St. Augustine, FL
If you’re considering dental implants to replace one or more missing teeth, you probably have questions about the procedure and recovery. You’ve come to the right place! Today on the blog, our implant dentist in St. Augustine at Palencia Dental shares what to expect when getting dental implants. That way, you can decide if this tooth replacement option is right for you.
Why should I replace a missing tooth?
Replacing a tooth after an extraction is essential to maintain your oral health and smile aesthetics. While filling the void of the missing tooth will help you feel more confident when smiling, replacing an extracted tooth has several oral health benefits as well. For one, electing not to replace a missing tooth could lead to gum recession, tooth misalignment, jaw joint discomfort, and difficulty chewing certain foods. Over time, long-term tooth loss can lead to an increased risk of additional tooth loss down the road. Therefore, it’s always best to replace a missing tooth.
Here are a Few Things to Expect During and After Single Implant Placement
Dental implant placement does require oral surgery, which means you should only choose a trusted and well-qualified dentist to do the job. The dentist will devise a treatment plan that outlines how many implants you need, the timeframe to get each implant and treatment costs.
As far as the procedure itself, how it goes and what’s involved may vary, depending on your situation, like whether you need a bone graft before implant placement. But once it is time for implant placement, the dentist numbs your mouth and makes a surgical incision in your gum to allow access to place the implant post. Once the implant post is in place, the dentist attaches a healing cap, which helps prevent the gum from healing over the implant while you wait for the post to fuse to your jawbone. During your procedure, you shouldn’t feel a thing, although expect to experience some tenderness or a mild ache afterward, which should subside within 24-48 hours. In most cases, patients find relief from taking over-the-counter pain relievers but discuss this with your dentist first. And, in the rare event that you experience any facial swelling, apply an ice pack for up to 20 minutes at a time. Otherwise, you should be able to resume your usual activities afterward. In some instances, patients prefer eating soft foods for the first few days, due to the gum tenderness.
The next step is the osseointegration phase, which is the healing process necessary to allow the implant and jawbone to fuse. This also allows time to ensure that your body accepts the implant. The healing phase may take up to six months but is necessary to ensure your implant remains stable and is not rejected by your body. Then, at the end of the healing phase, you return to your implant dentist for impressions that are used to make your crown. It may take a couple of weeks for the lab to return your crown. Then, the final step is to remove the healing cap, and then permanently attach the crown to the implant using an abutment as a connector.
After you receive your implant crown, your results will look, feel, and function like a real tooth. It’s essential that you maintain good oral health to prevent gum infections that could lead to implant rejection. In most cases, dental implants are 98% successful and are strong enough to last a lifetime.
Dental Implants in St. Augustine and Palm Coast, Florida
Deciding to replace a missing tooth with dental implants can be an exciting time, although feeling a bit trepidatious is completely normal. We hope that understanding the procedure will help put your mind at ease if you’re considering this procedure. Since every implant case is different, we encourage you to discuss your specific case with the dentist to ensure you have a full understanding of any additional procedures necessary for you. To learn more about dental implants or to schedule a consultation to see if this treatment is right for you, please contact Palencia Dental by calling 904-664-5254. We also offer full mouth restoration with All-on-4 implants, as well as implant dentures. Therefore, schedule your consultation today to find out which implant option will suit your needs the best.
If you ever experience discomfort after getting a crown, either immediately after or years later, contact Palencia Dental by calling 904-664-5254.
