Dental Implant Placement

Getting a dental implant is the best option for a missing tooth or teeth. We help patients with Dental Implants at Ford Dental Group on a regular basis. If you are unsure whether or not to get a dental implant placement because of dental anxiety or lack of knowledge regarding the procedure, here is some information to help you understand the procedure.

What Is A Dental Implant?

A dental implant is a permanent dental prosthesis in the form of a titanium post with screw-like grooves. It is surgically inserted into the jawbone to become the artificial root that replaces the ones of the missing tooth. This implant fuses with the surrounding jawbone over four to six months. Then it is capped with an artificial tooth that looks and functions like a real one.

How Is A Dental Implant Placed?

A dental implant placement consists of multiple steps that require healing time, making this type of dental surgery a lengthy procedure.

First, your doctor will remove the damaged or decayed tooth if there are still pieces of it. An oral x-ray will reveal any parts still embedded in your jawbone, as those need to be removed.

If your jawbone is too soft or isn’t thick enough, you may need to have a bone graft before the actual implant surgery. This graft will provide more structure for your implant and can be a natural or a synthetic bone-like material. Our doctors will discuss which option is best for you if it is needed.

During the implant placement, our doctors will make a small cut through your gums to expose your jawbone, where they will drill a hole, and the implant will essentially be screwed in. The top of this post will be exposed above your gums.

This is the first part of the implant procedure, and you will be sent home. For the next few months, your jawbone will heal around this post and make it a permanent fixture in your jaw via a process known as osseointegration. You will have a gap as there is no tooth, but if it is in a prominent place, our doctors will fit you with a temporary denture, so it is not apparent.

What Happens After a Dental Implant is Placed?

Immediately after this procedure, your gums and face may have some swelling, and you may experience bruising on your gums and skin. There may be pain on the site and minor bleeding, but this will fade over the next few days. You will be prescribed antibiotics, painkillers, and a soft food diet.

When this has healed, you will be called back to have an abutment placed. This is a cap screwed on top of the implant and where the artificial tooth will be attached. Our doctor may place this during your implant placement, depending on your particular case.

Once this has healed after an average of two weeks, you will come in to have impressions taken of your teeth so that an artificial tooth can be crafted to fit perfectly in the gap.