(Long Island, N.Y.) Are you hiding your smile? If you’ve got something to be shy about, you are certainly not alone. According to the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, 69% of adults ages 35 to 44 have lost at least one permanent tooth to an accident, gum disease, a failed root canal or tooth decay. While bridges and removable dentures were the only option for a long time, there’s another solution with a great success rate: Dental Implants.
Yikes…an Implant?
The word “implant” might sound intimidating, but it’s quite simple, says Derek Faktor, DMD, an aesthetic and implant dentist at the New York Smile Institute, in New York City. He says if you’re missing teeth, implants are an ideal option. Neighboring teeth are not disturbed and they “preserve the integrity of what you have in terms of bone and gum tissue which is extremely important”. If you’re delaying treatment for any reason, Dr. Faktor offers these compelling reasons why you shouldn’t wait:
Affecting Your Appearance: Missing teeth could cause a gaping hole in your confidence and self-esteem. The issue can also cause facial contours to change.
- The Functioning Component: If you have one or more missing, you might not be able to chew or enjoy food the way you used to. Correcting the problem can also bring back harmony and balance. (If one part of your body isn’t functioning like the others—it can throw you off.)
- A Time Element: The tooth above the empty space will start erupting out of its socket and you can end up with new troubles and lose an opportunity to put a tooth in the empty space. The sooner you replace it—the better off you are.
Here’s the (No) Fear Factor
Feel intimated by the procedure? While there are cases with varying degrees of complexity, in most cases, a relatively simple procedure with very little post-op pain and discomfort, explains Dr. Faktor. In a standard procedure, a titanium implant is placed into the bone and once it fuses to the bone, it’s crowned with a realistic looking artificial tooth. A straight forward case can take the same amount of time as doing a small filling and uses the same amount of local anesthetic.
Good to Know
Implants don’t decay and remain structurally sound under most conditions. They’re becoming more main-stream and according to Dr. Faktor, patients frequently request them. They’re natural looking (and feeling), and can be integrated with cosmetic procedures, blending in perfectly. You can put an implant crown next to a natural tooth or a porcelain veneer– and you can’t even tell the difference.
Dr. Faktor’s extensive experience in both cosmetic reconstruction as well as periodontal plastics has developed into what he terms “Bio-Aesthetics”. Creating and maintaining harmony between both the soft tissue environment of the mouth and newly restored teeth allow his patients to live a more healthy lifestyle. To learn more, visit https://faktordmd.com/
