Wondering about your dental appointment? Here are the frequently asked questions.
As a new patient at Hybridge, you can expect a comprehensive records and diagnostics appointment, followed by a detailed consultation with a Hybridge doctor to discuss your treatment options and associated costs.
Your first Intake appointment will take 30 to 45 minutes. This is a records and diagnostics appointment, where we collect essential information like digital CAT scans, intraoral scans, medical history, and professional photographs. This data helps our doctors fully understand your dental situation and create a treatment plan customized to your needs.
Your second visit involves a one-hour consultation with a Hybridge doctor to discuss treatment options and associated costs. This session also allows you to ask general questions, frequent questions and answers any concerns, helping you find the answer to the best course for your dental health.
We aim to make you feel informed and confident about your treatment plan.
If you need to cancel your appointment at Hybridge Implants & Smile Restoration, simply call the office as soon as possible to let them know. They will assist you with the cancellation process.
The cost of dental implants varies depending on factors like procedure complexity and materials used. While exact costs require a personalized consultation, Hybridge full-arch dental implants are considered a cost-effective long-term solution compared to chronic dental repairs. During your consultation, the doctor will review your scans and guide you through your personalized treatment plan and all-inclusive pricing.
Our Treatment Coordinator will work closely with you on financing options that are available to help manage the cost of dental implants, such as:
A Hybridge Full-Arch restoration offers a quicker, more streamlined alternative to traditional dental implant procedures, often completed in just four appointments over an eight-week period. While factors like bone grafting and individual healing time can affect the total duration, this process is designed for efficiency and convenience.
Here's what you can expect during the four steps of your Hybridge journey:
Your first appointment focuses on planning your ideal smile. We'll take digital scans and images of your teeth and use them with our Hybridge Smile Design Software. With your input, we'll create a digital blueprint for your new smile, which will be used to craft your temporary teeth for the next step.
This is the day your new smile begins. During this appointment, we'll remove any remaining natural teeth and place dental implants. Immediately following the implant placement, we'll secure your temporary Hybridge teeth. You'll leave the office with a beautiful, fixed smile on the same day as your surgery, so you'll never be without teeth.
About three weeks after surgery, you'll return for a final digital scan. This provides the Hybridge Laboratory with all the necessary information to create your permanent teeth. We'll review the smile design together and make any final adjustments to ensure your new smile is exactly what you envisioned.
The final appointment is when your new smile becomes a reality. Your permanent Hybridge teeth will be carefully placed and adjusted for a precise and comfortable fit. We'll also provide you with detailed instructions on how to care for your new smile, ensuring its long-lasting health and beauty.
During your personalized, 60-minute consultation, your Hybridge doctor will review your digital scans and photos and discuss all your treatment options. We believe in personalized care, and your doctor will combine your individual goals and concerns with the best treatment solutions available to create a practical plan just for you.
Choosing between a full-arch restoration and single dental implants depends on your specific dental health, needs, and goals.
Insurance coverage for dental implants varies by provider and plan. We will submit paperwork to your insurance company on your behalf but we are not in network with any insurance carrier. You will be responsible for the cost of treatment, and depending on your carrier, you may be reimbursed.
Hybridge does not accept Medicaid, but other financing options are available. After meeting with the doctor, staff can guide you through various financing options to manage the cost of your dental implants.
Dental implant surgery can seem daunting, but it is generally well-tolerated by patients. Local anesthetics block sensations in the surgical area, preventing pain. Post-procedure, patients may experience mild tenderness in the gum tissue, but significant pain is uncommon. Moderate pain medications and mild steroids are often prescribed to manage soreness and minimize swelling.
Light bleeding for a few hours post-surgery is normal, and over-the-counter pain relief medications can help alleviate any post-operative tenderness. Overall, with proper pain management, most patients find the discomfort associated with dental implant surgery to be minimal and manageable.
Dental implants are designed to be a long-lasting solution for tooth replacement. With proper care and maintenance, most dental implants can last over 15 years and even endure for decades or a lifetime. Their durability depends on factors like the type and quality of materials used, such as titanium, known for its strength and biocompatibility.
However, the longevity of dental implants can also be influenced by the patient’s overall health conditions and lifestyle. Conditions like diabetes and smoking can adversely affect their success and durability.
Adequate bone density is crucial for supporting implants, and maintaining good oral hygiene is essential to prevent infections like peri-implantitis, the leading cause of implant failure and surrounding bone loss, especially when there is not enough bone growth and severe bone loss occurs.
After a dental implant procedure, avoid certain foods to ensure proper healing and avoid complications:
Eat soft foods during the initial healing phase.
Avoid hard, sticky, or chewy foods as they can disturb the implant site.
Specifically avoid foods like nuts, hard candies, and chewy meats to prevent any pressure or movement that could affect healing.
Please refer to the soft foods diet recommendations provided by your Hybridge doctor, which typically includes foods like applesauce, avocado, bananas, eggs, Jell-O, soups, and mashed potatoes. It is important to avoid using your temporary teeth for chewing anything during this healing phase, this is to protect your dental implants and allow for proper healing. Special care should be taken with new dental implants, as the initial healing period is essential for the stability and integration of your new implant.
If you’re a smoker considering dental implants, you can still enjoy the many benefits that implants provide. It is important to understand how smoking or vaping can increase the risk of complications and potentially compromise your long-term investment. We always recommend minimizing risk, especially during the healing process, to help improve outcomes and support a healthy, long-lasting result.
The introduction of harmful chemicals into your mouth through smoking makes it more difficult for implants to integrate with your jawbone and significantly prolongs the healing process. Additionally, smoking increases your chances of developing gum disease, gum recession, and bone loss over the long term—all of which threaten the stability and longevity of an implant.
When gum disease develops around an implant, it is called “peri-implantitis,” a bacterial infection and inflammation that causes progressive damage to the gum and bone tissue surrounding and supporting an implant. Smoking can reduce saliva flow and limit the body’s natural defenses, making it harder to manage infection around the implants. Additionally, smoking can mask the symptoms of peri-implantitis, delaying diagnosis and treatment until the damage becomes irreversible.
Any habit that introduces nicotine or chemicals into the mouth can jeopardize the success of dental implants. However, with careful dental maintenance and follow-up care, smokers can still experience success. We do suggest quitting smoking is the best way to protect your investment in stable, strong, implant-supported teeth for many years to come. If you plan to get dental implants and continue to smoke, it is essential to follow all care instructions from your Hybridge dentist closely. This includes proper brushing and flossing techniques, as well as maintaining 2 to 3 visits annually for checkups and cleanings to maintain implant health.
If you have any questions about smoking with dental implants or after tooth extraction, please do not hesitate to consult with a Hybridge doctor at one of our Hybridge Implants & Smile Restoration locations in Western and Central New York.
Key Benefits of Dental Implants
Veneers and dental implants serve different purposes:
Dental implants, on the other hand, serve as a lasting remedy for missing teeth and other teeth. By anchoring to the jawbone, they restore complete chewing ability and prevent bone deterioration. When maintained properly, dental implants can last a lifetime, mimicking natural teeth.
While veneers focus purely on cosmetic improvements, dental implants address both functional and aesthetic issues, providing a comprehensive solution for tooth replacement.
Dentures and dental implants both replace missing teeth but differ significantly in functionality and longevity:
In contrast, dental implants provide a permanent, rock-solid foundation for your new teeth. These restorations use titanium posts surgically placed into the jawbone, where they fuse with the bone to become a stable, unmovable base for a crown or bridge.
While the upfront cost of dental implants is higher than dentures, their longevity makes them a smarter investment in the long run. Since they are built to last a lifetime with proper care, you avoid the recurring expenses and hassles of denture adhesives, relining, and frequent replacements.
Beyond their permanence, dental implants offer significant advantages over dentures, including improved oral functionality and the prevention of bone loss. With dental implants, you can eat the foods you love without hesitation, speak freely and clearly, and smile with genuine confidence. They not only restore your teeth but also your freedom and peace of mind.
The Hybridge process offers a unique and streamlined approach to full-arch dental restoration, designed for efficiency, speed, and superior results. By keeping the entire procedure in-house, Hybridge ensures a faster, more coordinated experience with fewer appointments.
Here’s what makes the Hybridge process stand out:
The Hybridge prosthesis, your new teeth is a precision-crafted restoration customized just for you. Your Hybridge doctor will select one of three advanced prosthetic options based on your unique needs, including your overall health, lifestyle, and aesthetic goals.
Hybridge Gen 5 is used most often by a Hybridge doctor, valued for its comfort and adjustability. The teeth are made from Nano Ceramics, high-quality and long-lasting, known for being lightweight and easy to modify for a perfect, comfortable fit. This durable material is built on a strong Chromium-Cobalt framework, with injected acrylic used for the gum portion. It’s known for its natural, lifelike appearance, as it beautifully mimics the translucency of natural teeth.
For patients who may need the highest level of durability, Hybridge Prime Z and Hybridge MZ prosthetics are an option, these are crafted from Zirconia. This advanced, ceramic-based material is stronger and provides exceptional durability but weighs more (heavier) denser than the Gen 5. Zirconia is also highly valued for its natural, lifelike appearance, as it beautifully mimics the translucency of natural teeth. The gum portion is made of porcelain, which can be layered to create an incredibly realistic look.
