Dental implants are a popular choice for tooth replacement because they are natural looking, long-lasting, and versatile. The procedure to have implants placed can be somewhat complicated, and can take several months to complete depending upon your individual needs.
Dental Implant Procedure—The Basics
A dental implant is generally placed in two stages. First, the implant’s root is set into the jawbone. The root of a dental implant looks like a screw and is made of titanium or a titanium alloy. Bone tissue naturally bonds with titanium, so the implants will stay secure in the jawbone and also help stimulate it to continue to grow.
After the root is placed, your dentist will probably recommend a healing period of a few weeks to be sure the bone bonds with the root properly. If this bonding does not take place, the implant procedure will not be successful. Only after the root has properly healed can the visible portion of the implant be set into place.
Additional Implant Issues
In some cases, your dentist might recommend bone grafts or other preliminary work to prepare your mouth for dental implants. In this case, this work will need to be completed and your mouth allowed to heal before the implant procedure can move forward. Bone grafts are commonly used to shore up the bone tissue in the jaw so there is enough to support the implants. Another common problem that must be addressed before implants are placed is gum disease. If you have inflammation or infection in your gums, you’ll need to have this treated before the implant procedure.
Before you decide on implants, you will discuss all these issues with your dental professional. If you require any preliminary treatment, you’ll talk about that as well as the long-term timeline for your implant procedure. After this consultation, you should have a good idea of how long the process should take and whether your implant procedure is likely to be successful. You’ll also have a good idea about what your final teeth will look like.
Contact the office of Drs. Kemp and Borovac for more information about dental implants today.