It is unfortunate that premature tooth loss is still a big dental challenge even in the 21st century. The biggest challenge is that many patients end up seeking emergency dentistry services to cater to their oral health because of delayed treatment. Thankfully, dental solutions like dental implants give patients a second chance at enjoying a functional mouth and a beautiful smile regardless of tooth loss.

What Are Dental Implants?

They are metal posts made of titanium metal, which mimic the roots of teeth. The screw-like metal posts are used in restorative dentistry to replace missing teeth. The nature of dental implants and the procedure involved in installing them in the oral cavities of patients make them suitable for replacing the roots of teeth. Afterward, a dentist will employ a different oral appliance to replace the crown thereof.

Ideally, one implant should replace one missing tooth. However, in some cases, dentists employ a different technique to ensure that few dental implants can replace multiple missing teeth. In such cases, dentures are used to make up for the insufficiencies thereof. This implies that the dental implants will act as the support for the dentures to replace the lost teeth.

Important Facts to Know about Dental Implants

Before you go ahead to schedule an appointment at family dentistry near you to get implants, there are crucial facts you should learn, which will prove fundamental to the entire treatment process. These facts should help you prepare for your treatment, with pointers on what to expect during and after the procedure. They include the following:

  1. The procedure is surgical – many dental processes are usually non-surgical. However, for procedures involving endodontic treatments or implantation treatments, surgery is involved. To place an implant in your mouth, your dentist must cut open your gum tissue, as well as drill through your jawbone.
  2. Sedation and numbing are paramount – having that the implantation process entails surgery, sedation and numbing have to be part of the treatment. Numbing ensures that you experience a painless procedure, while sedation helps you remain calm and relaxed throughout the treatment.
  3. Not everyone is a suitable candidate for getting dental implants – as much as dentists in Robbinsville, TWP, may want to give dental implants to every patient for their lost teeth, they are not for everyone. Tooth implants are perfect for patients who have healthy gums and jawbone. The health of these features of the mouth ensures that the metal posts can erect stably in the mouth during and after your treatment. In that case, if you have any lingering infections in your mouth, your dentist may recommend a different dental treatment.
  4. Bone grafting is often necessary – after losing your natural tooth, the gums begin to recede, and the bone tissue disintegrates. The longer you have lost your tooth, the more likely it is that you have lost a lot of bone tissue. Since your jawbone is where the implant is placed, bone grafting surgery may be necessary. The surgery involves using bone grafts to repair the bone tissue can foster regeneration of healthy tissues thereof.
  5. The treatment takes time – from the initial moment you visit your dentist about getting dental implants, to the time your treatment is completed, it may be several months. Implant dentistry in Hamilton entails different procedures, depending on the oral health of the patients. If you need bone grafting surgery, for example, you must wait between 3-6 months for your mouth to fully heal and recover before the next phase of the treatment. Afterward, receiving an implant will require that you take another 3 or so months to heal and recover. This period allows your implant to integrate perfectly with your jawbone. After that, you are ready to receive a crown for your implant. It is usually a dental crown. However, in other cases, dental bridges or partial dentures may be used to complete your treatment.
  6. They are permanent – oral implants are not removable oral appliances like their counterparts in tooth restorations. Your dentist will insert them in your jawbone and sew up your gum tissue to hold the implant in place. Over time, the implant will integrate with your jawbone. In this way, the implants become part of your oral cavity.

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