Frequently Asked Questions About Dental Implants in Long Island, NY
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If you’re considering dental implants, you probably have questions about how they’re placed, whether you qualify, and what recovery looks like. Below are the questions patients ask most often in our Babylon office, answered by a board-certified periodontist who has placed implants on Long Island for more than three decades.
What Are Dental Implants?
A dental implant is a small titanium post placed surgically into the jawbone to replace the root of a missing tooth. Over several months the bone fuses to the titanium in a process called osseointegration, creating a foundation strong enough to support a custom crown, bridge, or denture.
Once the implant has integrated, an abutment is attached to connect the post to your new restoration. Because the implant is anchored in bone rather than resting on the gums, it does not shift, click, or loosen the way a denture or bridge can. Most patients find that an implant looks and functions much like the natural tooth it replaced.
Implants can replace a single tooth, several teeth, or a full arch. Dr. Scharf also offers implant-supported dentures, All-on-4 dental implants, and same-day dental implants depending on how much bone is present and how many teeth are involved.
Am I a Candidate for Dental Implants?
Most adults with healthy gums and adequate jawbone are candidates for dental implants. Determining candidacy requires a consultation, digital imaging to measure bone height and width, and a review of your medical history and current medications.
At your first visit we take digital X-rays and often a 3D scan to evaluate the bone at the implant site, then examine your gums for signs of infection that could compromise healing. If bone volume is insufficient, procedures such as ridge augmentation or bone grafting can rebuild the site first. Once grafted bone has matured and the gums are healthy, most patients are cleared for surgery.
What Can Delay Dental Implant Placement?
There are situations where implants can’t be placed right away, though Dr. Scharf can help most patients become candidates over time. Common reasons for a delay include:
- Uncontrolled medical conditions. Implants integrate best in patients who are generally healthy. Poorly controlled diabetes, active cancer treatment, bleeding disorders such as hemophilia, and some autoimmune conditions can slow or impair healing after surgery.
- Certain medications. Bisphosphonates, corticosteroids, and chemotherapy drugs can change how bone and soft tissue respond to implant surgery. Bring a complete medication list to your consultation so we can plan around it.
- Active gum disease or untreated decay. Bacteria from an infected site can migrate to a healing implant. Gum disease treatment comes first, and implants follow once the tissue is stable.
- Insufficient bone mass or density. The jaw needs enough width, height, and density to hold an implant securely. Bone resorbs after tooth loss, so patients who have gone years with a missing tooth often need grafting first.
- Smoking and other habits. Smoking is one of the strongest predictors of implant failure because it restricts blood flow to healing tissue. Heavy alcohol use and inconsistent oral hygiene carry similar risk. Implant treatment spans several months, so the commitment needs to last through the full course of care.
Why See a Periodontist for Dental Implants Instead of a General Dentist?
Periodontists specialize in the gums and bone that support teeth, the exact structures that hold a dental implant in place. That specialty training, which adds three years of surgical residency beyond dental school, covers implant placement, bone grafting, and soft-tissue reconstruction in depth.
That expertise matters most when a case isn’t straightforward. If you need tissue regeneration, sinus augmentation, or gum disease treatment before an implant can be placed, a general dentist would typically refer you to a periodontist anyway. Starting with a specialist saves a step.
Careful planning is what separates an implant that lasts from one that fails. Dr. Scharf’s protocol includes a full diagnosis, 3D imaging to assess both the quality and quantity of available bone, resolution of any active periodontal infection, and a written treatment plan covering every phase from placement to final restoration. Poor positioning is a leading cause of implant failure, and periodontists have the surgical training and equipment to correct or replace a failing implant when other providers can’t.
Dr. Scharf is board-certified by the American Board of Periodontology and was named Periodontist of the Year for 2024 by Dental Care Alliance.
Why Should I Replace a Missing Tooth?
Replacing a missing tooth protects the jawbone. Tooth roots stimulate the bone around them; when a root is gone, that bone begins to resorb within months, and the surrounding teeth start to drift into the empty space.
The effects compound over time. Chewing becomes less efficient, which quietly narrows your diet and can affect nutrition. Speech may change if the missing tooth played a role in forming certain sounds. As bone volume decreases across the arch, the lower third of the face can lose vertical height and support, a change sometimes described as facial collapse.
An implant is the only tooth replacement that puts a root back into the bone, which is why it’s the most effective option for preserving jaw structure long term.
Are Dental Implants Better Than Dentures?
For most patients, implants offer better stability, better bone preservation, and simpler daily care than conventional dentures. Dentures rest on the gums and rely on suction or adhesive, so they can slip while eating or speaking and often need relines as the underlying ridge changes shape.
Because dentures don’t stimulate the jawbone, bone loss continues underneath them. That is why a denture that fit well three years ago may rock or rub today. Implants are anchored in the bone and integrate with it, so they help maintain the ridge instead of accelerating its loss.
Care is more familiar, too. Dentures come out daily for brushing, soaking, and sanitizing. Implants are brushed and flossed like natural teeth, with routine professional cleanings.
If you already wear a full denture and want more stability without individual implants for every tooth, implant-supported dentures secure your prosthesis to a small number of implants.
How Long Do Dental Implants Last?
The titanium implant itself is designed to last decades and frequently lasts a lifetime when the surrounding bone and gums stay healthy. The crown attached to it is subject to normal wear and is usually replaced after roughly 10 to 15 years.
Long-term studies consistently report survival rates above 95% at ten years for implants placed in healthy, well-maintained mouths. The variables that matter most are smoking, control of periodontal disease, and keeping up with regular hygiene visits, all of which are within a patient’s control.
Does Getting a Dental Implant Hurt?
Implant placement is done under local anesthesia, and most patients report the procedure itself is painless. Soreness for a few days afterward is typical and usually manageable with over-the-counter anti-inflammatories.
Patients are often surprised that implant surgery feels less involved than the extraction that preceded it. For anyone with dental anxiety or a longer multi-implant case, sedation dentistry is available.
How Long Does the Dental Implant Process Take?
Start to finish, most dental implant treatment takes four to twelve months. The bulk of that time is osseointegration, the three to six months the jawbone needs to fuse to the implant before a permanent crown can be attached.
Preliminary work extends the timeline. An extraction site typically heals for a few months before placement, and bone grafting adds several more. Some patients with sufficient bone qualify for same-day dental implants, which place a temporary tooth at the time of surgery. A full breakdown is on our phases of dental implant treatment page.
How Much Do Dental Implants Cost in Long Island?
Cost depends on how many teeth are being replaced, whether bone grafting or an extraction is needed, and the type of restoration. We provide a written estimate at your consultation and our financial coordinator reviews your insurance benefits and financing options with you beforehand.
For a detailed breakdown of what goes into the price, see our guide to the cost of dental implants.
How Do I Take Care of Dental Implants?
Implants are cared for like natural teeth: brush twice daily, clean between them every day, and keep your regular professional cleanings. Bacteria around an implant can cause peri-implantitis, an inflammatory condition that damages the supporting bone, so consistent hygiene directly affects how long the implant lasts.
For post-surgical instructions and healing timelines, see our dental implant recovery and care FAQ.
Ready to Learn More About Dental Implants?
Dr. Scharf has been replacing missing teeth for patients throughout Babylon, Suffolk County, and the wider Long Island area for over 30 years. At your consultation, he’ll evaluate your bone and gum health, answer every question you bring, and walk you through a treatment plan with clear timing and costs before anything begins.
Dr. David Scharf – Long Island Periodontics & Dental Implants
ADDRESS:
98 E Main St, Ste 2
Babylon, NY 11702
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PHONE: (631) 661-6633
OFFICE HOURS:
- Monday: 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM
- Tuesday: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Wednesday: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Thursday: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Friday: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM