Dental implants are the most effective, natural-feeling and durable solution for tooth loss. Implants completely replace the appearance and function of your former healthy teeth without requiring any compromise of your lifestyle. You’ll be able to speak clearly and eat what you want to eat while living freely and confidently without ever worrying about your new teeth slipping, coming loose or letting you down. Your bite will be as firm and strong as it ever was with your own teeth in their very healthiest condition.
Who is a good candidate for dental implants in Sherwood Park? Alternatively, who should consider other options when reviewing their goals with the dentist in Sherwood Park? This article will answer those questions and explain the basic three-step process of being fit with dental implants near you. Every person’s treatment plan varies slightly, but providing dental implants always includes these three steps. If you still have questions or want clarification, make an appointment with a dentist near you to review your options and to find out if implants can meet your needs.
Who is a good candidate for implants?
Ideal candidates for dental implant surgery are patients who are in good enough overall health to withstand the surgical procedures themselves. You also need to have good oral health, meaning you have no periodontal (gum) disease and a jaw bone with sufficient mass and density to accommodate the implant.
Who may not be a good candidate for implants?
Poor candidates for implant surgery (at least without additional investigations or preparation to deal with potential risks and complications) include people who smoke and consume excessive alcohol in the months before and after surgery; pregnant women; patients with Type 1 or 2 diabetes; and people with a compromised immune system.
What are the steps in the implant process?
Planning and preparing
In advance and in anticipation of your surgery date, your dentist in Sherwood Park will contact you to make sure you’re prepared for your operation. You may, for example, be given anti-bacterial mouthwash and antibiotics to use and take before your operation. Your dentist will confirm you’ve made arrangements for transportation to and from the clinic on your surgery date and will explain the range of sedation dentistry options available.
Surgery to place your implant(s)
Your surgeon will numb your mouth using local anesthesia, then make an incision in your gums to expose the bone of your tooth. Using a drill and working through that incision, your dentist will remove some material to make room to accept the titanium post that replaces the root of your missing tooth. Once the implant has been placed in your jaw, the incision will be stitched. This entire process is done precisely based on detailed and comprehensive dental imaging performed before your surgery date. Implants aren’t placed randomly, but precisely in your jaw to provide the support you require while preserving the mass of your jaw bone. The second stage will take place a few months later after you’ve recovered from surgery and the implant has bonded to your jaw bone.
Attaching an abutment to your implant
During the second stage of the implant procedure, your dentist will expose the implant by making a small incision in your gum (where it had healed after the first stage). Once the implant post is exposed, your dentist will attach an abutment to that post. The abutment will fasten your replacement crown to the implant in the third stage. Once the abutment is in place, your dentist will take any impressions necessary to design and prepare your crown.
Connecting a restoration to your abutment
The final step in the implant procedure is the attachment of your crown to the abutment that was placed in the second stage. Between the second and third stages, the crown will have been crafted by technicians at a dental laboratory based on the impressions taken by your dentist and as required to blend naturally with your remaining teeth. The process of crafting, fitting, and placing the crown may take multiple appointments.
Getting implants at Aspire Dental does require a significant investment of money, time and attention to your dentist’s aftercare instructions. That investment will pay off, though with a solution that may solve your tooth loss needs for your lifetime. A well-maintained implant can reasonably be expected to outlast you, though the abutment and restoration (crown) may need to be replaced every 15 to 25 years or so.
Do you have questions? Contact the staff at a dentist’s office near you to get answers and help decide if getting implants is the right choice for your needs.