FAQ- Dental Implants

Dental implants are prosthetic tooth roots that provide a permanent base for fixed or removable replacement teeth. Dental implants are an ideal option for people in good general oral health who have lost a tooth or teeth due to periodontal disease, an injury, or some other reason.

A dental implant is a titanium post that we surgically insert into your jawbone to replace your missing tooth root. Once it heals and fuses with your bone, we’ll add a custom-made crown to complete your smile.

Dental implants are a secure and stable way to replace missing teeth and restore your smile to its natural beauty and function. As a restorative treatment, they are meant to last for many years, even a lifetime. The success rate of dental implants is almost 98 percent for patients who engage in good hygiene practices and avoid damaging habits like chewing ice or opening packages with their teeth. 

The major benefits of dental implants include the following:

• They look completely natural
• They do not inhibit healthy bone growth
• They are easy to care for
• They last a lifetime with proper care
• You can eat and speak normally with them
• They offer a permanent solution to tooth loss
• There is no special care required for them
• You will have beautiful, natural-looking teeth again
• You do not have to worry about loose-fitting dentures slipping out while speaking or eating

After your dental implant procedure, your dentist may recommend some preliminary medications and minor procedures to ensure the implant is healing properly. These follow-up appointments will be scheduled anywhere from four to eight weeks following the dental implant placement surgery. Your dentist may schedule additional follow-up visits every three to six months following the first appointment to continue monitoring your healing process.

The recovery period can take four to six months, depending on your body’s individual healing rate. If you are a smoker, the recovery time may be longer due to the added health risks that can be associated with smoking.

Once your implant has healed, you may notice that your surrounding teeth have changed slightly. This is because your jawbone needs time to heal and grow around the implant post. This process is called “osseointegration.” Once this process is complete, you will then need a replacement crown to be placed on top of the abutment to complete the restoration process.

No, but there can be some discomfort after the treatment is complete. Your dentist can explain the procedure and give you details on how to care for your teeth and gums after treatment. There may be some swelling and bruising in the area of the dental implant procedure, but this should subside within a few days. Any discomfort you feel can be relieved with over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication.

If you are experiencing any unbearable pain after the procedure, please contact our office as soon as possible. If you are having any type of reaction or extreme discomfort, please call your doctor right away. Never take medications that were prescribed for someone else, and follow the directions on your prescription bottle exactly.

Dental implants are a safe and effective way to replace missing teeth. Patients will need to be careful with their oral hygiene once their implants are in place, and the dentist will provide instructions on caring for them properly. If patients take good care of their restoration, they should last for years without any problems at all. Sensitivity can occur after the placement of the implant, but this issue should resolve itself within a few days to a few weeks at most. During this time, the patient may experience some discomfort in the gums or jaw, but it will pass with time. With regular visits to the dentist, the implant will be monitored to make sure that it is healing as it should and to ensure that no complications arise during the process.

An all-on-four implant is a type of denture that snaps onto four dental implants to support an entire arch of missing teeth. Unlike traditional dentures, which rest on the gums, an all-on-four implant is permanently secured in the mouth. To accommodate for the loss of natural teeth, the dentist will attach a temporary set of dentures to the implants during the healing period. Once the implants have healed, the temporary set can be removed, and permanent ones can be attached. These permanent dentures will look exactly like your natural teeth. Once your new set of teeth is complete, you will be able to eat and speak normally again without worrying that your dentures will slip out of place. Unlike a traditional full-mouth reconstruction, which requires numerous surgeries over an extended period of time, an all-on-four implant can be completed in a single appointment. Most patients experience minimal bleeding and discomfort during surgery. After the procedure is complete, most patients are able to resume their normal daily activities immediately.