Dental Implant

Dental implants are easily the most popular and also the ideal solution, for replacing your missing tooth/teeth. They have definitely changed the course of dentistry in the last quarter of a century or so.

A dental implant is basically a titanium post which is surgically inserted into the jawbone beneath the gum line to work as a tooth root. Post insertion, an implantologist will attach a crown on top of the implant to ensure the appearance of a natural tooth.

Tooth Implants not only look and feel like your natural teeth but also function like.

DENTAL IMPLANT PROCEDURE

Placing a dental implant has various stages. They are listed as below:

Placing The Implant

Thanks to the modern dentistry techniques, it’s possible to make the implant placement procedure comfortable and pain-free. Concerned patients can also ask the dentist for sedation to feel relaxed while a dental implant is placed.

The procedure starts with the jawbone preparation, and the surgeon then makes a cut to expose the bone for drilling holes. The holes are kept deep enough for the implant to be placed properly and placed deep into the bone, like the root.

The doctor may require bone grafting in cases where the bone is weak or lacks the strength to support implant surgery. The surgeon then waits for the jawbone to heal and after that, places the metal post in it.

The entire process, from start to finish, may take many months where most of the time is spent on healing and waiting for the growth of new bone in the jaw.

After this, a temporary crown is given to the patient which is placed to fill the gap, and also for achieving the aesthetic goal. This crown can be taken off for implant procedure, one has to wait until the bone is healed properly.

Healing

During this process, the jawbone will grow and unite with the surface of the dental implant. This process is also referred to as osseointegration as it helps to offer a durable base for the new artificial tooth, much like roots do for the natural teeth.

In general, this process takes between 3 to 6 months depending on the bone health & structure. However, the whole procedure can get completed in one day itself when patients have good bone structure.

After that, you can schedule the second surgery but only once the implants are fused with the bone. Your dentists will take an x-ray to confirm whether the implant is fit for the second surgery.

The second surgery will be simpler than the first where a new incision is made to expose the heads of the implants.

Abutment Placement

You may need another surgery to place the abutment (the piece where the crown will attach) but only after healing is complete. This procedure is relatively simple typically done with anesthesia in an outpatient setting.

During the procedure, the dentist will re-open the wound to attach the abutment to dental implant. A temporary crown will be given for 4 to 6 weeks to let the gums around the abutment heal. Such a crown is softer which can cushion the implant and may stress the soft tissues that can help in healing.

For precaution purpose, you may need to eat only soft foods after each stage of surgery so to let the surgical site heal properly.

Placement Of Permanent Crown

In the next stage, the dentist will focus on making the permanent crown look exactly like your natural teeth. All the elements like the surface texture, color and anatomy will be tuned up to blend with the surrounding dentition.

If you are not happy with the crown for any reason, consult your dentist so that it can be sent back to the dental technician for necessary changes.

Impressions of your mouth and remaining teeth are taken to make the crown so that a realistic-looking artificial tooth can be made. The crown, however, will not be placed until the jawbone is strong enough to support the new tooth.

It takes less than 2 to 3 weeks to make a permanent crown which will then be cemented or screwed to the Implant.

After permanent crown placement, your doctor will explain post-implant care instruction.