Getting Dental Implants: A Step-By-Step Guide To This Year Long Process
Posted on: 7 April 2015
Getting dental implants is one of the longest dental procedures to complete. In fact, for many patients, this process can take upwards of a year to be completed in its entirety. As a result, it is not uncommon for people to find themselves questioning what comes next when undergoing this process. The step-by-step guide below can help to answer that question and ensure that you know exactly what you should expect during each phase of the process when getting your dental implants placed.
Step 1: Creating A Mold
One of the reasons that dental implants are so popular is that they provide a very natural looking solution to tooth loss. This is done by creating a mold of your existing teeth, your gums, and the surrounding oral tissues so that dental crowns can be fabricated that perfectly mimic the size and shape of your real teeth. This step is often completed on your very first visit and is painless.
Step 2: Tooth Extraction
If you plan on replacing any of your existing teeth with a dental implant and crown, these teeth will need be extracted before the process can move forward. If you have several teeth that need to be extracted, all of these teeth will be removed in the same visit in order to allow the healing process to begin as quickly as possible.
While having your teeth extracted can be painful, this pain is often managed well through the use of over-the-counter or prescription pain medications. If you are replacing multiple teeth with implants, be sure to ask your dentist about the availability of temporary dentures after your extractions have been completed. This will allow you to maintain oral function during the healing process.
Once your gums have completely healed from the extraction process, you will be ready to move on to the next step. This can take several weeks or months depending upon the rate at which your body heals.
Step 3: Surgical Placement
The next step in the implant process will be to surgically place your dental implants into your jawbone. This is done by an oral surgeon by making a small incision in your gums and then drilling a hole directly into your bone where the implant can be placed. As you heal, this bone will heal around the implant, giving it the strength of a natural tooth root.
This surgical process will typically be completed on an outpatient basis, but will require the use of a general anesthesia. Therefore, you will need to arrange for transportation to and from this appointment as you will be unable to drive for several hours after the procedure is complete.
Healing from this surgery can take several months and cannot be rushed. Attempting to move forward before the bone has healed completely could result in your implants breaking or shifting. Therefore, it is incredibly important to ensure the bone has healed around the implant before moving on to the final step.
Step 4: Attaching Crowns
At this point, your dental implants will still exist only below the gum line. In order to allow for the attaching of dental crowns, your dentist will need to make a small incision in the gum line so that a metal post can be attached to each implant. This post will extend above the gums and will allow for the attachment of dental crowns.
Once all of the posts are in place, your dentist will attach the dental crowns that were fabricated using the mold of your natural teeth. With these crowns in place, you will now be ready to go out and show off your beautiful new smile. (For more information, contact Russel Bleiler DDS)
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