Massapequa Park Dentist
Dentist in Massapequa Park
A method of replacing missing teeth that has increased in popularity over the past decade is the dental implant where a titanium anchor is surgically implanting directly into the jawbone in the spot the missing tooth once stood. Over time the anchor bonds to the bone and forms a very secure root for the replacement tooth. Another surgery is then done to uncover the anchor and place a post or abutment over it to which a crown is finally placed forming the tooth. Our Massapequa Park dentist specializes in implant dentistry and often uses a newer technique to minimize the surgical impact of dental implants.
Massapequa Park Dentist
Since dental implants were first introduced there has continually been improvements in the procedures and techniques used to place them and in the implants themselves. For those patients and instances where they can be used our Massapequa Park dentist will place mini implants into the patient’s mouth to hold replacement teeth. Essentially, mini implants are just like full-sized implants only smaller. A full-sized implant is roughly 3.5mm – 5.8mm wide while a mini implant is only 1.8mm – 3.3mm wide. The smaller size allows an implant to be placed in a narrow jawbone or eliminates a bone graft in a spot that does not have sufficient bone material available to support a full-size implant. A mini implant has the advantage of needing only a very small incision or sometimes no incision to place making healing faster and minimizing any patient discomfort.
Our Massapequa Park dentist often uses mini implants to secure dentures and bridges, where a series of the mini implants along the jaw hold the dentures more securely than dental adhesives would. Mini dental implants can hold almost any type of replacement tooth. If you have missing teeth make an appointment with our doctor and find out if dental implants are a good option to replace those teeth and whether a full-sized or mini implants would work best.