Dental implant surgery is an excellent solution to cracked, decayed, or missing teeth. These implants are comprised of small titanium posts acting as roots and crowns that combined look, feel, and work like natural teeth and offer incredible durability.
According to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, [1] over 3 million Americans have dental implants, and half a million more undergo this procedure each year. But, although there’s a 95% success rate according to WebMD, [2] this surgery is not a simple one. For that very reason, we’re going to cover the before and after of dental implant surgery.
First Step: Getting X-rays
Before anything else, a dentist will take x-rays of your jaw and mouth to help him get a complete picture of your current situations which might reveal the need for other procedures.
Second Step: Making Imprints
A mouth and teeth imprint or impression is necessary for accurate implant placement and to make the final crowns in a dental lab. This is done with a liquid that quickly hardens along with a u-shaped tray that is placed against your teeth.
Third Step: Extracting Teeth
Before pulling any teeth, a patient undergoing dental implant surgery receives a local anesthetic. Following that, a dentist cuts tissues and slowly takes out the tooth in question before controlling bleeding with a gauze pad.
If your jawbone is healthy, you can get an implant immediately. Otherwise, you might need a few weeks to heal. A bone graft might be necessary if you’re experiencing bone loss, and this procedure takes a few months to heal.
Fourth Step: Placing Implants
When placing dental implants, you can be put under local or general anesthesia. Note that general anesthesia requires that you be strict about what you drink and eat before going in for your dental surgery.
Once under anesthesia, your dentists will expose your jawbone but cutting into the gum, and then drill a hole for the implant. He or she may also fill missing teeth with a temporary denture.
Fifth Step: Finishing Up
It takes a few months for your jawbone to fully heal and then your dentist can add a crown and abutment under local anesthesia. Your gums are opened once more for this and tissue is closed up after an abutment is placed and then a crown is put on top.
What Should You Do After Dental Implant Surgery?
After getting implants, you will need to recover for a few days. Here are some tips to speed up the process:
Reduce bleeding, swelling, bruising, and pain with ice, a gauze pad, or with medications recommended by your dentist.
Eat the right things. Use soft meals and liquids for at least a few days, and avoid crunchy or hard foods that could strain your jaw.
Relax and rest. Taking a minimum of 2-3 days off work is necessary after dental implants, and you may need to stay in bed the day after the surgery.
Keep implants clean. Use a saltwater rinse to help clean the areas affected by the implants, and continue with regular oral hygiene after swelling passes, but be gentle.
Remember to brush and floss. Once you’re completely healed, keep up good oral hygiene and brush all your teeth, crowns included, twice a day with regular flossing, besides getting regular check-ups.
[1] https://www.aaid-implant.org/dental-implants/what-are-dental-implants/
[2] https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/dental-implants#1