Dental Implant


Dental Implant


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What is A Dental Implant?

What is A Dental Implant?

Who doesn’t wish for perfectly functioning teeth and a beautiful smile? For this, you need natural-looking teeth. But if you have severely highly infected teeth, dental procedures like root canal (removing an infected living portion of an infected tooth to replace it with a secure, non-living filling) and extraction might not be enough. Then, a dental implant procedure will prove a lasting answer to having great functioning teeth. 

Dental Implants are posts made up of titanium or ceramic that are fitted into your jawbone to hold artificial teeth. This procedure helps to achieve improved oral health by replacing the infected tooth with artificial roots. In result, you get a strong foundation for fixed or removable replacement teeth that match your natural teeth.

This article will explain the pre-requisites of going for an implant placement, procedure, post-surgery recovery and the attached benefits and risks of this dental treatment. 

A dental implant serves as the artificial root of your tooth. It screws into your jawbone, supporting the artificial crown (a crown is a tooth-shaped, artificial cap placed over a dental implant or a damaged natural tooth). These implants can last for several years if proper maintenance is performed post-surgery. 

Generally, there are two primary types of implants that differ in how they are attached to your jawbone.

  • Endosteal implants - It is a blade-like implant placed in your jawbone during surgery.
  • Subperiosteal implants - It is less common than endosteal and placed on top of the jaw during surgery.


Whether suffering from a minor infection or a serious dental issue, a periodontist (a dental specialist who treats gum and teeth-related diseases, including performing dental implants) can help you achieve healthy teeth and gums with long-lasting results.

What is A Dental Implant?
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Dental Implant Procedure: A Step-By-Step Guide

Although dental implant surgery may seem like a complex procedure from afar, it's quite simple in reality. Anyhow, it is still a lengthy process, taking months because the bone in your jaw needs to grow and heal around the implant before the dentist can attach the artificial tooth.

Initial Dental Assessment

First, the dentist conducts an initial assessment of the infected tooth through dental X-rays to diagnose the damage. Then, a decision is made after consulting a periodontist (the surgeon conducting the dental implant process) to remove the infected tooth and replace it with an implant.

Jawbone Grafting (If Needed)

You may need to have a jawbone graft (bone grafting is a surgical process where bone material is added to the jaw to strengthen it) if your jawbone isn\\'t thick enough or is too soft. It is because a soft jawbone won’t be able to tolerate the implant procedure. A bone graft can create a more solid base for the implant.

Dental Implant Placement

The periodontist will open your gum to expose your bone. Then, they will drill holes just large enough to hold your implant deep in your bone and place the post there. Finally, the surgeon will stitch the gum closed.

Bone Growth And Healing

Your jawbone grows into and around the surface of the implant post. This can take several months and gives you a solid new root for your artificial tooth.

Connector Placement For Artificial Tooth

An Abutment (A component that connects the dental implant to the artificial tooth or crown) is placed alongside the implant placement or in a separate surgery by the dental surgeon. The dentist will let your gums heal for about two weeks before placing the artificial tooth.

Artificial Tooth Placement

Realistic-looking artificial teeth are placed on the abutment. You can select removable or fixed artificial teeth or a combination of them for more than one implant.

Pre Treatment Requirements

Pre Treatment Requirements

Before going for a successful dental implant procedure, you must consider multiple steps to fully prepare for it. The implant success rate remains high if patients rightly follow all the before procedure requirements. These include:

  • Describe your medical history in detail to the surgeon before surgery, including any allergic history or autoimmune disease presence like diabetes (type 1) and medications.
  • Do not eat or drink anything for several hours before the procedure.
  • Avoid smoking and alcohol consumption about six weeks before the procedure as they can negatively affect your surgery.
  • Complete all pre-operative testing about two weeks before your scheduled surgery date.
  • Brush your teeth as usual, but don’t use mouthwash or toothpaste with a strong flavor.
  • Wear loose-fitting clothing and avoid clothing with tight collars that can cause discomfort during the surgery.
  • Take any pre-operative medications as directed by your dentist.
After Procedure Care Precautions

After Procedure Care Precautions

Although dental implants are designed to be durable and long-lasting, they come with maintenance requirements, just like natural teeth do. The aftercare implant instructions should be vigilantly followed so the dental implant procedure doesn’t fail in the long run. The most common include:

  • Brush twice a day with daily flossing.
  • Rinse often using an antimicrobial (specialized oral wash to kill microorganisms in mouth) mouthwash.
  • Go to the dentist for regular follow-up appointments about your implant health.
  • Avoid eating hard and crunchy foods for the first few days after the procedure.
  • Avoid smoking.
  • Apply an ice pack to the affected area for the first 24 hours to reduce swelling.
  • Take any prescribed pain medication or antibiotics as prescribed by your oral surgeon.
  • Keep the surgical area clean by gently rinsing it with salt water.
  • Maintain a healthy diet for better implant recovery.
Benefits Of Dental Implants

Benefits Of Dental Implants

Dental implant for gum disease help deal with gum recession and tooth decay. Similarly, this surgery is the final solution to any decaying tooth problems. 

Even if you go for minor dental procedures, ultimately, you have to opt for dental implant surgery for a permanent resolution to your oral health worries. Some key benefits of going for this procedure are as follows:

  • Dental implants let you forget your facial sagging fear that may occur with a missing tooth. You get the best smile restoration with an implant that looks and functions like a natural tooth.
  • With this procedure, you can chew and floss like you would with natural teeth, as the dental implant helps to maintain bone in your jaw.
  • Dental implants offer a permanent answer to your tooth decay problems. With proper care, these can last more than 20 years, preserving your oral health. Even if the crown atop your dental implant breaks, the implant will remain intact.
  • Dental implants do not cause any change in the healthy surrounding teeth structures. This way, the adjacent teeth don’t get disturbed by this procedure.
  • Removing infected or decaying teeth without replacing them can worsen your jawbone over time. It’s because the roots of your natural teeth stabilize your jawbone. Placing implants anchors your jaw like your natural teeth, stabilizing your jawbone and preventing bone loss.
Dental Implant Procedure Complications

Dental Implant Procedure Complications

It is important to know all the risks or complications associated with dental implants to make an informed decision before committing to the procedure. You may have to deal with these issues after having a dental implant surgery. 

  • Some allergic reactions, like dry hives, itching, or rash.
  • Sinus problems.
  • Minor bleeding at the implant site.
  • Nerve damage, indicated by a tingling feeling in your lips, gums or natural teeth.
  • Swelling and bruising in your gums and face due to some infection.
  • Pain at the implant site .
  • Mechanical trauma to surrounding structures.

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FAQ's

Dental implants don’t hurt during the procedure, but once anesthesia wears off, it is normal for patients to experience some discomfort. You may experience some soreness in the teeth, gums, and jaw surrounding the treatment area. Consult your dentist for prescribed pain medications.

Typically, most patients recover after two weeks of general healing. The implant continues to bond with the jaw bone over the next three to six months as part of the long-term healing process.

In several cases, having a dental implant becomes challenging, such as inadequate bone structure in the jaw to support it, active gum disease present, uncontrolled systemic diseases (e.g., diabetes), heavy smoking habits that can hinder the healing process after surgery, etc.

The procedure length depends on how many implants you need and where they are being placed in the jawbone. Your oral surgeon or dentist can give you the right estimate.

You can’t have metal-free implants because almost all materials used for teeth replacements have some sort of metal ions in them.

With regular dental check-ups every six months, and regular brushing and flossing, the implant screw itself can last a lifetime. However, the crown usually lasts about 10 to 15 years before needing replacement due to wear and tear.

The term all-on-4 implants refers to \\'all\\' teeth being supported \\'on four\\' dental implants. It involves the replacement of all missing teeth in one jaw by using only four implants.