Top 4 Things You Should Know Before You Sit Down for a Dental Implant Procedure
Having perfect teeth has become more important than ever before. Rather than having to deal with the discomfort and inconvenience of bridges and dentures, nowadays, many people find themselves turning to more advanced surgical options. Dental implants can give the look and feel of your real teeth, allowing individuals to go about their daily lives without having to think at all about missing teeth or their temporary solutions. However, whenever you choose to invest in any type of surgical enhancement, it’s incredibly important that you understand exactly what you’re getting into. Here are the top four things you need to know about the dental implants procedure before you head into the dentist’s office.
- The Process Will Take Time
Many patients walk into a dentist’s office expecting that they’ll walk out with a bright and shiny smile that same day. However, this is far from the case. When you decide to get an implant, the process can actually take months to finish. First, the dentist will have to take x-rays and moulds of your mouth. Depending on what they find, you may need to have your jaw supplemented to hold the screw of the implant. This can take between six to nine months to heal.
After the healing is done, the actual screw cylinder will be implanted, which you’ll need to care for over a few months time. Finally, the cap (which looks like every other tooth in your mouth) will be placed and the process will be finished.
- Helps Protect Other Teeth
When you lose a tooth, you aren’t just suffering from the single loss. In fact, your entire mouth can suffer as a result, but particularly the adjoining teeth. Not only will they be more likely to suffer from contact damage, but your teeth can actually move around in an attempt to compensate for the loss. This can result in you having a crooked smile and even affect your ability to chew properly. Because a dental implant acts just as well as a real tooth, you won’t have to worry about dealing with these aggravating issues.
- Local Anesthesia
When you decide to take part in a dental implants procedure, you’ll usually be placed under a local anesthetic which will numb the area around the tooth, and so you shouldn’t feel much of anything during the actual procedure at all. You will certainly need someone to drive you home though, as the anesthesia and the stress of the procedure can take a bit of a toll on you. As far as aftercare is concerned, a standard painkiller should be enough to manage any discomfort you may have. If this isn’t the case, make sure you speak with your dentist as soon as possible.
- The Same Care as the Rest of Your Teeth
Many people find that the additional care that is required for having dentures or bridges, can be quite aggravating and time consuming. However, when you invest in an implant, you can rest easy knowing that the care you’ll need to provide will be exactly the same as your standard dental care of brushing two to three times a day and flossing.
