Dental Implant Dentists suggest dental implants when patients need to have a replacement for their lost teeth. These permanent prostheses use metal screws to anchor the artificial teeth such as dental bridges, dental crowns, or dentures. When you make a trip to meet our dental implant team at Singing River Dentistry, we first evaluate your mouth to see that it is healthy enough to receive and sustain the restorations. We do not want a dental implant installation to fail later on. A thorough assessment ensures proper fit and retention of dental implants. We may also look into your oral care habits and lifestyle to see if there are things that could compromise the success of dental implants.What are Dental Implants?A dental implant procedure is a tooth replacement solution. An implant is a metal screw made of titanium material and it replaces the tooth root. Dentists use the implant screw to anchor or secure artificial teeth such as crowns, dentures, and bridges. Dental Implant ProcedureInstalling dental implants takes several months. It is a process that requires several steps to complete. We start with tooth extraction if it has to be done. A problem tooth is extracted and a bone graft along with a membrane is applied during the extraction procedure. These ensure enough bone is present when the time for implant placement arrives. Next, our dentist inserts the screws in the jawbone within the areas where a tooth is missing. If extraction was done, you have to wait for three or so months before the placement of the screw. Our dentist makes a few drills in the bone where the screws go in. The implants themselves take an additional healing time of three months. Once the implant is placed into the bone, you get temporary teeth. After three months, you will come back for the final restoration. Our dentist will attach the permanent teeth or dentures. The dentist will take molds of the teeth. Scanning of the mouth may also be done. The models or 3D scans will be taken to a dental lab for the construction of the restorations. You come back a few weeks later to receive the abutments, or connector pieces, and the permanent attachment of the implant. After the ProcedureYou will be given an antibiotic that you use for the first week. You may use pain medication to ease soreness of the site. Expect minimal pain following the implant placement. Therefore, you will be restricted on what you eat as well as strenuous activities for about a week. Caring for Dental ImplantsDental implants are versatile restorations, they cannot get cavities. However, you can get gum tissue disease within the implant location. A condition known as peri-implantitis may develop in the gums, which risks the restoration from premature failure. As such you should have proper oral hygiene. It helps protect both the teeth and the implants. Brush and floss daily. Visit us for regular dental checkups. Dental implants offer many benefits such as restoring chewing ability, preserving the facial structure, and promoting mouth cleansing. It is easier to clean teeth when you have dental implants. Learn more about these restorations. Contact our implant placement team at Singing River Dentistry or dial (256) 293-5393 to request an appointment. |
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