Overview of Implant Placement
The Dental Implant Surgical Procedure
Before the surgery, you may be given antibiotics and intravenous anesthesia or nitrous oxide (the laughing gas). Our doctors will discuss these options with you during your consultation, and a local anesthetic agent will be used to numb the area where the dental implant will be placed.
As soon as the surgeon can establish that you are comfortable, he/she makes a small incision in the gum tissue to expose the bone, gently retracts the tissue and inserts the titanium implant which is left to be visible above the gum. It is often better to leave the titanium covered at the early stages of the healing.
1. Normal
2. Tooth Loss
3. Healed Bone
4. Implant Placed
5. Healing
6. Implant Restored
Healing after Dental Implant Surgery
The healing after the surgery usually depends on your body’s response and the quality of the bone left in place. Certain people get the implants restored right away while others may have to wait. Whatever the case is, your surgeon will advise you on what is best for you. For the early days, the surgeon may place a cap over the dental implant to allow the gum tissue to regenerate appropriately and provide access to the Implant.
While the Implant is fixed in place, impressions for the crown are made in advance to ensure they are ready after the healing of the implant site. How quickly the healing comes depends on your body’s response, and follow-up care is necessary for ensuring you heal properly and ascertain when you can begin the restorative phase of your treatment.
We recommend a soft tissue graft because it is beneficial to get a secure, easy to clean, and natural appearance of the gum tissue surrounding the Implant. It involves taking a small portion of tissue in your mouth to cover the exposed site in a harmless procedure.
The final phase of the restoration involves the dentist fitting the replacement crown (tooth) on top of the dental Implant to make a perfect outlook.
You can consult our doctors who will provide you with a multimedia presentation and answer all of your questions as regards dental Implant.
Dental Implants Presentation
To provide you with a better understanding of dental implants, we have provided the following multimedia presentation. Many common questions pertaining to dental implants are discussed.
PLACING DENTAL IMPLANTS
The Implants are usually set a few months after tooth extraction. There are few exceptions when implants are placed immediately after tooth extraction, even though it may be risky, but it makes the whole process a lot easier as it removes the need for further follow-up visits. If the site gets infected or the bone develops complications, immediate implant placement should be avoided.
Also, if the teeth have been missing for some time, the adjacent bone may be thinner and fragile, and this may mean you will need a bone graft over the region of the missing tooth to provide a stable framework for attachment of the Implant.
How many implants do I need?
Usually, one missing tooth requires one implant, and the larger teeth may need larger implants because they have two to three roots.
Contact us today at Gastonia, NC – Gaston Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and schedule an appointment with our board-certified dentists.