Dental Implants in Hackensack, NJ

Implants are for adults, because the jaw has to have finished growing before a permanent post goes into it. Placing an implant in a jaw that is still developing can push a tooth out of position later or leave the implant misaligned. There is no upper age limit. Patients in their 70s, 80s, and 90s receive implants regularly and heal well, since what matters far more than age is general health, the quality of the bone, and how well you look after your mouth.

An implant fuses directly to your jawbone, so there has to be enough healthy bone in that spot to hold it. Bone begins to shrink the moment a tooth is lost, and the longer a gap sits empty, the more it recedes. This is one of the top reasons patients are told "no implants" by another office, and it is often not the whole story.

• Your 3D scan measures the exact height and width of bone available at each planned site.
• Small deficits are treated with focused grafting, sometimes done at the same visit as placement.
• Larger deficits are rebuilt with a graft before implants go in, adding a few months to the plan.
• Angled implant designs like All-on-4 can work with limited bone in the back of the jaw, sometimes avoiding grafting altogether.

If you have been told your bone is not enough, it is worth a second look with a proper scan.

Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults, and it does not go away on its own. Because an implant sits in the same bone that gum disease attacks, any active infection has to be under control before implants can be placed. Signs of active disease include gums that bleed easily, receding gum lines, deep pockets around the teeth, and bone loss visible on x-rays.

The important part: a history of gum disease does not disqualify you. Even patients with significant past bone loss can go on to have successful implants once the infection is treated with deep cleanings, antibiotics, or periodontal procedures, and once ongoing maintenance is in place. What matters is that the disease is controlled and stays controlled.

Implant placement is a routine, focused surgery, and healing depends on the same things any other surgery does. Most healthy adults qualify, including patients with well-managed chronic conditions.

• Well-controlled diabetes is usually fine. Uncontrolled diabetes with unstable blood sugar meaningfully raises the risk of implant failure and needs to be brought under control first.
• Certain medications can affect bone healing, including some osteoporosis drugs and long-term steroids. We review your full medication list at consultation.
• Autoimmune conditions and treatments are planned around case by case, sometimes in coordination with your physician.
• Radiation to the jaw or head and neck in your medical history is a case-by-case conversation, since it changes how bone heals.

Smoking narrows the small blood vessels in the gum, slows the fusion of the implant to the bone, and meaningfully raises the risk of failure both during healing and for years afterward. We ask you to stop before surgery, through the whole healing period, and ideally for good.

Oral hygiene is what protects implants long term. An implant does not decay, but the gum and bone around it can become infected if plaque and tartar are allowed to build up, a condition called peri-implantitis. Brushing, flossing, and regular professional cleanings are what turn a well-placed implant into one that lasts for decades.