What You Should Expect After Dental Implants Treatment ?
Replacing lost teeth with dental implants is an excellent way to restore your smile’s function, health, comfort, and aesthetics. While made from artificial materials, dental implants feel, function, and look like real teeth and can last for decades. If you’re considering dental implants, this article discusses how they are placed, whether they’re safe, and what to expect during recovery.
How Dental Implants are placed in Your Teeth
Getting dental implants requires several procedures spread out over several weeks or months. Below is a typical procedure of what you can expect:
- Consultation: The first step to your treatment should begin by visiting our dentist in Mississauga, ON, for a consultation. The dentist will review your oral and overall health and examine your teeth, gums, bone, and mouth to determine whether you’re eligible for dental implant surgery. The exam might include taking x-rays, scans, and impressions of your mouth. If you’re not eligible for implants, the dentist can recommend alternative replacement treatments like dentures and bridges.
- Tooth extraction and bone grafting: If your teeth haven’t been extracted yet, the dentist will remove them before the implant are placed. If you don’t have sufficient jawbone density, the dentist will recommend bone grafting to rebuild and repair the bone to create a stable foundation for the implant.
- Placing the implant post: Once you’ve healed from tooth extraction or bone grafting, the dentist will place a small titanium post into the jawbone through surgery. The implant post can also be made from zirconium. The post fuses with the jawbone tissues in the process of osseointegration and acts like artificial roots. This process typically takes about 3 – 6 months.
- Placing the abutment: Once the implant post has bonded with the bone, the dentist places the abutment onto the post. The abutment attaches the implant post to the outer restoration (crown, bridge, or denture). After placing the abutment, the dentist will take impressions of your teeth and mouth to create the artificial tooth, often a dental crown.
- Placing the artificial tooth or crown: Lastly, the dentist will attach the artificial tooth or crown to the implant. The artificial tooth mimics your real teeth’ shape, size, and color, giving you a natural, functional, and aesthetically pleasing smile.
Are Dental Implants Safe After Treatment?
Over the years, dental implants have been tested and proven safe, highly successful, and durable. On average, teeth implants have a success rate of 95% and above.
However, like any other medical procedure, dental implants come with potential risks and complications, including:
- Infection: Infections can develop due to poor hygiene, smoking, and underlying health issues like diabetes.
- Nerve damage: While rare, the nerves can be damaged during implant surgery, resulting in pain, tingling, or numbness in the face, lips, or tongue.
- Implant failure: Factors like insufficient jawbone density and infections in the implant site can affect osseointegration, resulting in implant failure.
- Sinus problems: Placing dental implants on the upper jaw can extend to the sinuses, causing infection, discomfort, inflammation, and other complications.
Followings your dentist’s or surgeon’s post-operative instructions will facilitate faster recovery and reduce your risk of complications after getting dental implants. Visit our dentist near you if you experience severe, persistent, or unexpected side effects.
What to Expect After Dental Implants Treatment
Since placing dental implants requires surgery, it’s normal to experience some post-operation side effects for the next few days. Below are general guidelines on how to manage these side effects and promote a speedy recovery:
- Pain and discomfort: After the anesthesia wears off, you can expect discomfort or pain around the implant site. Your dentist will provide medications and self-care tips to minimize the discomfort.
- Swelling and bruising: It’s also possible to experience swelling or bruising at the implant site. Ice packs and saltwater rinses can help minimize these effects and promote a speedy recovery.
- Take a soft diet: Eating hard, sticky, spicy, acidic, chewy, or crunchy foods can irritate and disturb the implant site, worsening your symptoms. Take soft foods like mashed potatoes, yogurt, avocado, fish, and soft fruits and vegetables for the next few days following dental implant surgery.
- Maintain excellent oral hygiene: Good oral hygiene after implant surgery is essential to prevent infections in the implant site and promote faster healing. Follow your dentist’s instructions about brushing, flossing, or rinsing to avoid complications.
Visit our office for dental implants in Mississauga, ON
For more information about dental implant treatment and recovery, contact Dr. Jeff Levman and Dr. Ilana Wurman to book your appointment today.