Dental implant surgery is an outpatient surgery; dentists perform it in stages with proper healing time. The process of placement of a dental implant involves multiple steps, including:
- Digital scanning and X-rays
- Information about sedation use
- Removal of a damaged tooth
- Jaw bone preparation or grafting, if needed
- Placement of dental implant
- Dental implant placement
- Bone growth and healing period
- Abutment placement
- The artificial tooth or the crown placement
The process may take several months, from treatment to healing time. During this whole tenure, much of that time is dedicated to healing and waiting for the growth of bone in your jaw. Depending on your situation, the specific treatment done, the materials used, or sometimes your dentist uses a combination. Visit your dentist to know the advantages and disadvantages of Houston dental implant.
When Bone Grafting Is Needed
If your jaw bone isn’t thick or soft enough, your dentist recommends bone grafting before dental implant surgery. That’s because your mouth exerts tremendous pressure on your jawbone, and the surgery will likely fail if it cannot support the implant. A bone graft can create a good solid base structure for the implant.
Several bone grafting materials are available to rebuild your jawbone, such as natural bone grafting; in this case, your dentist places bone from other parts of your body, or synthetic bone graft is used as a substitution that can support structure for new bone growth. You should consult your dentist to determine what is best for you.
It may take several months for transplantation bone to heal and enough bone growth for dental implants. Sometimes, patients need minor bone grafting, and the dentist does grafting during dental implants.
Placement Of The Dental Implant
During dental im[plantation, your dentist makes an opening by cutting your gums and exposing the bone. Then they will make holes with the help of drilling into your bones for the placement of a dental implant.
At this point, if you still have a gap in your missing tooth is missing, your dentist recommends partial or temporary dentures for a better appearance of your teeth. If needed, you can remove these dentures to clean your teeth.
Waiting For Bone Growth
Once a dentist places the metal implant in your jawbone. Your jawbones grow and unite with the implant surface. This process can take several months and provide a solid base for new teeth.
Placing The Abutment
When osseointegration is complete, you need surgery for abutment placement into your teeth. Your dentist uses local anesthesia for this surgery, and you can go home after this surgery.
To Place The Abutment:
- Your dentist reopens your gum to expose the dental implant
- Then they attach an abutment to the dental implant
- And close your gum tissue around the abutment.
After the dentist places the abutment, your gums must heal for about two weeks before the crown can be attached. If you’re experiencing any pain or swelling for a very long period, you should visit your dentist for proper treatment and diagnosis of teeth.
Choosing Your New Artificial Teeth
Once your gums heal, your dentist takes impressions of your mouth and surrounding teeth. These impressions make dental crowns that add aesthetic and functional values to your teeth. However, a crown can’t be placed if your jawbones aren’t enough to support a new tooth or implant. You can choose artificial teeth that are removable, fixed, or a combination of both:
Removable: This type is the same as conventional removable dentures. It contains artificial teeth surrounded by pink plastic gum. It’s mounted over a metal frame attached to your implant abutment. You can easily remove it while brushing and cleaning your teeth.
Fixed: In this type, your dentist places an artificial tooth or cement into an individual implant abutment. You don’t need to remove it while bruising and cleaning your teeth. Most of the time, each crown is attached to its dental implant. However, implants can be replaced with one bridged implant because they are strong.
Conclusion:
If you are suffering from missing, knocked, or fractured teeth or your tooth can’t be saved with root canal treatment, you should consider visiting your dentist to know both pros and cons of implant dentistry Houston.