A Step by Step Guide to the Dental Implant Placement Process
Are you suffering from missing or damaged teeth due to tooth decay, gum disease, dental trauma or other reasons? Dental implants can help to fix your missing smile.
At Gwinnett Dental Implant & Periodontal Center, dental implant placement is one of the top solutions for remedying lost or damaged teeth problems. It can be an ideal solution whether you are missing just one or all of your teeth. However, if you are considering Dental Implants, it is a good idea to understand what happens during the treatment process. This way, you can be better prepared and know what to consider. Below is a step-by-step guide of the entire dental implant treatment process.
Evaluation and Treatment Planning
The dental implant treatment process starts with an evaluation, which is performed during the initial appointment (consultation). The evaluation aims to assess your dental health condition and diagnose your teeth problem – and any other dental problems you might be experiencing. The results then help to determine if dental implant placement is right for you. If this is the case, a treatment plan customized to your specific dental needs, is created.
Other Dental Treatments to Prepare for Implant Placement
While dental implant success rate is high, proper preparation must be taken to ensure that there are no complications during and after the surgery. Therefore, before the actual procedure, some dental treatment solutions might be offered – depending on your oral health condition – to ensure you are ready for the implants. The treatments can include:
• | Professional and deep cleaning - dental implant placement require optimal oral hygiene to ensure that there is no risk of infection following surgery. Therefore, if you are suffering from poor hygiene issues, for example, dental plaque and tartar buildup, professional dental cleaning can help to restore your oral hygiene. |
• | Root canals and dental fillings – infection from the remaining natural teeth can spread to the implant sites, causing failure. Therefore, before the surgery, root canals and dental fillings can be used to repair any damaged natural teeth. |
• | Bone tissue regeneration – dental implants require healthy and sufficient bone and gum tissue. If there are problems with your jawbone and gum tissue, bone and tissue regeneration surgeries are used to remedy the situation. |
• | Tooth extraction and bone grafting – if your teeth are still in place, tooth extraction can be performed before the surgery, giving your gums time to heal. |
Surgical Insertion of the Dental Implants
The surgical placement of dental implants is an invasive but simple procedure. It is usually performed under local anesthesia, but other sedation options (general anesthesia, IV anesthesia, and nitrous oxide sedation) are available per your preference. During the surgery, the oral surgeon makes an incision in your gum tissue and then drills a hole in your jawbone. The implant is then inserted and secured by screwing, after which the gum tissue is sutured to close the wound.
Placement of Dental Crowns or Bridge
After dental implant surgery, the next step is placing a dental crown or bridge. Here, two options are available:
• | Immediate placement – where the dental crowns or the bridge is placed on the same day as the implants. |
• | Delayed placement – where you are allowed to go home and the implant sites allowed to heal before placing the dental crowns/bridge. |
At Gwinnett Dental Implant & Periodontal Center, we are committed to offering you the best dental care. Our dental implant placement solutions can help to restore your teeth and natural smile. Call us today at (470) 222-8983 to schedule an appointment or click here for our dental implant faq page to learn more.