7 Things You Need To Know Before Getting Dental Implants

Getting dental implants nowadays is a fairly straightforward procedure, but there are still some things you need to know before selecting the right dentist for your dental implant. Here are the top things you need to know before getting dental implants.

01: General Dentists Are Able to Place Dental Implants

It’s very possible for general dentists to learn the principles and techniques to place dental implants. That wasn’t the case when dental implants were first introduced. Dental implants used to be very difficult to place and required invasive surgery when they were first introduced. That is definitely not the case today with modern dental implants. Our approach gives us the skills and information needed to properly identify the correct patients who are appropriate for dental implant treatment. Our systematic approach to treatment planning and placing dental implants also guides us to know which patients are not ideal dental implant patients. Most adults in relatively good health are fine candidates for dental implant treatment. With the success rate of today’s implants, general dentists are able to successfully place and treat patients with dental implants.

02: Some Implants Can Be Completed in a Single Day

The goal of dental implant therapy is usually to replace or strengthen a single tooth or small area, and not to replace all of your teeth with implants immediately. We don’t take any shortcuts during your treatment. Our focus is to replace missing teeth and give you a beautiful healthy smile that will last the rest of your lifetime. Once in place, your body builds bone right around the implant and permanently cements it in place. That biological process takes a minimum of 4 months. If you can make your body build bone faster, then the process can be sped up a bit. Sometimes, there are situations when you can get dental implants placed and used in a single office visit. If you’ve already got a lower denture and your teeth have been missing for some time, we are able to place specialized tooth implants in your lower jaw to stabilize a lower denture. That specialized implant procedure can be completed quickly with minimal surgery, and in many cases, the implants are ready to be used when you walk out of the office. Those specialized implants are mini implants and can be placed in one visit and used in a single day.

03: Dental Implants are Less Expensive at a General Dentist

Some specialists think that any type of surgery in the mouth should be performed only by an oral surgeon. Most progressive specialists practicing today would agree that basic oral surgery procedures can, and should, be performed by a general dentist in a dental office setting. There is no change in the standard of care between a specialist and general dentist. That means you, the patients, are entitled to receive the same quality of care from a general dentist as you are from the oral surgeon. Since specialists only practice within their narrow field, their fees are usually much higher than what a general dentist charges for dental implants. So in the end, you are getting the same standard of care at a lower price when you have your general dentist place your dental implants, if you are an acceptable candidate.

04: Placing Dental Implants Can Be a Minor Procedure

Back when dental implants were first invented over 50 years ago, the procedure to place a dental implant was long and invasive. The initial types of dental implants required lengthy surgeries performed by surgeons with little experience (because they were so new!) and involved prolonged healing periods. In the end, dental implants had a poor track record of success. Fast forward to today; placing dental implants is a well documented procedure with a very high success rate that requires a shorter healing time. Most dental implant procedures are completed in the dental office (NOT in a hospital) under local anesthesia. The patient doesn’t feel the surgery, they are anesthetized and numb the entire time, and healing may take a couple days at most. Usually, prescription pain medications are not needed to manage post-operative pain. Overall, the dental implant procedure can now be considered minor in-office treatment providing a great service to the patient. The recovery period after dental implant surgery can be as short as a day or two, and you may not even need a prescription to manage your post-operative pain.

05: Getting a Tooth Pulled is Harder than Getting a Dental Implant Placed

After hearing the specifics about what dental implant treatment involves, some patients think the procedure may be painful with a long recovery time. Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. Getting a tooth extracted is actually harder on you, the patient, than getting a dental implant placed. During a tooth extraction, your tooth is moved from side to side, expanding your jaw bone. There is a lot of force and pressure on your jaw when you get a tooth extracted. During a dental implant placement procedure, machined instruments are used to create a precise area for the implant in your jaw. So, there is significantly less force, pressure, and trauma to the patient during an implant procedure. That is why there is very little pain and a short recovery time after a dental implant procedure.

06: Precise Implant Placement – Simple with the Right Technology

One of the biggest things that matter in successful dental implant treatment is correct placement. There are a few vital areas to watch out for when placing dental implants, and proper placement and orientation is a key factor to ensure successful dental implant treatment. Many dentists and oral surgeons only use 2D panoramic x-rays to plan and place dental implants. Panoramic x-rays are large film based radiographs that show a two-dimensional image of your entire jaw, and need to be held up to the light to see them or put on a lighted background. Modern technology has advanced to allow panoramic x-rays to be completely digital, so they can be viewed on a computer screen. The problem is that these 2D images only show the height of bone needed to secure a dental implant. Only 3D cone beam CT images can show the dentist height, length, and width of bone needed to place a dental implant successfully. See our quick video demonstrating 3D cone beam CT technology and how we can place dental implants perfectly every time.

07: What if I Have Questions During Treatment? We’re Here!

Professional dentists can answer your questions daily to ensure you feel confident in your dental implant treatment.

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