What To Expect When You Get A Dental Implant Procedure

If you need to get dental implants put in, great. It means you're getting a permanent solution to your oral health needs and getting a smile that is healthier and more appealing. Your dentist will likely send you to a dental specialist or an oral surgeon to have the work done after ensuring that your gums and jaw bone are healthy enough for the procedure.

Here are things to expect as part of your dental implant procedure. Your dentist can answer any questions you have to help you prepare for your own procedure.

A potential bone graft

When you get dental implants put in, the dental implant procedure involves having dental implant posts put in your jawbone. If you don't have enough healthy jaw bone to make for a successful surgery, then you can get a bone graft before having other work done. Your dental professional will let you know if this is something you have to have done.

Periodontal care

Your dentist won't recommend you to get a dental implant procedure if your gums are unhealthy. Since many adults have some form of gum disease, it's not surprising if you have the same issue. Never fear, though — you can get a periodontal treatment before you have more extensive dental work done. Your dental implant services can begin after you have cleared up any existing gum issues.

Time between fittings

Once you get approved for your dental implant procedure to begin, you have to have yourself fitted for dental posts. Your mouth will heal after you have the posts put in, and then your dental implant procedure can continue. If you have to have several teeth pulled before you can have dental implants put in, then swelling will have to go down before you can go forward here, too.

Time to heal

While you can get much of your dental implant procedure done in one sitting or over a series of sessions if you have lots of work that needs to be done, it's the recovery time that can be surprising and can take some time. Allow for several months of healing before you move on to your regular eating and drinking activities after having your dental implant procedure done.

Followup care

Your dental implants will last a very long time and can almost be considered permanent. You'll need to have regular checkups just like you would with your traditional smile in order to have the best results. Don't skimp on your follow-up care.