It is a well known fact that since the time of the Mayans man has always looked to resolve the problem of missing teeth. The Mayans actually attempted it with little success. However in 1959 a Swedish Orthopedic Surgeon discovered that bone fuses to titanium and was the only metal that the human body did not reject. This process was later named osseo-integration and paved the way to millions of Americans receiving dental implants and restoring their ability to chew and lead a normal healthy life. The problems associated with missing teeth can impact a patient’s personal and medical life. Missing teeth prevent individuals from smiling and a smile in America has always been viewed as your calling card. The other medical issues that can present themselves are bone loss in the jawbone where teeth have been removed and the inability to eat the foods they need to eat and to derive from them essential nutrition. It is estimated that bone loss around the jawbone when a tooth is removed can be as much as 25% in the first year due to the fact that the bone ‘resorbs’ (reabsorbs) into the body. From here bone loss continues and this can cause loss of definition in facial structure. Dr Jim Sarji, a renowned Park Slope dentist and the chief dentist at Park Slope Gentle is a big believer in restoring lost teeth as soon as they have been removed. Sally Mahon spoke to him at his high tech dental office in the heart of Park Slope.
Dr Sarji, how long have you been placing dental implants and giving patients full mouth restoration cosmetic dentistry?
I have been performing dental implant surgery for over a decade and have successfully placed hundreds of implants in patients of all ages. I undertook a special course at NYU in dental implantology and I have the accreditation that many dentists doing implant do not have.
Who do you see as being the perfect candidate for a dental implant?
We have seen many different types of patients here for dental implants, from teenagers with dental accidents in sports who have had to have dental implants placed to people in their 20’s, 30’s or 40’s who maybe lost a molar after a failed root canal or an extraction and now have realized that they have overcome their fear of getting a dental implant and now want to take better care of their teeth. Many a time we get older patients in their 60’s or 70’s that have had dentures and now no longer wants dentures for a number of different reasons. A common complaint from denture wearing patients is the fact that they cannot eat the foods that they want to eat. Therefore by gaining fixed teeth they overcome this problem and restore their ability to smile. One of the problems that patient don’t realize is that dentures can actually accelerate bone loss by wearing away the ridges of the bone where the dentures sit. This means that when a patient bites down or clenches his teeth it causes pressure to be placed on the ridge resulting in bone re-absorption. This can cause sore areas within the mouth, ulcers, can make chewing difficult and can be a never ending source of problems. Dental implants allow patient to have fixed teeth, to chew properly, the bone regrows around the dental implant as it becomes fused and eventually if facial definition has been lost it is gradually restored. The benefits here for a patient with dentures changing to dental implants are astounding. Not to mention wrinkles that can form around the mouth as bone loss accelerates.
What would you say to a patient who sounds unsure about the process?
For me this is a very routine process and in this day and age we have to grateful to medical technology and the fact that titanium will actually fuse to the bone. Losing a tooth or a number of teeth can be a traumatic and life changing incident. We are here to restore smiles. Teeth are basically a sign of how healthy the body is. Getting an implant can take as long as getting a filling. We put the patient under a simple local anesthetic and when we they leave they may experience slight discomfort that we will give them pain relievers for. For most patients recovery is 2–3 days if they are getting one to two implants. For other who are receiving 4 or 5 dental implants recovery is a little longer. Once they actually get the crown placed onto the implant many patients tell us that it was well worth it and that it has been a life changing experience.
What technology do you use a Advanced Gentle Dentistry of Park Slope that puts you ahead of the game?
Unfortunately technology is only as good as they dentist that is using it. It takes a significant amount of knowledge, expertise and judgment to place a dental implant successfully never mind a lot of experience. Our office is equipped with high tech sophisticated computer aided software, including an EWOO 2d and 3d machine that will allow us to examine bone density in order to see if there is enough bone structure to place an implant and we can examine for infection. This helps in placing the dental implant in the exact place. Not many dental offices have an ICAT machine and I would never recommend that a patient gets a dental implant in an office where the ICAT is not utilized in the dental implant process. List the other technology.
What would you say to a patient that is considering dental implants?
For a prospective dental implant patient I would advise them to come and see me for a consultation. What you will experience here is a high tech, health conscious dental practice where we treat the patient and not just the condition. Every patient is unique and we have many years of practice in helping patients overcome their fears. What I like to do is show the patient the technology that we will employ during the procedure and show them previous patients that had serious dental conditions and then show them what their teeth look like when they were transformed. The consultations to discuss dental implants are always free and we explain every part of the dental restoration process. If it is going to be a costly procedure then our staff on the front desk can assist you with all forms of insurance and will assist you in applying for financing. For us restoring teeth transforms smiles which transforms people lives and for us there is nothing more gratifying than giving a patient back their smile.
Jim Sarji, DDS has been performing dentistry for nearly 20 years and divides his time between his children and his practice. He is passionate about dentistry and has upgraded all his equipment at his practice to the highest technology including a 2D and 3D EWOO Panoramic Low Radiation Cone Beam X-ray. This is used to measure bone density when placing a dental implant and to look for infection in the jawbone. Jim Sarji, DDS is the practice owner ofAdvanced Gentle Dentistry of Park Slope. The practice was started 20 years ago in Park Slope and offers teeth cleanings, root canal treatments, dental fillings, dental crowns, dental implants, emergency dentistry, dental bridges, emergency dentistry and all forms of cosmetic and general dentistry. The practice is open Monday to Saturday and accepts most insurances.
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