What are dental implants?
Dental implants are a type of restoration used to replace missing or damaged permanent teeth. During implant surgery, your Riverside Dental Associates provider surgically places a series of small titanium posts into small incisions in your gums. After surgery, you return home for a period of 3-4 months. During this time, your bone tissue grows around each implant, fusing them to your jaw.
Dental implants are sturdy and long-lasting. In fact, with proper care, they can last for decades at a time.
What are the advantages of dental implants?
Dental implants offer several advantages, including:
- Improved speech
- Improved comfort
- Easier eating
- Improved self-esteem
- Improved oral health
- Durability
- Convenience
Dental implants also improve your appearance. If you’re missing some or all of your teeth, it causes your cheeks and lips to hollow and sag. Dental implants provide structure for your jaw, eradicating these common imperfections.
Am I a good candidate for dental implants?
The only way to know if you’re a good candidate for dental implants is to meet with a qualified dentist, like those at Riverside Dental Associates. That said, if you have healthy gums and healthy jawbones, you’re probably a good candidate for treatment.
During your initial consultation, make sure to let your dentist know about any chronic medical conditions you have, such as diabetes or high blood pressure. These ailments won’t necessarily prevent you from receiving dental implants, but they can increase your risk of complications.
What is it like to get dental implants?
Getting dental implants usually requires several appointments and a period of six months to one year. Treatment starts with an initial consultation. During this appointment, your dentist performs an oral exam, reviews your medical history, and asks you about your goals for treatment. Your dentist also orders a series of X-rays to get a closer look at your tooth roots and jaws. If everything appears healthy, your dentist moves forward with treatment.
First, your dentist administers a local anesthetic. Once the anesthetic sets in, your dentist carefully places a series of small, metal posts — one for each missing tooth — into the spaces where your teeth used to sit. Following surgery, you return home to recover.
About 3-4 months later, after your mouth heals, you return to Riverside Dental Associates. At your second appointment, your dentist takes impressions of your remaining teeth and sends them to a laboratory that manufactures your implants. Your dentist also attaches a metal attachment, or abutment, to each implant.
At your final appointment, your dentist attaches your crowns, bridges, or implant-supported dentures to your dental implants. You leave the office with a brilliant, healthy smile.
Request your dental implant consultation at Riverside Dental Associates today by calling the office or request an appointment online.
