Considering Dental Implant for Missing Teeth: Understand the Procedure

Are you searching for a missing tooth replacement and want to have a permanent solution in your mouth? You won’t find any solution better than dental implants to replace the missing tooth. However, before you proceed any further and discuss dental implants with the dentist near you, please learn about the dental implant procedure and what you can expect from this blog.

Dental implants are incredibly popular in the US, with approximately 3 million people having them. More people are currently turning towards implants than traditional dentures and bridges for replacing missing teeth. If you have prepared yourself to get dental implants as a lost tooth replacement, please consider this guide to learn about dental implant surgery and what you can expect.

When you decide to get dental implants, you look to replace the missing tooth roots with titanium posts. The titanium post is similar to screws for artificial teeth. You begin the dental implant procedure by going through the following steps.

Evaluation

The tooth implants dentist performs a comprehensive examination to determine the condition of your jawbone and the optimal dental implant procedure. The evaluation includes x-rays, taking impressions, and matching the color of your teeth to make your artificial tooth appear natural. You can decide how many teeth you want to have replaced with dental implants, but it may require additional planning with periodontists depending on your oral health.

Tooth Extraction

If you still have a tooth that needs replacing, your dentist will extract it before performing any dental work. You can have the extraction immediately before dental implant insertion. The extraction site is allowed to heal before you can have the dental implant inserted into your jawbone.

Dental Implant Placement

Dental implants in Pearland, TX, provide traditional dental implants inserted into your jawbone after giving you anesthesia for pain management. If you are anxious about the procedure, you can discuss full sedation with the dentist to manage anxiety. However, the implant placement is completed in one visit, and the dentist permits you to return home and wait for the healing process to complete.

What Happens after Implant Placement Surgery?

After implant placement surgery, you can expect some discomfort, including bruising on your gums, swelling on the cheeks, bleeding, and pain at the implant site. Dentists prescribe or recommend over-the-counter painkillers for you to manage the discomfort. Ice packs are recommended to control the swelling on your cheeks.

Eating hard foods is challenging immediately after implant placement. You must stock up with soft foods for nourishment after the surgery. Please do not stock up on tobacco or cigarettes because the tobacco chemicals can hamper the healing process. You must maintain good oral hygiene habits to protect the implant. It includes brushing daily and flossing without exceptions.

Abutment Placement

After your implant is stable, the dentist places an abutment over the implanted post. The abutment connects the implant to your artificial tooth. Placing the abutment requires another surgery and healing for a couple of weeks before you can have a customized dental crown on the implant.

Adding The Permanent Crown

After your gums have healed entirely, the dentist takes impressions of the implant to prepare your artificial tooth with a customized dental crown. You have the option of choosing a removable or permanent implant. The permanent crown is fabricated in a dental laboratory and requires a couple of weeks before you can have it attached to the dental implant. As you complete the dental implant procedure by having the dental crown, the dentist provides instructions on caring for your implants after undergoing a lengthy process.

Dental implants are excellent replacements for missing teeth. Implants don’t attract tooth decay or cavities, and the information is likely to delight you. Caring for dental implants is not challenging because you merely need to maintain excellent oral hygiene brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing at least once, and visiting your dentist every six months.

Dental visits are essential if you have dental implants in your mouth. Plaque buildup happens continuously on your teeth and below the gum line, and plaque does not differentiate between natural and artificial teeth. Plaque hardens into tartar to cause gum disease. You may express delight with information you are no longer susceptible to cavities. However, allow gum disease to fester in your mouth, and you compromise the implants placed in your jawbone and below the gum line. Therefore do not avoid dental visits for cleanings and exams that help eliminate plaque and tartar buildup from your teeth, keeping you free from gum disease.

Besides the minor aberration, so long as you maintain your oral hygiene appropriately, you can continue enjoying the dental implants for a lifetime. Still confuses about dental implants? Call us now to book an appointment with our dentist near you and learn more about dental implants in Pearland, TX. Our dentist also cater to patients residing in Pearland, Shadow Creek Ranch, Almeada Heights, Brunswick Meadows, Brookside Village, Morgan Road, Cascade Falls Lane, Westenfeld, and surrounding locations.