What Does Dental Implant Placement Involve?
When considering whether or not to undergo dental implants in Richmond, or indeed anywhere else in the country, you’ll no doubt be aware that dental implants are the only permanent form of tooth replacement. However unlike other methods of tooth replacement it does require one or more surgical procedures, but what exactly does this involve?
To graft or not to graft?
The one thing you’ll know about dental implants is that they are anchored directly into the jaw bone. This is what keeps them stable and gives them strength.
Therefore it’s understandable that the jaw bone the implants are attached to should be both healthy and plentiful.
The problem is that for many people who have suffered missing teeth, they don’t have the luxury of plentiful jawbone as it deteriorates automatically over time once teeth are missing. For this reason a dental surgeon might have to carry out a routine bone grafting procedure before any implantation can take place and usually a 2-3 month healing period is needed in between surgeries.
The dental implant procedure itself
Assuming that any necessary grafting procedures have been carried out and the bone is now plentiful and healthy the surgeon can go ahead with the fitting of the dental implant. In Richmond this is usually done under intravenous sedation. This is similar to a local anaesthetic where the patient remains awake throughout the procedure, but is kept in a relaxed and pain free state.
From dental impressions taken previously the titanium root is placed down into the jawbone and is left to fuse with the natural bone in a process known as osseo integration. This can take anything from 3-6 months and is an integral part of the procedure.
Fitting the abutment
Once the titanium implant is firmly in place, a small abutment is positioned onto the implant. This acts as both an attachment for the dental crown and as a tiny shock absorber to disperse the natural bite force down through the implant and into the bone itself. Finally, after another healing period (usually 4-6 weeks) the permanent crown is attached.
Once everything is in place and provided they’re cared for correctly, you should have a natural looking tooth or teeth that can last for anything up to forty years. If you want to find out more about dental implants in Richmond, then contact Sheen Dental or visit our website at www.sheendentalimplants.co.uk. We’ve been successfully fitting implants to patents for many years and as such have decades of experience. Dial 020 8876 5277 and discuss your dental future with the professionals.