Smiles will be one of the first things most people notice about you, which is why you need to pay attention to your pearly whites. Missing or damaged teeth can be detrimental to your first impression. Fortunately, there’s a treatment that can kick these problems to the curb: dental implants.
These are some of the best options for a replacement tooth or teeth. Here’s what you need to know.
Digging into Dental Implants
Dental implants are among the most popular of the many options for tooth replacement. The name itself gives a sense of the tooth replacement’s purpose: it’s a device that looks like a natural tooth, which is why professionals often use it.
The implant itself attaches to your jaw, which will fuse to the implant over time. This fusion will make it feel more natural than any other tooth replacement, so patients often prefer it.
The Process
Because the dental implant process can be arduous, your dental surgeon must perform an in-depth patient assessment. This ensures that you are healthy enough and committed to getting dental implants done. The process also includes the following:
- Dentists will also want to learn more about any conditions you might have that could hamper the surgery or that they’ll need to consider during the procedure. If you aren’t eligible for dental implants yet, consider finding other options like a root canal, partial dentures, full-mouth dentures, or fixed bridges.
- After the assessment, your dentist takes a series of scans and x-rays of your teeth to create a 3D image as a mock-up of your future implants. This gives your dentist a blueprint to follow as they design the rest of your implants.
The pieces are crafted to be perfectly fitted into the bone of your gum and jaw. The crown is made to look natural but with an updated look like the rest of your teeth.
- Some patients, even those who have no problems with dental anxiety, can comfortably wear just a local anesthetic for this procedure. The implants vary in size, with mini dental implants taking only thirty minutes and significant dental implants taking several hours.
In either case, if you have been sleeping most of the day or have been sedated with some medication so that you are not aware of what is happening, you will be unable to feel much anyway.
- Your dentist drills small holes into your gums during the surgical process until they reach the jawbone. This long and sometimes painful process takes much longer than it would if they had just removed the top layer of skin on both sides of the outline where their drill was supposed to go through. If anything seems amiss at this point, ask them to stop immediately and call for another professional opinion.
- The process begins with a screw-in post placed in the exact position where the old bar was removed. The gum is then stretched open again, and the crown is screwed onto the base. The gum is then stretched closed over the new implant. Over time, you’ll realize that this new restoration feels more natural as the post fuses with your jaw and as your bite stabilizes.
Depending on your mouth’s condition (which your dentist will explain in your initial consultations), recovering from a dental implant procedure can take from six months to one year.
Get a Consultation for Dental Implants Today
Dental implants are great options if you are looking for a replacement tooth or teeth. If you are looking for a way to make your smile look brighter, straighter, and more attractive, make sure you consider them in your next visit to the dentist.
Interested in dental implants in Chelmsford? Request an appointment with Chelmsford Dental Specialists Group now! We offer a wide range of all-encompassing general dentistry, including crowns, dental implants, teeth whitening, and white fillings. We also provide same-day emergency dentistry services, including mouthguards for those who play sports.
