Two Of Your Concerns About Dental Implants Addressed
When a person loses a tooth, it can be extremely uncomfortable and embarrassing. However, modern advancements have made it possible for you to have missing teeth replaced with implants that are virtually indistinguishable from your natural teeth to most people. Unfortunately, there are many people that have almost no knowledge or experience with these prosthetics, and this can cause them to experience some confusion about these devices. Learn a couple of questions and their answers
How Do You Prepare To Undergo This Procedure?
Having dental implants placed is a major procedure, and it should come as no surprise that there are some steps that you can take to help minimize the risks of complications or other issues from arising during or after the procedure. For example, many patients will need to undergo an antibiotic treatment regimen before having the implants put in place. This is done to help strengthen the immune system, which can reduce the chance of infection during the recovering period.
Also, you will likely be unwilling or able to perform many normal tasks immediately after your surgery. Therefore, you should take a few moments to prepare the things you know you will require. Preparing ice compresses and chilling beverages are important parts of this process, and a little time spent on these tasks can yield tremendous dividends after your procedure.
What Is Recovering From Dental Implants Like?
Considering the fact that dental implants are installed in multiple sessions, the recovering process is often different from many other dental procedures. This largely stems from the fact that you need to give the jawbone enough time to fuse with the implant. Without this step, the new tooth would not be securely held into the jaw. Generally, patients will need several weeks for this process to occur, and there is really no way to speed this up without compromising the integrity of the implant.
After the implant has fused to the jaw, the artificial tooth is put into place by screwing it into position and securing it with a special adhesive. There may need to be a minor incision for this because the gums may have grown over the exposed portion of the implant, but patients will usually recover in a day or two following this step of the procedure.
If you are considering receiving dental implants, it is important for you to have all the relevant information about this procedure. However, if you have only recently started to consider undergoing this type of procedure, having these two questions answered should help you to make an informed decision regarding the restoration of your smile. Contact a dental professional like Dr. James Oline for more information.