If you've lost a tooth, or several, to injury or disease, dental implants at North Shore Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry in Great Neck, NY can restore both your smile and your oral health. Regular brushing, flossing and checkups keep many people's natural teeth healthy for life, but sometimes teeth just can't keep up. An implant replaces the whole tooth, root included, so it looks, feels and functions much like the tooth you lost. We place and restore implants for patients across Great Neck, Kings Point, Manhasset and nearby North Shore communities.

An implant is a synthetic tooth root in the shape of a post that is surgically placed into the jawbone. The “root” is usually made of titanium: the same material used in many replacement hips and knees, and a metal that is well-suited to pairing with human bone. A replacement tooth is then fixed to the post. The tooth can be either permanently attached or removable. Permanent teeth are more stable and feel more like natural teeth.

The ideal candidate for implants is a non-smoker who has good oral health, including a sufficient amount of bone in the jaw, and healthy gums with no sign of gum disease.

Single or Multiple Implants

Implants are versatile. If you are only missing one tooth, one implant plus one replacement tooth will do the trick. If you are missing several teeth in a row, a few strategically placed implants can support a permanent bridge (a set of replacement teeth). Similarly, if you have lost all of your teeth, a full bridge or full denture can be permanently fixed in your mouth with a strategic number of implants.

Advantages Over Dentures or Bridges

Conventional bridges and dentures are not fixed to the bone, and can therefore be unstable. This can make it difficult to eat or smile with confidence. Implants not only look more natural, but feel and act more like normal teeth, with a stronger biting force. And because they don’t directly rely on neighboring teeth for support, implants don’t compromise the health of your natural teeth. In fact, bridges are only expected to last seven to ten years, even less with root canals, whereas implants will typically last a lifetime.

Post-Treatment Care

Consider your replacement teeth to be the same as natural teeth. They require the same daily brushing and flossing, and the same amount of regular checkups. Just like your natural teeth, the better you take care of your replacements, the longer they will last.

Implant Services

Our implant services include:

Sinus Lift Augmentation: Often the sinuses will enlarge following loss of the upper back teeth. This can preclude placement of dental implants in the upper back areas of the mouth, since the sinus is an air-filled space and dental implants need to be surrounded by solid bone. A sinus lift augmentation/graft is a surgical procedure that restores the sinus cavity to its original size, and replaces the bone that has been lost as a result of the enlarged sinus. This new bone graft typically takes nine to 12 months to heal before the dental implants can be placed into the grafted bone.
Autogenous Bone Grafting: Occasionally, the ideal areas for dental implants do not have sufficient bone quantity to support the implants. In these cases, it is often necessary to “borrow” bone from another area of your mouth and graft it into the deficient area. Often, the area of choice is from the chin or in the back of the jaw where your wisdom teeth used to be.
Implant Site Development: When a tooth needs to be removed due to infection, it is not uncommon to have lost bone around the infected tooth. In these cases, various types of bone grafting can be done at the same time the tooth is removed to facilitate the placement of a dental implant at a later date.
Computer-Enhanced Treatment Planning: We have special software on our computer that allows us to evaluate your dental CT scan in three dimensions for bone quality, bone quantity, and bone location, enabling the best possible placement of your dental implants. This also allows us to work closely and smoothly with your restorative dentist to ensure an ideal result where your dental implants are concerned.
Implant Maintenance: Once your dental implant restoration is completed, it is important to keep the area clean and infection-free. Dental implants can accumulate plaque and tartar just as teeth can. Whether you have just one tooth replaced by an implant or several, a professional cleaning schedule will be necessary to keep your implants healthy. The time interval for these professional cleanings will be determined by your individual needs.

Dental Implants in Great Neck, NY

The cost of dental implants depends on what your mouth needs, so every patient gets a written estimate after the consultation and 3D scan. The main things that change the price are:

Number of implants: a single tooth, an implant-supported bridge or a full arch.
Bone grafting or a sinus lift: only needed if the jawbone is too thin to hold an implant.
Extractions: if a failing tooth has to come out first.
The final restoration: a crown, bridge or fixed denture.

A single implant with its crown typically starts at [add: practice’s starting price for a single implant and crown, or remove this sentence].

Insurance and Payment Options for Implants

Many dental plans cover part of implant treatment, such as the consultation, the extraction or the crown, even when they don’t cover the implant itself. Our team checks your benefits before treatment starts so you know your out-of-pocket cost up front. [add: insurers the practice accepts and any financing options offered]. Implant treatment happens in phases, so the cost is usually spread across several months rather than paid all at once. To ask about your plan, see our financial information page or call (516) 282-0310.

What Is Recovery Like After Implant Placement?

Most patients find implant placement easier than they expected. It often feels similar to having a tooth removed. In the first few days you can expect:

Mild soreness, swelling or bruising. Over-the-counter pain relievers and ice packs usually manage it.
A soft diet of foods such as yogurt, eggs, soup and pasta, chewing on the other side.
No smoking, no drinking through straws and no strenuous exercise for the first few days, to protect the site.

Many people are back at work the next day or within two to three days. Call us if pain or swelling gets worse instead of better after the third day.

How Long Until the Final Tooth Is Placed?

After placement, the implant needs time to fuse with the jawbone, a process called osseointegration. This usually takes about three to six months. During that time you may wear a temporary tooth so there’s no visible gap. Once the implant is stable, we attach a small connector (the abutment) and fit your custom crown, bridge or denture. If you need a bone graft or sinus lift first, that healing time is added to your plan. [add: confirm whether the practice offers same-day or immediate-load implants]. We map out your full timeline at your consultation in Great Neck.

Am I a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

Beyond the basics above, these are the questions we hear most from patients in Great Neck and nearby towns:

I smoke. Can I still get implants? Often yes. Smoking slows healing and raises the risk of implant failure, so we’ll ask you to stop before and after surgery.
I have diabetes. Well-controlled diabetes usually isn’t a barrier, and we may coordinate with your physician.
I’ve been missing a tooth for years and lost bone. Bone grafting can often rebuild the area.
Am I too old? There’s no upper age limit. Overall health matters more than age.
I have gum disease. We treat it first, then plan the implant.