In dental implant surgeries, the dentist replaces damaged or missing teeth with prosthetic teeth. The specialist places them in your jawbone. Since the teeth contain titanium, they easily fuse with your jaw, which means they cannot fall off. Before you go for dental implant surgery, ensure you do not smoke tobacco and have healthy oral tissues. If you are eligible for Waterford dental implants, you should reach out to a specialist. You probably wonder how dentists conduct this surgery. Without further ado, here are the steps they follow for it.
Initial Evaluation
First, your dentist will confirm whether you are ready for the surgery by doing a visual exam and taking x-rays. As they conduct these examinations, they will go through your dental records. Some possible issues that patients may have to include allergic reactions to dental materials and weak immune systems. That means they will use other equipment and administer antibiotics, respectively.
Besides finding out whether you have underlying issues, this step helps dentists choose the best dental procedure. That is something they will know once they know your jawbone shape and arrangement.
Implant Placement
Next, the dentist will confirm whether your jawbone is thick. If it is not, they will do bone grafting. The process is necessary since it will keep the implant in place. Some materials dentists use for grafting include a natural bone graft or a synthetic one.
After that, your dentist will make incisions to open up the gum to expose the bone. Next, they will drill holes into the bone to create space for the metal post that supports the artificial teeth. Lastly, the dentist will place some temporary dentures to mask the gap left after cutting up the gum.
Recovery
Generally, the recovery process takes around 3-6 months. However, if the quality of the bone and implants are impressive, you should begin healing within 7-10 days. During this stage, your implant will gradually fuse with your bone and form part of your jaw.
Since the implants are not your actual teeth, you need to care for them. If you engage in poor oral habits like teeth grinding or smoking, they will get spoiled.
Abutment Placement
After that, your dentist must place abutments, which are pieces that link the prosthesis to the implants. Their purpose is to facilitate the healing of the gum tissue around the implant site for the linkage to occur. Your dentist can place abutments while putting the implants or during your second surgery.
The gums should heal within 4-6 weeks. As you wait for them to heal, your surgeon will advise you on what foods to eat.
Restoration Attachment
In this final step, your doctor makes the crown. At this point, your gums will have healed and created impressions that enable the dentist to create them. You will decide whether you want removable or fixed crowns.
One concern you may have about dental implant surgery is its success rate. It is successful for the most part, but sometimes the implant may not attach properly to your jaw. If that happens, you can visit the dentist. They will remove it, clean it up, and ask you to come for the procedure in the next three months. Most implants fail due to our dental practices. To prevent such mishaps, brush regularly and visit the hospital regularly for checkups.