Are you planning for dental implants? Have you already decided to place one? Just thinking of getting an implant through surgery is very frightening. If you are worried, let’s take a look at each process of dental implants. Along with the cost, your dentist will tell each and every detail.
There are several options to replace your missing teeth and the dental implant is gaining a lot of popularity. Titanium is basically used by the dentist to make the implant. The screws are placed on the jawbone and imitate the root of your tooth.
How Long the Procedure Takes?
The length of time required to complete the procedure varies according to several factors, such as –
- Number of teeth
- Dental health
- Which teeth need replacement
- If any tooth is extracted before placing the implant
There are two phases to recover the mouth using a dental implant and the whole process takes up to 9 months. It takes a long time if bone grafts are needed before implanting the posts or if you need to heal the extraction.
These factors can also help determine the number of visits needed over the period of treatment. For example, a single surgery may take at least 2 hours from the beginning till the end. It covers time for dressing and anesthesia for a sterile environment.
Does it cause pain?
You may feel some pain just like with any kind of surgery. For oral sedation, IV and/or local anesthesia are used to avoid any pain during the procedure. According to many patients, there was not much pain after the procedure than they expected. To ease the pain, your dentist may prescribe some painkillers.
How to Prepare for Surgery?
You may get some instructions before the procedure from the dentist. Here are some of them –
- Use any unique anti-bacterial mouthwash to rinse your mouth like chlorhexidine.
- Have a healthy breakfast before surgery, unless you want to plan the procedure with IV sedation. This way, you would not eat anything after the night before going through surgery.
- Antibiotics are prescribed for a few days before the surgery.
- Ask someone to accompany you at the dental office and drive you home if you have to take IV sedation or an oral sedative.
Would you have pain after surgery?
You may have some bruises and swelling in the soft tissues and gum areas, which is normal. Discomfort is basically treated with painkillers like hydrocodone, ibuprofen, or codeine. Basically, you can be comfortable to go to the office the next day.
What complications you might suffer?
- Your body’s problem with a dental implant
- Infection around the gums and bone
- Bone loss around the implant
- A dental implant may not be able to stick to the bone
How to take care of implants?
You need to care and check the tooth implant regularly like your own tooth. Floss and brush it regularly as suggested by the dental hygienist or dentist. You need to visit the dentist on a regular basis or every six months, as advised.