or discomfort. We also offer nitrous oxide sedation (laughing gas) for patients who may need a little more help feeling safe, calm, and comfortable during their dental implant surgery at Lux Smiles.
After your appointment at Lux Smiles, your sedation and numbing will wear off, and you may experience a bit of pain and discomfort. This is completely normal. Dr. Leonetti will provide you with instructions on how to care for your smile and minimize discomfort as you heal.
Icing the area, taking over-the-counter pain medication, and other such steps can help you feel better after your implant surgery. Most patients will feel minimal discomfort, and it will go away within just a few days.
How Long Does It Take To Fully Recover From Implant Surgery?
Most patients will need about two weeks to fully recover from implant surgery. However, it’s usually possible to get back to your daily routine within just a day after your dental implant placement surgery in New York City. That means you don’t have to worry about any significant down time, and can get back to work or school right away.
During your recovery period, you’ll need to follow some instructions provided to you by Dr. Leonetti. For example, you’ll need to avoid brushing the implant directly for a few days, eat a diet of mostly soft foods, and avoid heavy exercise for at least a few days. You should also not smoke for at least a week. Ideally, you should quit smoking altogether.
Your mouth will be almost fully healed within two weeks, and you should be able to get back to eating all of your favorite foods by then. At this time, you may also need to come back to Lux Smiles for a consultation with Dr. Leonetti. He’ll check on your recovery progress and make sure that everything looks good.
Does Insurance Cover Dental Implants?
Unfortunately, the answer is typically “no.” The vast majority of dental insurance plans will not cover the cost of dental implants, so you may need to pay for most of your procedure out of pocket. If you want to check your coverage, we recommend contacting your insurer or looking at your policy documents. While insurers don’t cover the cost of implants, they may pay toward other necessary preparatory treatments like tooth extractions.
Even if your insurance doesn’t cover a dental implant, though, it’s worth investing in permanent tooth replacement. Dental implants last longer, look and feel more natural, and are a superior overall choice compared to all other methods of tooth replacement.
At Lux Smiles, Dr. Leonetti and our team never want the cost of dental care to stop you from getting the treatment you need. That’s why we offer a variety of financing plans for our patients. You can split the cost of your treatment into monthly payments, restore your smile, and pay for your dental implants over time.
Call Lux Smiles for Dental Implants Now!
Contact the team at Lux Smiles to book a consultation for East Village dental implants. We can answer any questions you have regarding the procedure. Call us today at (212) 777-7126 for the best dental services in Gramercy Park, NYC!
