Our Dental Implant Process
The dental implant process is quickly gaining a reputation in the North Riverside area for providing patients with beautiful replacement teeth that function and feel just like natural teeth. With how great the results possible with dental implants are, many patients have been asking questions about the dental implant process and the steps involved with it. The dental implant process is actually made up of four different steps. You will first undergo a consultation before you can move forward with the implant procedure. Once your implants are in place, your jaw will need time to heal properly before you can have any replacement teeth attached. For a more detailed overview of this process, please continue reading below.
Stage 1: The Consultation
Before you can begin your treatment with dental implants, you will first need to attend a consultation with one of our dentists. During your consultation, the doctor will perform a thorough examination of your oral health in order to determine whether or not dental implants can provide the best treatment for your needs. He will also take this time to answer any additional questions or concerns about the procedure you may have.
Stage 2: The Implant Placement
Next up is the dental implant procedure. During this step, an implant fixture, which is one of three pieces of a dental implant, is placed in the empty spot left behind by your missing tooth. Once in place, the area will be stitched up so that it can heal. At this point, an abutment and temporary replacement tooth may be attached to the implant fixture. However, it is not unusual to wait until after the recovery period before having anything attached to your implant fixture.
Stage 3: The Recovery Period
Once your implant fixture is in place, it will need a few months to heal properly. It is very important that this period proceed as planned as this is when osseointegration occurs. Osseointegration is the process of your implant fixture being assimilated into your jaw structure. This process is possible because dental implants are made from titanium, which is a metal that your body doesn’t recognize as unnatural. Thanks to this process, your body is able to manipulate your dental implants just like it does your natural teeth
Stage 4: The Restoration
The last stage of the dental implant process is the attachment of your replacement teeth to your dental implants. The restoration can take many forms, though the most common form taken is a porcelain crown. Regardless of what form of restoration you use, we work hard to make sure that your replacement teeth look beautiful and natural. To do this, we take scans of your remaining natural teeth, which allows us to carefully match your artificial teeth to your natural teeth.
Begin the Dental Implant Process Today!
As you can see, the dental implant process is a straightforward process that can leave our patients with beautiful, natural-working replacement teeth. While this process does tend to take longer than other restoration methods, our patients agree that the results more than make-up for any extra time needed. If you would like to learn more about dental implants or begin your own restoration, we encourage you to contact us and schedule a no-obligation consultation with our dentists today.