Restoring Implants

If you are having difficulty with your dental implants, call (718) 682-7559 and schedule an appointment with our Queens, NY dental office. It is critical that we examine your dental implant right away and that you do not try to self-diagnose the problem. This can lead to further irritation and dental challenges. During an examination, we can let you know if you need a dental implant restoration and the best way to proceed.

How common are dental implant problems?

They are actually very rare. At Woodside Dental Care one of the reasons that we recommend dental implants is due to their high success rate. Depending on the dentist you visit, the success rate can be as high as 99 percent.

If there is a problem, your dental implant can become loose or the crown (tooth portion) could crack or fall off. If a problem does occur, we will be able to repair the damage and fix the situation in an efficient manner.

Why do dental implants become loose?

If your implant has become loose, it may be due to the fact that osseointegration never took place. Osseointegration is the process where the titanium implant fuses with the actual jawbone. The body deposits bone around the implant over the course of several months and secures the implant in the same way it secures the natural root of a tooth. If that process does not fully complete, your implant could become loose in the future. Additionally, the stability of your implant depends on your jawbone remaining dense and strong. If you develop gum disease or an infection that deteriorates your bone, the implant could become loose and fail. This makes it important to call our dental office if you notice any signs of gum disease which may include red, swollen and bleeding gums. Additionally, if you develop a toothache, visit our office for treatment right away. Doing so will prevent you from developing an infection that could negatively impact your jawbone.

What do I do if my dental implant has become loose?

Call us right away. The implant will not tighten on its own, nor will the problem correct itself. If you attempt to self-diagnose and treat, you can end up damaging your bone.

What does dental implant repair involve?

That depends on which portion of the implant we need to repair. If the actual tooth (dental crown) is cracked or damaged, we can replace it without needing to address the actual implant (titanium post). If your tooth falls out, bring it with you. Otherwise, we can examine it and let you know if we can repair the crack or chip without actually removing the crown. At Woodside Dental Care, we view this as the best-case scenario since it is the fastest way to restore your implant and the least invasive. If the crown needs replacement, the dental lab will create a new one for us to carefully attach to the abutment on your implant.

If your actual implant fails, then that is a whole new process that can take up to four steps. The first step is to carefully remove it, which may require surgery. Then depending on the condition of your jawbone, a bone graft may be necessary. If your implant became loose due to a lack of density, not correcting the problem will make it impossible to replace the implant. You will need to heal from this procedure before we can place a new implant; essentially starting the procedure all over again. If you face this scenario, we can discuss the various options that are available to you in further detail.

How do you treat a fractured dental implant?

If the tooth portion of your implant has fractured, we will examine you and let you know if we can restore it using bonding material. If we cannot, then we will have to replace the crown.

Can you replace a loose dental implant?

Yes, if the actual implant becomes loose, we will typically need to remove it. We will then need to clean the area and complete a bone graft if necessary. We can place a new implant after the healing process.

What will the replacement process be like?

It is likely that you will need to undergo surgery so we can remove your implants, clean the area and graft the jawbone. We will complete this procedure under anesthesia so that you do not feel anything during the actual treatment. However, your recovery period may feel very similar to when we first placed the implant. There will be some swelling, discomfort and soreness. To combat this, you can use an ice pack for fifteen minutes at a time, take ibuprofen and eat cool soft foods for several days. If you also went through a bone graft, then you will need to be careful not to apply pressure to the area. In some cases, your food restrictions may last slightly longer than before. During a follow-up examination, you will be given the green light to return to your normal dietary habits. One thing to keep in mind is that if you do need a bone graft, it is likely to take six to nine months for the graft to be complete so that you can have a new implant placed. At that point, the process will be identical to when you had an implant placed for the first time.

If one implant becomes loose or fails will my others do the same?

Probably not. Dental implants have a success rate of 99 percent. It is incredibly rare for a dental implant to fail so if one does, your others should be fine. The only difference is that if you had an injury that caused an implant to fail, you should have all of your teeth examined to make sure that none of the rest are damaged.

Do you handle all types of dental implant restorations?

We can conduct an initial examination, identify what the problem is and how extensive it is. This will involve a physical examination along with X-rays so that we can determine the density of your jawbone. At that point, we will let you know if we can assist you or if you need to be referred to a Queens specialist. At Woodside Dental Care our focus is on your complete oral health and ensuring that you have access to the procedures you need. To learn more, call our dental office at (718) 682-7559.

Why are implants better than dentures or dental bridges?

As an implant dentist, we can replace both the root and tooth. When you use dentures or a dental bridge to replace teeth, they only replace the visible portion of the tooth. While an effective way to restore your smile and ability to eat and speak, this does not provide the level of stimulation that your jawbone needs to prevent resorption. Your root and tooth stimulate your jawbone every time that you bite down and chew. This informs the body that your jaw is serving its purpose by supporting your teeth. Without teeth, your body will begin to leach calcium from your jawbone to distribute to other areas of the body. The loss of bone density can give you a sunken appearance and make you appear far older than you actually are. By placing dental implants in our dental office, we can restore your lost tooth while preserving your jawbone and facial appearance at the same time. No other solution is as effective at doing so.

What we do as an implant dentist

As an implant dentist, we replace teeth on a regular basis using a surgical procedure. To determine if you qualify for implant surgery, we need to examine your gums and take X-rays to find out if you have enough bone density for the procedure. If you do not, we can discuss other options like mini dental implants or the All-on-4 procedure which are also implanted, but the metal posts are smaller.

Regardless of which procedure is right for you, we can do everything in our power to give you replacement teeth that look natural, beautiful and function like your natural teeth once did. With implants, you can continue to eat all of your favorite foods, speak clearly, and have a confident smile, free from the worry that your teeth could fall out.

Queens Implant Dentist

Our qualifications as an implant dentist

While most general dentists provide some options for tooth replacement, only an implant dentist can replace both your tooth and your root. This is a surgical procedure where a titanium post is implanted under your gums and secured to your jawbone. The bone and metal will eventually fuse together through the process of osseointegration creating a strong and durable new root system that the tooth can be secured to. Since this is done surgically, it is important that you visit a dentist that has received additional training on how to complete the procedure quickly and efficiently. This will ensure that you do not spend longer than necessary in the dental chair and that you can recover quickly. Otherwise, your recovery process could be unnecessarily prolonged due to a lack of experience by the dentist completing your procedure. While there is no standardized training or accreditation program for an implant dentist, we have completed additional courses in addition to graduating from dental school. Also, the number of dental implants that are placed by an cosmetic dentist are significantly higher than the number of procedures performed by a traditional family dentist. As with any surgery, the more often a dentist completes the procedure, the faster and more accurate they will be at doing so. For this reason, if you live in Queens, NY or the surrounding area, we invite you to call (718) 682-7559 and schedule an appointment for a consultation. During your appointment, we can answer your questions and provide you with more information regarding the number of procedures we perform and the additional training that we have received.

The procedures we perform

As an implant dentist, we have several types of implant procedures that we perform. The one that we recommend will be based on the density of your jawbone.

Traditional Dental Implants

To qualify for this procedure, you need to have sufficient density in your jawbone, which makes it necessary to visit us quickly after tooth loss. We begin by sedating you, to help you remain comfortable and not feel anything. Very often, we put patients to sleep because it can take several hours to place all of the implants. This is a surgical procedure where we insert a titanium post under the gums and secure it to the jawbone in the place where each missing tooth was. The titanium post creates a new root that the tooth will eventually be secured to. The process of osseointegration should take place first to ensure that the new tooth has maximum stability. Since it can take a couple of months to complete the procedure, many of our patients will wear a temporary denture to give them a somewhat natural looking smile until the new tooth is secured to the implant. After the surgery, you will need to be careful with what you eat for a few days since your gums will be sore. Once the process has been completed, you will be able to eat all of your favorite foods without restriction. As an implant dentist, we can provide you with the sturdiest and most durable tooth replacement solution available today.

All-on-4

At Woodside Dental Care, our team offers the All-on-4 procedure for patients that do not qualify for traditional dental implants or those that are looking for a faster solution to tooth loss. This procedure can be completed in two appointments. The first appointment is to take an impression of your mouth and to take measurements so that a new set of teeth can be created. The teeth will look natural and beautiful while being attached to synthetic gums, similar to how dentures are created. The difference is that this set of teeth snaps in place, secured to a set of four implants. When you come in for the second appointment, the four implants are placed, and the new set of teeth are secured to them. You can leave with a full set of natural looking teeth that are incredibly durable. If you live in the Queens, NY area, we invite you to call (718) 682-7559 and learn more about this procedure. For those looking for a fast solution to tooth loss, this is a fantastic option that will remain in place when you speak, eat and engage in high impact activities. To get started, visit our Queens dental office today.

Questions Answered on This Page

Q. What can I do when a dental implant becomes loose?

Q. How can I repair a dental implant?

Q. What is the process for replacing dental implants?

People Also Ask

Q. How do I know if dental implants are right for me?

Q. How do I take care of my dental implants?

Q. Do I need bone grafting?

Definition of Dental Implant Terminology

Helpful Related Links

• American Dental Association (ADA). Glossary of Dental Terms. 2015
• American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry® (AACD). Home Page. 2015
• WebMD. WebMD’s Oral Care Guide. 2015