Preparing for Implants
April 28, 2022
When you decide to get implants, there is always a period of preparation. Whether you have gone with a single tooth replacement or an entire mouth, you want to make sure you are doing everything you can to make sure your operation succeeds
So today, we talk about how best to prepare for implant surgery, from your Kansas City, MO dentist!
How Long Do Implants Take?
The entire process of having an implant placed in your mouth can be relatively quick, 6 months or so. That said, it is often much longer than that, sometimes even more than a year. It depends on the amount of preparation is necessary on the mouth.
Certain factors can result in multiple surgeries being necessary for the implant procedure. This may happen in whole mouth implants or in a tooth that has been missing for a long time.
When teeth are lost, the body tries to compensate for that change. This healthy immune response can result in the body fighting an implant in the mouth.
This also means that the jawbone may have receded. The body will reabsorb the bone material from a jaw with no teeth, which helps survival, but not great for cosmetic purposes.
That said, there is a distinct process to the procedure in order to ensure the safety and sanitization of the operation.
So How Should I Prepare?
The first step is the extraction of any tooth material from the site of where the implant is needed. Before anything else, a dentist must remove this in order to make space for the implant. If you’ve not completed this stage, your dentist will not be able to proceed until it has been done.
After the site has been cleaned and is healed up from any prior surgery, the dentist might need to perform a bone graft. This is to replace any missing matter from the jaw and to ensure a safe and sturdy placement of the implant.
The dentist will need to make sure that the facial structure element is perfect, as well. When people get dentures, a change in their profile is often noticed. We want your face to look as similar as possible as before.
Any further grafting or structural procedures of the bone will need to be completed before the process can go any further. Sometimes, a few different operations are necessary to ensure a perfect new tooth.
The biggest thing to remember throughout the process is to keep your mouth clean. Follow the recommendations of your dentists, they truly do have your best outcome at heart.
Are You Ready To Make The Plunge?
If you are ready to have your smile back to pristine condition, contact Cosmetic And Implant Dentistry in Kansas City, MO, at 816-427-4018 today!