Dental Implants Riverdale Park

Building New Smiles with Greater Stability

At My Riverdale Dentist, there are three different options you can choose from when deciding how to replace your missing teeth: dental bridges, dentures, and dental implants. Only one of these can deliver superior stability, long-lasting results, and the ability to rebuild a smile that extends from the crown to the root. What is it? Dental implants. To find out whether you are a good candidate for this type of restorative treatment, call our dental practice in Riverdale Park today to schedule a consultation with a member of our team.

Why Choose My Riverdale Dentist for Dental Implants?

  • Dental Implant Placement & Restoration Provided In-House
  • Enhanced Diagnostics & Digital Imaging for Accurate Dental Restorations
  • We Welcome Your Dental Insurance & Will Maximize Benefits

Benefits of Dental Implants

Close-up of gloved hand holding a dental implant in Riverdale Park

It is impossible to overlook the benefits that dental implants can provide. In addition to being considered the gold standard in tooth replacement, they offer patients the chance to recapture a more youthful appearance – one that can be enjoyed for decades. But a more aesthetically pleasing smile isn’t the only advantage. Others include:

Day-to-Day Benefits

Senior woman smiling while meditating at home

Let’s start with the benefits of dental implants that you’ll likely notice first:

  • Improved Bite Strength – Apart from the standard caution dentists provide when it comes to eating hard and crunchy foods, there are virtually no food restrictions with dental implants. They act just like natural teeth, so you can enjoy your favorite meals without worrying about your teeth shifting out of place.
  • Clearer Communication – Like many other patients, you may have run into trouble enunciating clearly in the weeks, months, and years following tooth loss. Fortunately, dental implants can replace one, a few, or an entire arch of teeth, restoring your normal speaking patterns in the process.
  • Easy Maintenance – While other tooth-replacement options require special cleaning products, dental implants do not! Just commit to healthy habits at home, like brushing twice a day. Then, come to our office every six months so we can periodically examine the condition of your restoration.

Health Benefits

Senior man filling plate at table

Dental implants in Riverdale Park can also have a positive impact on your oral and overall health by:

  • Preventing Dental Drift – Even just one missing tooth can throw off the alignment of your entire bite. Fortunately, dental implants can fill any open spaces in your smile and, in the process, prevent dental drift.
  • Preserving More of Your Natural Smile – Although dental bridges are effective, there is a downside: they require the teeth surrounding the gap to be altered. Luckily, that’s not the case for dental implants since they are self-supporting.
  • Allowing You to Eat More Nutrient-Dense Foods – We mentioned above that dental implants can restore the strength of your bite. As a result, you can enjoy a wider variety of foods, which makes getting the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that your body needs easier.

Long-Term Benefits

Group of women smiling while walking together outside

There are also several long-term benefits of dental implants in Riverdale Park, such as:

  • They Have a High Success Rate – Upon initial placement, dental implants have a 95% success rate – a percentage that can remain just as high 10 years later if you commit to taking proper care of your new smile.
  • They Are Long-Lasting – Dentures and dental bridges require replacement after a decade or so; however, dental implants have been known to last 30 years or more. Some cases indicate that these prosthetics can even last a lifetime!
  • They Help Prevent Tooth and Bone Loss – Once placed within the jawbone, dental implants deliver stimulation to the area to prevent resorption. As a result, the chances of additional tooth and bone loss are lowered, allowing you to maintain a more supple and vibrant appearance.

The 4 Step Dental Implant Process

Riverdale Park patient learning how dental implants work

Dental implants are a complicated treatment with many moving parts, but the process boils down to four main phases—consultation, surgery, healing, and restoration. And while the minor oral surgery makes the procedure difficult for many dentists to perform in-house, our team has it down to a science. At My Riverdale Dentist, we complete the entire process in-house, from the first consultation to the final restoration. That means no outside specialist, no extra travel, and no referral fees. If you’re curious about how dental implants work in Riverdale, keep reading below.

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

Patient in Riverdale Park discussing dental implant options

Your treatment begins with a detailed consultation at our Riverdale Park office. During this visit, we’ll examine your mouth, take digital images, and review your medical history. Every piece of information we gather at this stage is necessary to confirm you’re a candidate, avoid complications, and ensure success.

Sometimes, we may recommend preliminary treatments, such as bone grafting or gum disease treatment to prepare your smile. If so, we’ll detail it in the comprehensive treatment plan you’ll receive before you leave our office.

Dental Implant Surgery

Riverdale Park patient relaxing before implant procedure

Next comes the placement of your dental implants. Because we perform this minor oral surgery right here at My Riverdale Dentist, you won’t need to go to an unfamiliar outside specialist. Instead, you’ll see friendly faces you can trust throughout your treatment.

After numbing the area and, if needed, providing sedation, we insert the implant posts into your jawbone at precise angles and depths. Thanks to the anesthetic, you won’t feel anything other than pressure from the instruments.

Once your implants are placed, you’ll be given detailed aftercare instructions to manage any soreness and protect the implant sites while they begin to heal. 

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment Placement

Patient relaxing as dental implants heal

Over the next several months, a process called osseointegration occurs within the implant sites. During this time, your jawbone fuses with the titanium fixtures, creating a stable foundation similar to natural tooth roots.

We’ll schedule periodic checkups to monitor your progress and answer any questions you may have about your timeline or treatment in general. Once healing is complete, we’ll attach small connector pieces called abutments to the tops of the implants. These abutments will eventually hold your crown, bridge, or denture in place.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations

Smiling Riverdale Park patient with new dental implants

The final step is attaching your custom restoration. Using precise impressions and digital scans, we have a local partnered dental lab design customized prosthetics that match your natural teeth in color, shape, and size. When your restoration is ready, we secure it to the abutments and make any final adjustments to your bite.

You’ll leave our Riverdale Park office with teeth that look, feel, and perform just like the real thing. With proper care and regular checkups, your dental implants can last for decades—if not a lifetime!

Who Dental Implants Can Help

Older male dental patient having teeth examined by dentist

Although dental implants are extremely versatile, the only way to know whether they are right for you or not is by meeting with a member of our team. That way, we can complete a comprehensive oral exam, go over how dental implants work, and help you decide if you wish to proceed with this type of tooth replacement. In the meantime, you can read on to learn a little more, including the qualities that we look for in a good candidate.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

Man with glasses smiling at reflection in handheld mirror

During your consultation, we will determine:

  • If your jawbone is strong enough to support dental implants
  • If your gums are infection-free
  • If you’re committed to taking good care of your smile
  • If you’re willing to break harmful habits, like smoking

The good news is that most individuals who suffer from tooth loss are candidates for dental implants in Riverdale. However, not everyone can move forward with these prosthetics right away. Additional services may be necessary to ensure the health and stability of your existing smile and jawbone, which is why a thorough examination of your teeth, gums, and bone, as well as a discussion about your overall health, is required.

Missing One Tooth

Crown and abutment being attached to dental implant in lower arch

A fixed bridge can replace a single missing tooth; however, it requires altering healthy abutment teeth on either side of the gap for it to remain in place. Instead of relying on these “anchors” to secure your new teeth, we can install a single titanium post into your jawbone and top it with a metal abutment and customized dental crown for a fully restored smile.

Missing Multiple Teeth

Dental bridge being attached to a pair of dental implants

Replacing multiple missing teeth may have you thinking about whether to choose a fixed bridge or partial denture, but if you want something with more stability, opt for a restoration that’s held in place by dental implants. We can position two titanium posts into the exterior spaces before attaching a custom implant bridge or partial, effectively filling in the gap and making it easier to eat and speak.

Missing All Teeth

Illustration of dentures attached to dental implants in upper and lower jaw

Dentures might be the first thing you think of when learning you need to replace an entire row of teeth; however, relying on natural suction and messy adhesive doesn’t have to be the answer. Instead, we can place between four and six dental implant posts along the arch to deliver maximum support to the newly crafted denture that we will attach. Not only does this create a complete and more confident appearance, but it also allows you to experience daily life with a set of teeth that look natural, feel comfortable, and work just like your regular ones.

Understanding the Cost of Dental Implants

Older male dental patient giving thumbs up

The dental implant process requires patience, commitment, and financial investment. It’s no secret that these prosthetics are costlier than dentures and dental bridges; however, they are also more cost-effective in the long run. Attempting to determine the cost of your dental implants ahead of time is impossible without a thorough consultation. Once we meet with you to go over the details of your treatment, we can begin to build your cost estimate so that there are no surprises along the way. Before the end of your visit, you’ll understand how much you can expect to pay out of pocket, how much your insurance will cover, and whether you’ll need additional financial assistance to help lower your expenses.