Dental Implant Surgery Can Renew Your Smile and Dental Function

Dr. Jin Ha Joung, is a highly trained prosthodontic expert who provides exceptional dental implant treatment. A dental implant is a small titanium post that is surgically inserted into the jaw to replace tooth roots and support a variety of prosthetic teeth. Our doctors perform dental implant surgery at our advanced Ridgewood, NJ, dental office to place the implant, and then attach a natural-looking prostheses such as a dental crown or bridge. Our specialists take care of the entire procedure in our office using highly advanced tools such as our 3D cone beam scanner to ensure comfortable, precise treatment. Patients are often surprised at how easy and painless the implant placement process is. 

Preparing for Dental Implant Surgery

Prior to undergoing any procedure, you will meet with one of our specialists for an in-depth consultation to discuss the risks and benefits of dental implants. Some patients will require one or more procedures to prepare them for dental implant surgery. If you need to have one or more teeth extracted, your doctor may choose to perform this in advance along with socket preservation techniques. Other patients may have their extraction performed on the same day as their implant surgery. Patients who have suffered significant bone loss may require a bone graft to rebuild sufficient bone tissue to support the implants. If you need some or all of your upper teeth replaced, especially those in the back, you may need a sinus lift. This procedure rebuilds the bone tissue beneath the sinus cavity to create more room for implants. A bone graft or a sinus lift requires up to six months of healing before your doctor can place your implants. 

Treatment Planning

You will receive a customized treatment plan that outlines any treatment you need before your surgery, as well as which type of implant would work best for your smile. Using our 3D cone beam scanner, we will obtain images of your jaw to determine the optimal placement of your implants. Once any preliminary procedures and the planning stage are complete, you will return to our office to have your dental implants surgically placed.

Placing the Implants

Dental implant surgery is an outpatient procedure that typically lasts about an hour. We offer IV sedation or nitrous oxide along with local anesthetic to ensure your experience is comfortable and relaxed. When you are ready, your doctor will create small pilot holes in your jaw for the implants and then screw the implants into the bone tissue. Typically, the gums will be closed with a few stitches. Depending on the location and number of teeth you are having replaced, we may provide you with a temporary restoration while you heal.

Patients are often surprised at how easy and painless the implant placement process is. 

Over the next three to six months, the dental implants will fuse with the jawbone. This process is called osseointegration, and it is an essential to the success of your implants. When it is complete, you will return to have an abutment (connector) placed on each implant. A second minor surgery is needed for this step in order to expose the top of the implant post. The gums will need to heal around the abutment prior to restoration placement. Then you will return to our office to have your new crown, bridge, or denture permanently attached.