A General Dentist Explains the Process of Getting Dental Implants

You can do research on dental implants on your own, but getting the facts from your dentist can give you more inside information. These restorations can replace dental roots and crowns. Each one can improve your smile and strengthen your bite. The following are facts that you can get from your general dentist when it comes to getting dental implants.

Preparing for the procedure

Implant surgery is an invasive process. The first step is to find the right dental care provider. A qualified dentist will perform the procedure while ensuring one’s comfort. Examining the patient’s mouth and ordering scans can help map out the areas that need dental implants. A panoramic X-ray can tell if there are underlying issues like gum disease and dental decay. Treating these problems is necessary before starting the implant surgery.

The dentist can also extract some severely damaged teeth before providing dental implants. If the patient’s jawbone is healthy, dental implants will be placed once the teeth are out. Patients with weak or thin jawbones will need bone grafting or sinus lift. There should be full healing before the dental implants come in. Reviewing the patient’s medical and dental history. The gathered information can help create the patient’s treatment plan.

Dental implant placement

The dentist will numb the area with a local anesthetic. Some anxious patients will need proper sedation so that the surgery can go well. The dentist will discuss the number of implants that the patient needs and how difficult the procedure will be. Cutting through the gum tissue will expose the jawbone. Drilling the implant holes will follow.

Screwing the posts into their proper positions will come next. The dentist will then stitch the gum tissue over the metal posts. This will help prevent food particles from getting lodged inside the gum tissue. Healing will take about four to six months. Recovery and osseointegration will depend on the individual’s ability to heal.

Abutment placement

The dentist will install the abutments after the dental implants and jawbone fuse. Abutments connect the dental crown to the titanium rods. Placing these connectors will be an outpatient procedure. A local anesthetic will make the procedure painless. The dentist will stitch the gums around the abutments to help the area heal.

In some cases, dental implants and abutments are attached in one procedure. The dentist may offer temporary dental crowns. These crowns can help prevent discomfort when the titanium rods stick out. It will take a couple of weeks to heal from the abutment placement. Fitting the porcelain crown will be the next step.

Crown fitting

The dentist will remove the temporary crowns after the swelling goes down. The dentist will make sure that the permanent crowns match the neighboring natural teeth. There could be minor adjustments to help the caps fit. Some choose porcelain crowns, but others like the attention of wearing gold crowns.

Recovery

The patient may experience mild discomfort while healing from the entire procedure. Pain and swelling may occur around the dental implants. There could be some bleeding and bruising in the area as well. The dentist can prescribe pain relievers to help manage this symptom. Normal dental functions will return once the healing is complete.