If you are wondering, “How are teeth implants done,” you’re not alone. Dental implants are technologically advanced tooth replacement treatments that are completed in several stages. Even though the dental implant process takes time, the result is a permanent, natural-looking tooth replacement that you treat just like your healthy teeth.
How Are Teeth Implants Done: The Consultation
While your teeth are strong, you may lose teeth due to trauma, decay, ageing, tobacco use, medical problems or other factors. If you are missing teeth or have loose teeth, tooth replacement is essential to prevent future health problems.
If left untreated, missing teeth can lead to jawbone loss, tooth misalignment, and accelerated decay of nearby teeth, which usually leads to further tooth loss.
At No Gaps Dental, the first step is a consultation to discuss if dental implants are a suitable tooth replacement option for your smile. During the meeting, your dentist performs a comprehensive oral exam to assess the health of your gums and teeth. They also take X-rays and 3D scans to check the bone density in your jaw.
Your dentist reviews your health history to ensure you are a good candidate for dental implant surgery. You must be in good health, not suffer from autoimmune diseases, and not have active gum disease. If you grind your teeth, smoke, or have insufficient bone density to support a dental implant, these issues need to be addressed first.
Your dentist then creates a treatment plan and quote for tooth replacement, taking into consideration your oral health goals.
How Are Teeth Implants Done: Additional Extractions or Treatments
If surrounding teeth have severe decay, you may need to have these extracted before you can get dental implant surgery. You’ll need time to heal from these extractions, which can take to 2-6 months.
For patients who have gum disease, this also needs to be addressed before dental implant surgery. Gingivitis, periodontitis, infected gums, and receding gums must be treated to give your dental implants a healthy jawbone and gum tissue to sit in. Treating these issues first also lowers your chance of developing an infection after the procedure.
Patients with bone loss may need a bone graft or sinus lift before their surgery. Bone grafts are either synthetic, taken from a human donor, or another area of your body. The grafts fuse with your existing jaw bone to create a robust foundation for your dental implant, which helps reduce the risk of implant failure.
A sinus lift increases the bone depth and density in the upper jaw to provide enough space to support the implant. You may require 3-6 months of healing after a bone graft before you get your dental implants.
How Are Teeth Implants Done: The Dental Implant Surgery
The dental implant surgery is relatively short. Because we use local anaesthetic and IV sedation (if you desire), there is minimal discomfort during dental implant surgery. To place the dental implant, your dentist makes an incision on your gum to expose the bone. Then a hole is drilled deep into the bone where the dental implant will be placed and serve as the root of the new tooth.
Once the implant is placed, it must undergo a process called osseointegration. This is a biological process where the bone fuses with the jawbone and soft tissue, permanently cementing the implant into place. This fusion can take 3-6 months to integrate and heal fully.
Final Steps: Abutments and Crowns
In some cases, we can attach the abutment on the same day as the dental implant. The abutment is a ball-shaped connector that prevents gum tissue from growing into or over the implant. For some patients, this procedure must be done at a later date.
During this minor surgery, your dentist reopens the gum to expose the dental implant and attaches the abutment. The gum tissue is then closed around the abutment, and the dentist adds a healing cap to prevent the tissue from growing over the top of the abutment.
The final step of your dental implants treatment is to place the crown on top of the implant. A crown is a tooth-coloured replacement that blends seamlessly with your natural teeth.
If you are replacing a full arch or getting a dental implant-retained bridge, these are also shaped and coloured to look just like your natural teeth.
Once the crown, bridges, or arches are placed, you can eat, drink, brush and floss just as you would with your natural teeth. The low-maintenance features of dental implants make them an attractive tooth replacement option.
We do ask that you return to our practice in 3-9 months for us to monitor the health of your implant.
Paying for Your Dental Implants
Choosing dental implants is a big decision. Their easy maintenance and longevity make them a worthwhile investment. They also have a high success rate of 95%.
No Gaps Dental has partnered with MacCredit, which provides plans up to $70,000 with affordable repayment schedules. You need to show proof of income with your application and quote, and once it is approved, you can receive the money to pay for your dental implants.
Contact No Gaps Dental for a Consultation
At No Gaps Dental, we understand how important your smile is to your health and confidence. Call us on (02) 8806 0227 to schedule your consultation.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks.