What to Expect From the Dentist When Getting Dental Implants
- Written by Hazel Jones
Dental implants are an excellent treatment modality for patients who have dental gaps or deeply decayed teeth. They give a natural appearance, a long-lasting and healthy oral cavity. However, if you are thinking of going through the process, you might have some questions regarding what happens before, during, and after this process.
Here, you will find the major steps of dental implants, from consultation to the rehabilitation phase. Before it ends, you should have comprehensibly understood the process and be more reassured with the procedure to smile again. If you want to get the best solutions, a professional dentist in Ryde will provide you with individual recommendations and assistance.
- First meeting and evaluation
The process of getting dental implants starts with a first appointment with your dentist. At this appointment, your general oral hygiene and condition will be evaluated and taken through your reasons for wanting to have the surgery as well as whether you qualify for the procedure. Your dentist may require an X-ray, 3D scan and impressions of the teeth to have an understanding of the jawbone and gums’ health.
- Treatment Planning
If granted the green light that you are a good candidate then the dentist will recommend an ideal treatment plan for your situation. This plan includes the schedule of the implantation the expected number of implants, and pre-implantation surgeries such as tooth extraction and bone grafting. Some of the procedures may be given by a dental specialist like an oral surgeon or a periodontist.
If you have no idea regarding the impacts of these specialists you could read more from a comprehensive guide to dental specialists to see how they are instrumental in your treatment process.
- Preliminary Measures (Where Applicable)
In some instances, there are additional steps required preliminary to the implantation to guarantee optimal stabilization of the implants.
- Implant Placement Surgery
The primary process comprises known as osseointegration, which entails inserting the implant, an oral titanium screw, in the jaw’s bone. This is done under local anaesthesia, and in cases where the client feels uncomfortable with the procedure, they may be given sedation.
Here’s what to expect during the surgery: Incision: He then surgically incises the gum and lays it aside to expose the jaw.
Drilling: First, a hole is made in the bone to accommodate the implant.
Implant Placement: The titanium post is screwed in the hole. I will be using this post as an anchorage bracket that will support a loose tooth.
Stitching: The gum is then sutured into position again to allow the site to heal. The surgery usually lasts between one to two hours per implant. The recovery period may vary from a few days to a week, and the client can go back to normal function in one week.
- Healing and Osseointegration
After the implant has been installed, the implant is covered by a layer of bone and the second phase is osseointegration in which the jawbone grows up to the implant. This ensures that the replacement tooth has a strong and more permanent place to remain in without necessarily touching the other teeth.
- Abutment Placement
The initial process that follows implantation is the positioning of an abutment once the implant has osseointegrated. An implant abutment is a miniature that holds the implant to the dental crown – the portion of the tooth that is visible in the mouth.
- Crown Placement
The final stage is placing the crown after the gum has healed up from the previous surgery. The crown is the artificial copied tooth that appears, has the texture and performs like the natural tooth. They are cemented with the specific colour, size, and shape of your natural teeth to mimic their appearance.
The last step of the dental procedure hence brings your smile back to an aesthetic condition by enabling you to eat, speak or smile without any embarrassment.
This service if you require specialty treatment like the status of having bone grafts or any type of surgery, then you might be referred to a dental specialist like a periodontist or surgeon. Such professionals support your regular dentist in offering care solutions for the same. If you are not aware of the roles of the dental professional please have a look at the other articles of this guide namely: A Comprehensive Guide to Dental Specialists.
Conclusion
Dental implants are prosthetic teeth that are fixed surgically in the alveolar socket, and placing these dental implants is not a one-day affair but involves several steps. Every process starting from the initial consultation through crown placement is set out in a way that you get back a robust functional and aesthetically pleasing tooth replacement.
If maintained appropriately, your new smile will be both healthy and esthetic and should last you for many years. Therefore, if you are prepared for a smile makeover, contact a dentist of your preference at once.