Restore Teeth from Root to Crown with Dental Implants
For patients with missing teeth, dental implants offer a comfortable, secure, and natural-looking solution. Implants are small titanium posts embedded in the jaw bone to provide support for a range of restoration types, including crowns, bridges, and dentures. At Aesthetic Oral Arts in New Hartford, NY, Dr. Timothy Pfister can place and restore dental implants to fully reconstruct the strength and appearance of your smile. Unlike other practices which refer patients to a separate physician for implants, Dr. Pfister can perform every stage of implant treatment, ensuring you receive high-quality care from start to finish.
Understanding Dental Implants
A dental implant is a small post crafted from biocompatible titanium. The post is embedded into the jaw bone to replace the root of the lost or extracted tooth. Then, the implant fuses with the surrounding bone tissue to create a stable base for a restoration. By replacing the entire tooth, from root to crown, an implant-supported restoration provides a natural-looking and highly stable method for replacing lost teeth.
Am I a Candidate for Implants?
The best way to determine if you are a candidate for a dental implant is to schedule a consultation at our office. Qualifying patients for a dental implant must:
- Be in good oral health
- Have a sufficiently dense jaw bone
- Be free from gum disease
- Not smoke, or be willing to give up smoking for a period of time
During your appointment with Dr. Pfister, he can perform a cone beam CT scan of your jaw to assess the density of the bone tissue. He will examine your overall oral health and treat any underlying conditions which could compromise your implants. If you do not have sufficient jaw bone tissue, Dr. Pfister can perform a bone graft or sinus lift to strengthen your jaw and provide a strong base for your restoration.
Implant-supported restorations consist of three parts: an implant, abutment, and custom crown, bridge, or denture. Together, these parts seamlessly replace missing teeth.
The Implant Treatment Process
Once you heal from any preparatory procedures, such as a bone graft, Dr. Pfister can perform the implant placement procedure. He will use the information gathered during your appointment to select the ideal location for each implant and create a precise surgical guide. On the day of your treatment, we can provide a variety of sedation levels including nitrous oxide, oral conscious sedatives, or intravenous (IV) medication for deeper sedation.
Dr. Timothy Pfister can perform every stage of dental implant treatment, ensuring you receive high-quality care from start to finish.
When you are comfortable, Dr. Pfister will make an incision in your gum tissue to access the bone and embed the post into your jaw. Then, he will close the incision with sutures. For All-on-4® dental implant patients and those receiving immediate restorations, Dr. Pfister will place a temporary restoration using a surgical stent. These temporary restorations are typically worn for about six months while your implants fuse with the surrounding tissue.
The final stage of your dental implants treatment is the placement of your permanent restoration. Dr. Pfister partners with a trusted dental laboratory to create durable and lifelike restorations. They can create a highly aesthetic, strong restoration using zirconia, an advanced form of dental ceramic.
Protect Your Oral Health
Left untreated, missing teeth can lead to a range of other oral health issues. Dr. Pfister always tries to save original teeth, but if they cannot be saved, dental implants are the next best thing. For more information about the benefits of dental implants or to schedule an appointment at our office, request a consultation online or call (315) 724-7121 to speak to a member of our team today.
