A Permanent, Natural-Looking Solution for Missing Teeth
Tooth loss happens for various reasons: disease, injury, or years of dental problems that finally caught up. However it happens, the fix that comes closest to a natural tooth is a dental implant.Â
Dr. Dean Glasser and Dr. Renee Glasser have placed and restored implants for patients throughout Melville, Huntington, Dix Hills, and Plainview, and it remains one of the most requested procedures in the practice for a simple reason: nothing else replaces both the tooth and the root.
Ready to talk about your options? Call 631-423-6767 to schedule a consultation.
Why Patients Trust Dr. Dean Glasser for Dental Implants
Dr. Dean Glasser built his career around implant and reconstructive dentistry rather than learning implants as an afterthought. Here is what stands behind every case:
- Formal implant training. He completed his implant training at the Misch Implant Institute in 1995 and is a Fellow of the Institute.
- ICOI Fellow and Diplomate. He holds both Fellow and Diplomate status with the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, credentials earned through implant-focused continuing education, documented cases, and examination.
- He helped write the protocols. He established the implant protocol at a university dental school and was part of the team that developed an implant manufacturer's surgical protocol.
- A teacher of implant dentistry. He’s a professor at Columbia University Dental School, an attending at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, and has lectured extensively on cosmetic and implant dentistry.
- Precise planning. Each case is planned with in-office digital imaging and 3D facial scanning, so nobody is left guessing between appointments.
Dental Implants Before & After Photos
What Is a Dental Implant?
A dental implant is a titanium post that's surgically placed into the jawbone to act as an artificial tooth root, anchoring a crown, dental bridge, or denture on top of it.Â
Unlike a traditional bridge or a removable denture, which only replaces what's visible above the gumline, an implant replaces the root itself, which means it continues to stimulate the jawbone the way a natural tooth would. That single difference is why implants prevent the bone loss and facial changes that come with long-term tooth loss, while other options don't.
Why Replace a Missing Tooth?
A gap that isn't in an obvious spot is easy to ignore, but the consequences reach further than appearance:
- Neighboring teeth drift into the open space, shifting your bite and overall alignment
- The jawbone beneath a missing tooth stops receiving the pressure it needs to stay dense, and it begins to deteriorate over time, eventually causing a sunken look in that area
- A missing molar can make certain foods difficult to chew, which sometimes leads to nutritional gaps
- Gaps between teeth can affect speech, including whistling sounds when you talk
Benefits of Dental Implants
Dental implants offer many benefits over other tooth replacement methods. Because an implant is placed in the jawbone and functions like a natural tooth root, it looks and feels like your own tooth, and patients can enjoy the same comfort and confidence they had before tooth loss.
- Natural look and feel. Implants function and appear like your own teeth, not a replacement.
- Bone preservation. The implant keeps stimulating the jawbone, slowing the bone loss that comes with missing teeth.
- No damage to neighboring teeth. Unlike a bridge, an implant doesn't require grinding down healthy teeth for support.
- Easier eating. Implants restore close to full chewing strength, unlike removable dentures.
- Simple maintenance. Brush and floss implants the same way you care for natural teeth. No special routine required.
Who Is a Candidate for Dental Implants?
Most adults in good general and oral health are strong candidates. A few factors matter most:
- Adequate jawbone density to support the implant, though a bone graft can often build up an area that's lost volume
- Healthy gums, with any active gum disease treated first
- A fully developed jaw, which generally rules out implants for children and younger teens
- General health that allows for a minor surgical procedure
Dr. Dean Glasser evaluates each of these during a consultation, so even patients who were told years ago they weren't candidates are often surprised to learn that bone grafting has changed the picture.
How the Dental Implant Procedure Works
Getting an implant isn't a single visit. The jawbone needs time to fuse with the titanium post, and that process can't be rushed. Here's how treatment typically unfolds:
- Implant placement. After the area is numbed, Dr. Dean Glasser makes a small incision to expose the jawbone and places the titanium implant. Placement can be guided by our X-Guide dynamic 3D navigation system, which tracks the implant's position in real time against the digital plan.
- Osseointegration. Over the following three to six months, the jawbone grows around the implant and fuses to it, a process called osseointegration. This is what separates implants from every other replacement option.
- Attaching the post. Once the implant has fully integrated, an abutment (post) is attached, and the gums are given about six weeks to heal around it.
- Attaching the crown. With healing complete, a custom porcelain crown is attached to the post, matched to blend naturally with your surrounding teeth.
What Does a Dental Implant Cost?
Nationally, a single dental implant with its abutment and crown averages about $4,300, and most patients pay somewhere between $3,500 and $8,000 per tooth. Full-arch options cost more: All-on-4 and other fixed full-arch restorations typically run $10,000 to $30,000 per arch. Costs in higher-cost areas like Long Island often fall toward the upper end of these ranges.
Your total depends on a handful of factors:
- How many teeth are being replaced
- Whether a bone graft or extraction is needed first
- The type of restoration, from a single crown to a bridge or full-arch solution
- Any preparatory treatment your case requires
Dr. Dean Glasser reviews the specifics with you at your consultation and gives you a written estimate, so there are no surprises.
Financing for Dental Implants
What we can tell you upfront: implants are often more cost-effective over time than they first appear, because a well-placed implant is built to last for decades with normal care, while bridges and dentures typically need replacement or adjustment along the way. Our office accepts CareCredit, discusses financing options, and accepts assignment of out-of-network insurance benefits, since many plans contribute toward the crown portion of treatment or cases involving an accident. Call 631-423-6767 to schedule a consultation and get pricing specific to your situation.
What Long-Term Tooth Loss Can Cost You
More than 178 million Americans are missing at least one tooth, according to the American College of Prosthodontists, and the effects go beyond a gap in a smile. Long-term tooth loss, and the traditional dentures many people rely on, can affect eating, appearance, and overall health.
Difficulty Eating
Denture wearers can lose up to 90 percent of the biting force that natural teeth provide. That makes raw fruits and vegetables, steak, chicken, and rolls or bagels a real challenge, and many denture wearers end up on a soft diet or swallowing partly chewed food.
Denture Instability
Without tooth roots to stimulate it, the jawbone under a denture gradually shrinks. Less bone means less support for the denture, which makes it looser, which in turn speeds further bone loss.
Jawbone Atrophy
After many years of denture wear, bone loss can become severe enough that a conventional denture no longer stays in place at all. At that point, both chewing function and facial appearance are significantly affected.
Dependence on Adhesives
Many denture wearers rely on messy adhesives just to hold the denture against the gums through the day.
Effects on Diet and Overall Health
A limited diet and a reduced sense of taste lead some denture wearers to favor softer, processed foods and to add extra salt and sugar so food tastes like something. Over time, those habits can contribute to health concerns such as high blood pressure and weight gain. Food that isn't chewed well can also be harder to digest. Restoring chewing ability with implants helps make a varied, healthy diet realistic again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Schedule Your Dental Implant Consultation In Melville, NY!
If you're missing one or several teeth, a consultation is the fastest way to find out what implant treatment would look like for you. Dr. Dean Glasser, Dr. Renee Glasser, and their team have helped patients across Melville, Huntington, Dix Hills, and Plainview replace missing teeth with results that look and function like the real thing.
Call 631-423-6767 or schedule your dental implant consultation online, and a member of our team will reach out. Your new smile starts with one appointment.
