The first step of starting a dental implant procedure is to visit a dentist to be able to perform a dental implant. Ensure they are trained in implants. This is essential as you need the dentist to be qualified to fit as the process involves surgery. The following steps form the main parts of the procedure.
Examination and Testing
If you are missing one, several or entire sets of teeth or wish to replace all of your teeth; you need to have an assessment of your situation and be tested to ensure you have success factors for the implants. Dentists will take ‘radiographs’ of the jaws as you need to have healthy bone structure and they need to check for nerves and sinuses and their positions especially in the location of where the implant will go. Either X-rays or Computed Tomography (CT) scans may be used to give a three dimensional image to help dentists plan how to insert the implant.
Dentists will check that you are not suffering from decay or any gum diseases as these may cause complications including infections around implants. But beyond that, a medical history needs to check for several conditions and lifestyle habits. Drug abuse and smoking will cause failure of the implant. Dentists may refuse implants for certain conditions including diabetes, osteoporosis or bone diseases and blood clotting diseases.
Installation of the implant
This process may be completed over one or several phases. This depends of your situation and test results. The process starts with making a small incision in the gum so that a drilling can be made to allow for insertion. There are immediate ones where the implant is placed, then the abutment (the part on which the teeth whether a crown, bridge or denture is fitted) may be fitted 3 to 6 months after the implant was inserted.
In the meantime, you’d have a healing cap which is taken off when the abutment or attachment is cemented later on in place. There are several variables and multi-stage process may be the way if the dentist needs to wait to put the replacement teeth in and this may happen if bone-regeneration is needed.
Preparing and cementing replacement teeth
The dentist in Ormond Beach will make an impression of your mouth. This may take place a long time, around 6 weeks, after the first step of the insertion or installation to allow for healing. Dental technicians will then make to measure you crown or bridge with a matching finish to the remainder of your teeth. The dentist will then cement them and you need to follow up after that to check for alignment and how comfortable biting is.