The purpose of a dental implant is to replace one or more teeth lost to gum disease, infection, or injury. The process of getting a dental implant is very straightforward. You just need to visit your dentist and talk to them. If you have health insurance, then dental implants will likely be covered if your insurance has a dental component.
Before you can get a dental implant, you need to know what the surgery consists of. By knowing this information, you will be more informed and in a better position to go ahead with the surgery.
This article will tell you everything that you need to know about dental implant surgery:
Preparing for Surgery
Before you have your surgery, your dentist will call you in for a consultation. This consultation will involve an X-ray, conversation, and checks to see if you have enough room for an implant. This consultation’s purpose is to ensure that you are in good health and are confident about your dental implant. It’s highly likely that your dentist will also discuss the signs and risks of dental implant failure, which is fortunately not very common – it occurs in around 2-3% of implants. Once your plan has been worked out and your dentist is confident that you are ready for surgery, they will schedule the appointment for you.
Where Will Surgery Take Place?
Your surgery will take place at your dentist’s office. If you are having surgery performed in a dental hospital or by a specialist company, then you will have to attend the location that they select. This information will be given to you prior to your surgery when your appointment is first scheduled.
Drinking and Eating
You may not be able to eat and drink in the hours before your surgery. If you are having local anesthesia, then you will not be able to eat and drink for at least three hours. If you are going to have IV sedation, then you will not be able to eat for at least twelve hours.
Taking Regular Medication
If you take any medication, you need to speak to your dentist about them and notify him or her of them. Your dentist might also prescribe antibiotics, which they will ask you to take for a few days prior to your surgery, in order to prevent early failures. It’s likely that they’ll also give you anti-bacterial mouthwash.
Lifestyle Changes
Finally, for this section, your dentist might also ask you to make some lifestyle changes. One of the most common requests made by dentists is for the patient to stop smoking. Smoking significantly increases one’s chances of dental implant failure.
What to Expect
The best person to advise you on what to expect during your Chicago dental implants surgery is your dentist, but despite that, it’s still worth doing a little bit of reading beforehand so that you know what’s going to happen. Naturally, you will be a little apprehensive prior to your surgery, especially if you are going to be totally anesthetized and unconscious. It’s also worth knowing that often, implant procedures happen in multiple appointments, spread across several months. Don’t expect to walk in and have your surgery complete in one day.
In terms of actual surgery and what happens in it, the first thing is that you will receive your anesthetic, which will either be local or IV. Anesthetic is given so that you do not experience any discomfort. Next, the dentist makes a cut in your gums and places an implant into your jawbone, in the location of your missing tooth. Once the tooth’s been placed, the dentist will close your gums over the implant so that it’s covered. You will then be sent home to recover, which can take a few months. You will then be called back for your follow-up appointments and implants.
Recovery
Dental implant recovery is a straightforward process. If you are sedated by IV, you will feel run down for several hours to a few days. You should have somebody there to take you home afterward. You may also experience some swelling or bruising, bleeding, and pain at the site of the surgery. Your dentist will likely advise you to eat soft, cold foods, and soups, and to avoid chewing.
In terms of long-term care, the dentist treating you will prescribe antibiotics and painkillers for you to take in the days and weeks following your surgery. You yourself must also ensure to keep your mouth clean, by brushing twice daily, flossing, and seeing your dentist for regular appointments.
Dental implants can be scary, especially if you have never had any type of surgery before, but you need to know that there’s nothing to be afraid of. Dental implants are routine procedures, with very low failure and rejection rates.