If you have missing teeth, dental implants can renew your smile, restore the functions of your teeth, and rebuild your confidence. Overall, they can help improve your quality of life. But exactly how are dental implants done?
Here is an overview of the implant journey to help you learn more about the dental implant procedure.
How are dental implants done?
Dental implants are fixed posts that are surgically embedded into your jawbone. They act as tooth roots to preserve the health of your jawbone and support an artificial teeth replacement. And in between the implant and the tooth attachment is an abutment to link these two together.
Generally, the dental implant procedure involves four steps to include:
- Evaluation and assessment
- Treatment planning
- Dental implant surgery
- Crown restoration.
Let’s take a closer look at each part of the dental implants procedure in greater detail.
Evaluation and assessment
Before getting started with dental implant surgery, we need to determine if you’re suitable for dental implants. For that, a comprehensive dental exam is done to evaluate your mouth structures and overall health. You can go to a dentist that offers a free consultation for proper assessment, but some of the general requirements are:
- Healthy oral tissues
- Adequate jawbone height
- Optimal oral health
- Uncompromised general health
Treatment planning
Once you’re deemed healthy for implant treatment, we’ll proceed with the planning This includes the correct implant placement for maximum support and favourable results, plus the final restoration needed to complete your smile.
We’ll determine where to best place the dental implants through digital scans. This is especially important for those who need several implants for multiple teeth replacement. Any pre-procedures required to optimise implant placement will also be identified. These may include bone grafting and sinus lifting procedure.
Dental implant surgery
Local anaesthetics will be administered on the surgical site to numb the area and help you feel comfortable during treatment. Then, the surgeon will open a flap on your gum and drill a small hole into the bone where the implant is placed.
The implant is then placed through the pilot hole and anchored into the jaw. Once in position, the titanium implant post is covered by the gum and the gum is stitched to allow the implant site to heal. This whole surgical process should take 1 – 2 hours, depending on the number of dental implants needed.
Healing and recovery
Next, a waiting time of around 3 – 5 months is required for successful osseointegration. This process stimulates new bone cells, allowing fusion of the implant with the bone. With good osseointegration, the implant is adequately stabilised.
To assist with proper healing and speedy recovery, it’s essential to follow your dentist’s post-op instructions. In case you experience prolonged numbing, swelling, or lingering pain after dental implant surgery, get a free consultation at your local dental clinic or visit us at Complete Dental so we can take a closer look.
The good news is that dental implants boast a high success rate, so complications are rare. You should now be well on your way toward the final stages of treatment.
Abutment placement
Once the integration of your implant and bone is successful and the implant has fully stabilised, we proceed with the next step, creating a link between the post and your permanent restoration. For this, the implant is uncovered and a connecting abutment is attached to the implant post.
In most cases, a short recovery time of two weeks is needed for the subsequent surgery to heal. Then we’ll schedule you back to design your artificial teeth and complete the dental implant procedure.
Placement of artificial teeth
Depending on the number of missing teeth, your final restoration can be a single crown attachment, dental bridge, or partial or complete dentures. This will be attached to the abutment to complete your smile.
Finally, with the final restoration in place, you should now have a beautiful, and long-lasting smile that you can be proud of…
How Are Dental Implants Done? – The Bottomline
Overall, the dental implant procedure can take quite a while. On average, it takes 5-6 months but it can take longer. However, this should not discourage you from getting dental implants.
With precise treatment planning, accurate implant placement, positive recovery, and excellent up-keep, the implants can last a lifetime. Meanwhile, the crown attachment only needs replacement after 15 years or so. So, the results are beautifully rewarding – with a natural smile that you can be proud, confident, and happy with.
Are you considering getting dental implants?
Now that we know how dental implants are done, the next step is to schedule an initial implant consult. If you’re located near our Coorparoo or Elanora clinic, take advantage of the free dental consultation near you. You can contact our friendly team to schedule your appointment where we will gladly go over your teeth replacement options, including dental implants.
Call Complete Dental today at Coorparoo on (07) 3801 6503 or Elanora on (07) 5235 8199 to know more.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
References
PubMed – Total Hip Arthroplasty – over 100 years of operative history
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257425/
PubMed – Long-term dental implant success and survival – a clinical study after an observation period of up to 6 years
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22611899/