What to Expect During Dental Implant Surgery

If you happen to be struggling with missing teeth, dental implants are probably high on your list of potential tooth replacement options. Dental implants permanently attach themselves to your jawbone, granting you artificial teeth that can very well pass for your original pearly whites. Furthermore, dental implants help restore and maintain your youthful looks by providing an underlying support that ensures the stability of your facial muscles. But before seriously considering dental implants, you first need to know what to expect in receiving these dental restorations by referring to the steps that we have enumerated below:

• Examining the size of your jawbone. A thin jawbone cannot properly support the dental implants. Therefore, your dentist first checks your jawbone’s size. If your jawbone lacks thickness, your dentist has to administer a bone graft on you.

• Performing the bone graft. In performing the bone graft, your dentist makes your jawbone thicker by inserting a piece of bone from one of your other body parts into it.

• Inserting the dental implants into your jawbone. After the bone graft, your dentist opens up your gum tissues, drills the bones responsible for supporting the dental implants, and places the dental implants into those bones. This marks the end of your first appointment as you have to give the dental implants around six months to form a permanent bond with your jawbone.

• Connecting the dental implants to abutments. Once the dental implants become a permanent part of you, your dentist connects them to metal posts called abutments, so that they can properly hold your artificial teeth. He then sends you home to allow your gums to recover.

• Manufacturing your replacement teeth. When your gums are strong enough, your dentist takes impressions of your mouth and the rest of your original teeth to create your replacement teeth.

• Placing your artificial teeth over the dental implants. As soon as your artificial teeth are ready, your dentist finally attaches them to the dental implants.

For more details on dental implant surgery, you may drop by our Carmel, Indiana dental office or dial 317-597-8748.