Full Mouth Dental Implants in Vestal, NY

Full mouth dental implants are a reliable, well established way to replace an entire arch of teeth, or both arches, with a set that is fixed in place and cared for much like natural teeth. For patients who have lost most of their teeth, or who are living with dentures that no longer fit well, it is among the most transformative treatments in modern dentistry.

At Vestal Dental Associates we have been caring for Southern Tier families since 1955, and full arch treatment is planned and completed here in our own building, by our own team, with our board eligible prosthodontist leading the case.

How Full Arch Implant Treatment Works

Rather than placing one implant for every missing tooth, a full arch is supported by four to six implants positioned where your bone is strongest. Those implants act as roots, and a complete set of teeth is secured to them.

Any remaining teeth that cannot be saved are removed at the same appointment, and where bone has been lost over the years, grafting rebuilds enough of the ridge to give the implants a solid foundation. Our bone grafting and socket preservation page explains that step in more detail.

Because implants transmit chewing force through the jawbone the way natural roots do, they also preserve the bone itself. That is what keeps facial shape and support from changing over the years, something a conventional denture cannot offer.

Choosing the Right Option for You

There are two ways to restore a full arch on implants, and part of your consultation is working out which one suits your mouth, your priorities and your budget.

A fixed arch is secured permanently to four or more implants and stays in place at all times. You clean around and beneath it daily. This is the option most people picture, and it includes the All-on-4 technique, which angles the rear implants to make the most of available bone and often avoids the need for grafting.

An implant-supported denture clips securely onto two to four implants and lifts out for cleaning. It holds firmly while you eat and speak, it is simpler to clean thoroughly, and it is a more accessible option for many patients.

Both are excellent treatments with long track records. Your dentist will walk you through how each would work for your particular anatomy, what each involves day to day, and what each would cost, so the choice is an informed one.

What to Expect, Step by Step

Your consultation

A thorough examination and a 3D scan, a review of your medical history, and an unhurried conversation about what you would like to be able to do again. You will leave with a written plan setting out each stage, the timeline and the cost, with nothing agreed on the spot.

Your surgical appointment

Any failing teeth are removed and your implants are placed, usually one arch per appointment. You are fully numbed throughout, and conscious sedation with continuous monitoring is available for patients who would prefer it. Most tell us afterward that the day was considerably easier than they had expected.

The same day

You go home with teeth. In most fixed cases a provisional set is attached before you leave, and where that is not appropriate a temporary denture is fitted instead. We will give you clear guidance on eating and caring for them while you heal.

Healing

Over the following three to six months the bone grows onto the implant surfaces and locks them in place, a process called osseointegration. There is little for you to do during this stage beyond keeping the area clean and coming in for a few straightforward checks.

Your final teeth

Once the implants are fully integrated, your permanent restoration is made. Shade, tooth shape, proportion and lip support are all decided together with you at a try-in appointment, while everything is still adjustable, so you see and approve the result before it is finished.

Imaging, surgical planning, milling and our own ceramic furnace are all under one roof, so the dentist placing your implants and the team designing your teeth are working side by side on the same case.

Led by Dr. Nolan Robinson and Dr. Fritz Zietsman, board eligible prosthodontist. Meet the team.

Living With Your New Teeth

Chewing comfort is the change most patients notice first. Foods that had quietly disappeared from the menu come back, and eating out stops requiring any forward planning.

Speech settles quickly, usually within a couple of weeks. Where the upper arch can be restored without covering the palate, patients tell us food tastes fuller and warmer almost immediately.

Caring for your new teeth is straightforward once it becomes routine. A fixed arch is brushed as normal and cleaned underneath daily with a water flosser and the small tools we will fit you with and demonstrate. A removable option lifts out for cleaning and its attachments are refreshed at your regular visits. We will see you on a recall schedule set to your case, check the health of the tissue around each implant, and keep everything in good order for the long term.

Why Patients Choose Vestal Dental Associates

A prosthodontist on staff. Dr. Fritz Zietsman is board eligible in prosthodontics, the dental specialty dedicated to replacing teeth and rebuilding bites. Full arch treatment sits at the center of that specialty, and having it in house means your case is planned by a specialist without a referral.

Everything in one building. Your imaging, surgical planning, CEREC milling and ceramic finishing all happen here. One team, one set of records, and a plan that stays coherent from first appointment to last.

Seventy years in the Southern Tier. We opened in 1955 and we have looked after four generations of local families. Implant treatment is a long relationship, and we intend to be here for all of it.

Full Mouth Implant Questions We Hear

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  Will I be without teeth at any point?
  No. You will leave your surgical appointment with a set of teeth in place, either a fixed provisional arch secured to your implants or a temporary denture, depending on what is right for your case. That plan is agreed with you before the day itself, so you know exactly what to expect.
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  How comfortable is the procedure?
  Your comfort is planned as carefully as the surgery. You are fully anesthetized throughout, and we offer conscious sedation with continuous monitoring of your breathing, blood pressure and heart rate for patients who would like it. Afterward, some swelling and soreness for a few days is normal and is managed with medication we prescribe. We recommend keeping the week fairly quiet, and we are reachable if you have any questions while you heal.
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  How long does the full treatment take?
  Most cases run four to six months from the surgical appointment to the final teeth, and nearly all of that time is healing rather than appointments. Where grafting is needed first, add a few months at the start. You will have a dated plan from the outset so you can arrange things around it, and you have teeth throughout.
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  I was told years ago I did not have enough bone. Has that changed?
  Very possibly. Techniques have advanced considerably, and angling implants to engage the denser bone toward the front of the jaw allows many patients to be treated without grafting who would not have qualified under older protocols. Where bone does need rebuilding, grafting is routine and simply adds time to the plan. Bring any previous scans to your consultation and we will give you a clear answer.
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  Am I too old for this treatment?
  Age alone is rarely the deciding factor, and we have treated patients well into their nineties very successfully. What matters is general health, healing capacity and bone volume, all of which we assess at your consultation. Certain medications, particularly those prescribed for bone density, are worth discussing early, so please bring your full medication list with you.
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  What does treatment cost, and will my insurance help?
  Cost depends on how many arches are being treated, how many implants your case calls for, whether extractions or grafting are involved, and which type of final restoration you choose. Dental plans vary considerably in how they treat implant work, and most carry an annual maximum. Our team will review your specific benefits, give you a written estimate for each option you are considering, and where it helps we can phase treatment across two benefit years. Our payment options page covers the plans we accept and the financing available.