West Hills Smiles

A dental care professional fitting an implant during a surgery

Dental Implants And The Truth About Them

According to research, about 6% of Americans have had an implant surgery once in their lives. Implants are dental treatments that are a healthy, restorative method for individuals who have experienced a loss of teeth for whatever reason. They look natural, are easy to implant with minimally invasive surgery, and require the same maintenance efforts as regular teeth.

How a Dental Implant Surgery Takes Place

Patients may receive an implant right after a tooth has been extracted. Of course, the area must be cleaned thoroughly with the help of suction and a water stream. However, for multiple implants, patients can expect the process to take up to a year, given the multiple procedures involved. 

Dentists performing surgery on a patient

1. Dental examination

Your dentist will conduct an oral exam to inspect any abnormalities and sensitivities in your mouth. You can typically expect an inspection of your mouth, chin, and throat. Your dentist might even take an X-Ray or a 3D scan depending upon your situation.

2. Tooth removal

After identifying the problematic tooth, your dentist will extract it. An oral surgeon is usually responsible for tooth extraction.

3. Bone graft

Your dentist will have identified if there is enough bone below the rotten tooth for the dental implant to stay in place. If not, they will carry a bone graft taking a piece of bone from elsewhere in your body and placing it in your jaw.

4. Implant

Once the space has been made, and the foundation is set, the dentist will carefully set the implant in place. Because the implant has an artificial root, it needs to be drilled into the bone to stay in place. Once done, the abutment is fixed on top of the implant, but this usually takes about 2-3 months if a bone graft has been carried out. Once the gum heals and allows the abutment to stay in place, the crown is finally fitted to complete the implant surgery.

A partial denture with a dental implant in place

Dental Implant Myth Buster

Now that you have an idea of how dental implants work, it is easy to understand why there might be myths about the process. However, if you are someone considering dental implant surgery, you might want to shoo away the following myths before your Dental Treatment West Hills CA.

1. Dental Implant Surgery is invasive and painful

Dental implants have come a long way from where they began. Thank to technological innovation, dental implants are a mildly invasive procedure where pain can be managed using sedation during surgery. An oral surgeon can now take much less time to perform surgery while patients heal within a few days.

2. Implants require special care

You are good to go as long as you follow regular hygiene and oral health habits! Dental treatment and processes can be kept to a minimum if one takes care of their oral health responsibly. Brushing, flossing, and regular dental checkups are enough to help you maintain healthy teeth for years to come.

3. Dental Implants look unnatural

Ceramic dental crowns have been the buzzword lately. With their ability to mimic the look and feel of natural teeth, it is difficult to distinguish between real and synthetic teeth.

Conclusion

Our dental implant surgery method at West Hills Smiles is done safely and comfortably to ensure patients suffer no unnecessary pain or discomfort. Our team of experts provides emergency, general, and Cosmetic Dental Services West Hills along with many other procedures at our clinic based in California. Contact us today or book an appointment to find out more!

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