Dental Implants – Schoharie, NY

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

Our highly trained dentists will assess your candidacy for dental implants and devise a personalized treatment plan, ensuring you achieve your desired results. You can expect to engage in comprehensive discussions about your health history and treatment goals during your consultation. This, along with advanced imaging, will allow us to gather a thorough understanding of your jawbone's condition.

Dental Implant Surgery

Following any preliminary procedures, such as bone grafts or gum disease treatment, our minimally invasive in-house surgery places your dental implants precisely. The procedure involves incisions, the insertion of implant posts, and closure, with a focus on patient comfort. Don’t worry – local anesthesia and sedation will ensure a comfortable experience. In fact, most patients resume work within days of their procedure!

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment Placement

Osseointegration refers to the natural biological process that occurs after dental implant placement. During this phase, your bone tissue gradually bonds with the implants, creating a sturdy and enduring connection. This integration is crucial as it establishes the implants as a solid foundation for supporting your new teeth.

Following successful osseointegration, a potential next step involves a second minor surgical procedure. During this step, we expose your dental implants and affix small attachments known as abutments to them. It's important to note that this secondary surgery isn't always necessary since, in some cases, abutments may be placed during the initial implantation procedure.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations

Finally, to conclude the dental implant process, the last phase focuses on designing and placing your new crown, bridge, or denture. We start by taking precise impressions of your mouth and carefully choosing the color, size, and shape of your new teeth. This detailed information is then forwarded to a trusted dental lab.

Once the lab completes the fabrication of your restoration, we’ll conduct a thorough quality check to ensure it aligns with our standards before affixing it to your implants. Then, we’ll arm you with essential care tips, allowing you to fully enjoy the numerous benefits of your revitalized smile.

Day-to-Day Benefits

After the healing period, you’ll notice an immediate improvement in your day-to-day life thanks to dental implants. Here are a few examples:

• Easier Maintenance – Unlike other tooth-replacement solutions, you don’t need to buy any special oral hygiene products to implement a cumbersome dental care regimen to keep your dental implants in pristine condition.
• Increased Confidence – Since dental implants have a lifelike appearance, they will blend in seamlessly with your natural teeth or replace an entire arch of teeth without feeling bulky or unnatural.
• Eat a Varied Diet – Tooth loss can limit your diet to just scrambled eggs, oatmeal, plain yogurt, and other soft foods. Filling the gaps in your smile with dental implants can restore the strength of your bite. In fact, they can restore up to 90 percent of your bite power!

Health Benefits

In addition to improving your overall quality of life, dental implants can improve your overall health. Not only will they help you get the nutrients you need through a varied diet, but they also benefit you through:

• Jawbone Preservation – Dental implants are currently the only tooth-replacement option that replaces the root of your tooth as well. As a result, it stimulates your jawbone when you chew, just like your natural teeth. This helps prevent bone loss over time.
• Protection for Your Natural Teeth – Have you heard of dental drift? This refers to your teeth moving out of position following tooth loss. The good news is that dental implants can help prevent that from happening since they are self-supporting and keep your teeth where they belong.
• Better Overall Health – Since there is a correlation between tooth loss and an increased risk of several diseases, rebuilding your smile with dental implants can benefit your overall health as well.

Long-Term Benefits

Of course, the long-term benefits are equally as noteworthy. Here are a few examples:

• High Success Rate – Dental implants have roughly a 95% success rate, and it’s even higher among patients who do not smoke.
• Youthful Appearance – Since dental implants stimulate the jawbone when you chew, they help preserve your youthful appearance by preventing a sunken, aged look.
• Long-Lasting Results – Arguably the biggest perk of all, dental implants can last for 30 years with proper care. In fact, for some patients, they last a lifetime!

Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery

Those who have existing oral health issues will require preliminary services to resolve them before moving forward with their treatment plan. These can involve gum disease therapy, bone grafting, and even tooth extractions if necessary, which can increase the overall cost. Of course, this will also ensure more successful results.

The surgery itself will also come with its unique price, which typically starts at $3,000. Fortunately, the entire process can be completed in-house, so you won’t have to drive across town or receive a bill from a different provider.

The Parts of Your Dental Implant

The cost of dental implants can also be affected by various factors, such as:

• Number of implants: Replacing a single tooth will cost much less compared to replacing an entire arch of missing teeth.
• Type of restoration: Crowns, dental bridges, and dentures usually come with different prices. Each option comes in different sizes as well, which can affect the cost.
• Material: Dental implants can be made of different materials, such as zirconia and titanium, which will cost significantly different from each other.

How Dental Implants Can Save You Money

While some patients might consider getting dental bridges or dentures for a more cost-effective option, they should remember the value dental implants bring in the long term. Firstly, you won’t require replacements every several years like other restorations, and you shouldn’t need special cleaning products or solutions to preserve them. They’ll simply require normal teeth cleaning methods to make the most of them for decades to come. This can also help you avoid oral health issues as well as costly treatments.

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

Though dental insurance may not cover the overall cost of dental implants, some providers can at least help cover the parts of your treatment. This can involve the restorations themselves (crowns, dental bridges, or dentures) and any preliminary procedures you might require. Make sure to consult your insurance company and dentist about the details of your plan so you know to maximize your benefits.

Making Dental Implants Affordable

Even if you don’t have dental insurance, you might be eligible for alternative financing solutions, such as CareCredit and Lending Point. These third-party financiers offer plans that can split up your treatment price into monthly installments which often come with little to no interest! This can make your payments more manageable and stress-free as you rebuild your beautiful and healthy smile.

What to Do Directly After Dental Implant Surgery

On the day of your procedure, following a few general guidelines for the first 24 hours will ensure you get off to a great start:

• Take the rest of the day to relax and don’t engage in any rigorous physical activity.
• Don’t drink from a straw or spit.
• Don’t brush the treatment area.
• Don’t eat or drink anything extremely hot or cold.
• Refresh gauze as needed and take any pain medication as directed.
• Keep your head elevated to help curtail any bleeding.

Common Side Effects When Recovering from Dental Implant Placement

You can expect to experience some noticeable swelling, soreness, and bleeding after dental implant placement. Thankfully, all of these are expected, minor, and relatively brief. The bleeding should fully stop after the first day, and the swelling/soreness will peak after three to four days, but it can be easily managed with OTC or prescribed medication.

You should only reach out to our team if these symptoms seem to be getting worse outside of this timeframe, or if you develop a fever, as this might be a sign of infection.

Your Diet After Dental Implant Surgery

A soft food diet will help you get the nutrition you need to heal quickly while making sure you don’t hurt your sensitive mouth. Before your procedure, be sure to stock up on items like:

• Eggs
• Unflavored yogurt
• Soup
• Mashed potatoes
• Bananas
• Oatmeal
• Pudding
• Ice cream (let it melt a little first!)

You’ll be able to slowly introduce more foods that require chewing into your diet after the first week or so, and before you know it, everything will be back to normal.

Post-Op Health & Oral Hygiene

On the day of implant placement, you should just gently rinse your mouth with warm salt water, and this should be done two to three times spaced across a few hours. If you have a prescription mouthwash that we’ve given you, use that instead!

After two to three days, you should be able to brush and floss like normal—just be sure to avoid the surgical site(s) and keep rinsing like before so the area stays clean but isn’t agitated.

What to Do After Your New Teeth Are Attached

Once you have your new teeth, the routine should seem very familiar. All you need to do to make sure they last a lifetime is brush twice a day, floss, and come see us for regular checkups. This will ensure that both your implants and supporting tissues stay in great shape so you can enjoy your full smile to the fullest!

Make Oral Hygiene a Priority

Even after replacing your natural teeth, it's crucial to continue basic dental care practices – brushing and flossing every day. While your prosthetic teeth may be resistant to cavities, plaque and bacteria can still accumulate on your restorations, potentially causing infections or other issues. Brushing twice a day and flossing daily can prevent buildup and extend the longevity of your implants.

Eat a Healthy Diet

The foods you eat nourish not only your body, but also the bacteria residing in your mouth. Although dental implants are resistant to decay, your diet can influence your oral health and the ongoing well-being of your smile. Eating lots of starchy or sugary foods will promote the growth of bacteria, leading to gum disease and potential implant failure. Instead, you should fill up on healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and fat-free dairy products.

Break Bad Habits

To ensure your implants last as long as possible, consider adjusting your lifestyle. Avoiding habits like chewing on ice or other hard objects (such as pencils, fingernails, or packaging) is essential, as these can exert significant force and pose a risk of implant failure. Additionally, smoking or using tobacco products can encourage bacterial growth in the mouth, potentially resulting in gum disease or other complications. It's a good idea to break such habits and replace them with healthier alternatives, such as using proper tools for opening packaging.

Protect Your Dental Implants

Dental implants are tough, but not indestructible. If you grind or clench your teeth, it can negatively affect both the implants and their restorations. In that case, wearing an oral appliance can help break the habit. And if you're into sports, wearing a mouthguard is a great way to shield your face from unexpected hits.

Schedule Regular Dental Checkups

Even if you're doing a great job with your oral care at home, plaque can still sneak in and cause issues over time. That's why it's crucial to keep up with regular checkups and cleanings with our team, even if you don't have any natural teeth left. These appointments allow us to ensure your implants are in top-notch condition and keep your smile healthy!

Does Getting Dental Implants Hurt?

Firstly, our team will do everything we can to ensure that you’re as comfortable as possible during your appointment. We’ll begin your procedure by completely numbing the area that we’ll be working on with a local anesthetic, significantly reducing discomfort. Furthermore, the jawbone doesn’t consist of many nerve endings, so you shouldn’t expect much pain throughout your visit. The surgery itself won’t hurt, but it’s normal to feel sore or tender for the next few days following your procedure. To make your recovery smoother, you’ll simply need to take over-the-counter/prescribed pain relievers and/or a cold compress to alleviate discomfort. If you notice any pain that persists or worsens after several days, come see us for help.

How Long Do Dental Implants Last?

In general, dental implants are so successful that you can expect them to last several decades to even a lifetime. However, this will mainly depend on how well you take care of them. Not only will you need to regularly brush, floss, and rinse with mouthwash every day, but you’ll also need to visit your dentist at least every six months so they can monitor your progress as well as your oral health. It’s also important that you implement a healthier diet consisting of nutritious meals like fruits, veggies, and lean protein to promote strong and healthy gum tissue and jawbone density. Avoid chewing anything too hard or sticky, as this can cause damage or complications with your implants.

Can I Get Dental Implants If I’m Diabetic?

If you have diabetes, you’ll need to keep your condition under control so that your odds of successful treatment can be on par with that of nondiabetic patients. If left unchecked, your situation can negatively impact your healing process, making it more difficult for your dental implants to properly fuse with your jawbone. Consult your endocrinologist or primary care provider to see how you can manage your blood sugar levels before moving forward with dental implant treatment.

Am I Too Young to Get Dental Implants?

Anyone younger than 18 years old may not be eligible for dental implants. This is because their jawbone is still maturing and hasn’t fully developed. If placed, the posts can end up interfering with bone development and lead to certain issues. Some people’s jaws might fully develop during their mid-20s. Our team will be sure to evaluate your situation during your consultation and determine if this treatment is right for you.