Implants are surgically
placed in your jaw bone while doing Dental implants under anesthesia. It is a very time consuming procedure when
having many implants placed. As this procedure is surgical, it is very
important to research and find a well credited cosmetic dentist that you are
comfortable with. For some people there are varying degrees discomfort or pain,
which subsides in a couple of days. As with similar types of surgery, bruising
and minor swelling might also develop shortly after the procedure.
The
implant procedure is a surgical placement of the implant or implants in your
jaw bone which requires a three to six month healing period before the implant
restoration to replace the missing tooth or teeth. During this healing time,
the bone grows in and around the titanium implant creating a very strong
support. Dental implants can be rejected. Usually they are replaced with
another implant of a slightly larger size. The rejection or "failure"
rate is minimal, only 1 to 2% of all implant procedures. You must go without
wearing your dentures for one day to two weeks after an implant placement.
After the implant has "taken" and you have sufficiently healed, a
very natural crown is placed on the implant.
When
missing one tooth, your cosmetic dentist may use a Flipper to fill the space. A
Flipper is a false tooth to temporarily take the place of a missing tooth
before the permanent crown is placed on the implant. A Flipper can be attached
via either a wire or a plastic piece that fits in the roof of your mouth.
Flippers are meant to be a temporary solution while awaiting the permanent
crown to be placed on your implant(s).
If you're missing one tooth or all of your
teeth, implants may well be for you. So long as you have enough bone in the
area of the missing tooth to facilitate the anchorage of the implants, this
procedure can yield terrific results. If you don't have enough bone for this
purpose, a bone graft may be necessary. A procedure of building up the bone is
known as Bone Grafting. Bone grafting is common with dental implants. The bone
that is used is one of three types. The preferred bone to use is taken from
other areas of your mouth or collected in a suction device as the drilling of
the sites for dental implants occurs. Sometimes bone is taken from areas such
as a hip (this requires an orthopedic surgeon and an operating room). The third
source for needed bone is a synthetic type. This is the least preferred type of
bone to be used for this procedure.