How to Prepare for Dental Implant Surgery

What Are Dental Implants?

They are small screw-like metal posts that replace teeth in dentistry. Dental implants in Beverly, MA, feature titanium, a biocompatible metal that perfectly integrates with natural bone tissue to become one with your oral cavity. The entire dental implant process offers a permeant solution to tooth loss, featuring a tooth root and crown. It makes dental implants the oral devices that closest match natural teeth in appearance, feel, and function.

Guidelines to Follow Before Getting Dental Implants

At Beverly Dental Group, we will ensure you know how to prepare for your upcoming surgery. This conversation will happen during your first appointment, entailing a comprehensive dental exam. Some of the important guidelines to help you prepare for weeks before your dental implant surgery are:

• Find someone to accompany you to the dentist’s office. It must be someone who can drive you home after your treatment. The reason is that your body will still have the effects of the sedatives that may take a while to wear off.
• Complete the pre-operative testing. Do this at least two weeks before the day of surgery. The tests are necessary to qualify you for your procedure, warranting high success rates.
• Stop smoking at least a month before your surgery. Most dentists recommend at least six weeks free of nicotine before dental implant surgeries. Smoking heightens inflammation and bleeding and also slows down the healing process.
• Abandon caffeine for the last week leading up to your surgical procedure. Instead, replace caffeine with high water intake. The earlier you increase your water intake before surgery, the better.
• Avoid alcohol for about a week before your surgery. Any alcohol you take within 72 hours of your treatment will impact the process of your surgery, particularly sedation dentistry.
• A day before your surgery
• Do not eat anything an hour before your surgery. Your oral surgeon will require that you don’t eat anything past midnight on the day of your surgery.
• Wear loose-fitting and comfortable clothing.
• Take any medicine your dentist prescribes.
• Don’t wear any accessories like jewelry or contact lenses.

What Happens During the Dental Implantation Surgery?

When getting dental implants near you, the procedure will include sedation. First, your dentist numbs your mouth with local anaesthesia. It ensures you don’t feel pain throughout your treatment. Afterwards, (s)he administers a sedative that will calm and relax your body and brain. Different sedatives can serve the purpose. They can either be oral, inhaled, or intravenous.

Placing an implant begins with cutting the gums to expose the bone tissue underneath. The oral surgeon then drills a hole in your jawbone to match the size of the dental implants. Afterwards, (s)he erects the metal post in your jawbone, and the dentist installs an abutment before suturing the gums to hold it in place. The abutment attaches to the implant and protrudes about the gums. Suturing allows the gums to start healing before the next phase of your treatment.

After placing the implant, you need to heal and recover for 3 to 4 months before further dental work. The dentist will have you come in after a while to place a dental crown or denture that crowns the tooth implant to complete the tooth replacement process.

Will the Treatment Be Worth It?

The surgical process you go through to receive a tooth implant can be overwhelming, considering the long timeline. However, dental implants are incredibly life-changing, offering benefits such as:

• A long-term solution to tooth loss – Your new teeth can last a lifetime with proper care.
• Boosting jaw health – Dental implants prevent bone tissue from disintegrating over time due to inactivity.
• Optimal oral functionality – Dental implants are sturdy enough, almost matching natural teeth’ strength and function.
• Permanent artificial teeth – You won’t worry about your teeth slipping off.