Before you decide to get dental implants, it’s important you to understand what they are and how the procedure is done. Here are 10 things you need to know before you go into surgery:
1. What Are Dental Implants?
The implant takes place of the root of a tooth, not the tooth itself. It’s similar to a screw that is placed in the bone to hold a dental crown. A crown is made from porcelain, zirconia or other materials and shaped to look like your original tooth.
2. Are You an Ideal Candidate For Dental Implants?
While implants are a good choice for many people, not everyone is a good candidate. Those that have certain forms of cancer, significant bone loss, and an uncontrollable heart rate may not be able to have the surgery done.
3. Can Smokers Have The Surgery?
If you are a smoker, your dentist will have to take that into consideration before prescribing this treatment plan. Nicotine causes a loss of blood flow in the mouth, which can prevent the implants from healing. As a result of slow healing, an infection can form and cause them to fail, meaning they would have to be removed from the bone.
4. What Happens if You Have Significant Bone Loss?
People that have suffered bone loss due to osteoporosis, cancer, age, or other factors, may still be able to get dental implants. However, a bone graft procedure will have to be done before they are placed. It takes 3 months for a bone graft to heal. After that period, the dentist will determine if there is enough bone to place the screw or if another graft is necessary.
5. How Long Does it Take to Heal?
The healing time is based largely off the patient, but typically it takes a minimum of six months for it to be useable. A crown is not screwed into the implant until it has fully healed. In the meantime, a temporary solution is created. The dentist will make a bridge, partial denture, or full denture to cover the missing teeth. For additional insights, please visit www.dentalimplants123.com.
6. What Type of Doctor Does The Surgery?
Since you have to be put under anesthesia, the surgery is done by either an oral surgeon, periodontist, a prosthodontist. A general dentist will coordinate the surgery for their patient and work with the specialist to create the treatment plan.
This type of prosthetic provides you a fixed solution for missing teeth. It can be used to replace one or all of your missing teeth.
