Dental Implants – Step By Step In Burton

From curiosity to fulfilment, your typical tooth implant journey.

While not everyone will lose a tooth, or number of teeth, during their lifetime, the reality is that many people will. Sometimes this might be caused by poor oral health care while others may be due to an accident that either knocks out a tooth or damages it to the extent that there is little choice but to extract it. For some people in this situation, dentures might be a suitable solution to replace the missing tooth, but for an increasing number, dental implants are the number one option. This is hardly surprising as implants offer a very strong and secure replacement tooth that won’t move around as dentures may sometimes do.

At SG Dental, we have experienced implant dentists here who can offer our Burton patients their skills and knowledge to help them have teeth implants placed in a comfortable and confident manner. We also like to provide our patients with a fuller understanding of this procedure than might be the case if they simply read about them. As part of this, we offer some brief information on the process of having implants placed, in today’s blog.

Initial consultation

The first step happens, of course, when you lose a tooth or feel that its loss is imminent. Working on the presumption that you have decided to have it replaced (as we recommend you do), your first step is to call us to arrange an initial consultation with our implant dentist.

During your dentistry consultation in Burton, we can explain in more detail what it entails and allow you the opportunity to ask questions before deciding whether you wish to go ahead. The next step is for us to take scans and x-rays to see if you are an immediately suitable candidate. Anyone with poor gum health may require prior treatment such as a bone graft or sinus lift. This shouldn’t be necessary in most cases. If the conclusion is that you are a suitable candidate, the next step can take place.

Pre implant advice and treatment

This period helps to prepare you for your treatment. Some of this can be undertaken yourself. Gum health is important and you will be requested not to smoke for a period of time prior to the procedure. This is very important as smoking is a leading cause of periodontitis which is a major risk for dental implant security and stability.  You will also receive any gum disease treatment appropriate to make sure that the bone is in the best condition possible, ready for the implant to be placed into.

Getting you comfortable

Having a dental implant procedure means spending longer in the surgery chair than may be the case with many other procedures. It is important that you are as comfortable as possible and allowed to discuss any last minute issues or questions you might have before we start.

Once you are ready, a strong local anaesthetic will be provided to allow you to receive treatment as comfortably as possible.

Preparation for implant placement

In order for an implant to be placed, it is first necessary to create a small hole in the jawbone into which the implant will be inserted. The exact location is determined using the latest equipment which enables exact placement, both for exact implant positioning and also to avoid any significant nerve areas within the bone.  A small incision will then be made into the gum and a small hole drilled. This part of the procedure can be concerning for some people but as the local anaesthetic should minimise any discomfort, there is no need to be worried about this.

Placing your implant

The dental implant is then placed into the hole by gently screwing it into place. The area of the procedure will then be cleaned up. An abutment and crown will be attached later to complete the procedure.

Resting

We always recommend that patients allow a few days to recover from this procedure. This is not only due to there sometimes being some bruising and soreness following it, but to allow the implant to start the process of fusing with the bone without any undue stress. You should not do any strenuous physical exercise for a while. Some exercises such as jogging are particularly bad for them due to the jarring as the feet hit the ground. Your dentist will advise how soon you can start any exercise regime again and you should follow their advice.

Post implant diet

As with exercise, it is important not to put any stress on the implant while it fuses with the bone. This requires a liquid diet initially which can then gradually progress to softer foods for a while. The whole process takes around three months but you don’t need to only have liquids during this time. We will provide you with more detail at the time, but generally it would be better to eat fish than, say, a chewy steak. Once the fusing process (osseointegration) is complete, you will be able to eat whatever you want with the knowledge that your implant will remain secure and not move in the mouth as dentures can do with some foods.

General implant care

You will be given cleaning instructions at the time. This will require special care initially but once your implant is fully functioning, you simply need to brush them well, use floss and see the hygienist as you should do anyway for the health of your natural teeth and your gums.

We hope that you found this blog useful and, of course, we are happy to provide any further information to any of our Burton patients who would like to find out more. For further information or to book a consultation with the implant dentist, please call SG Dental and Implant Centre today on 01283 845345.