If you have experienced any kind of major structural tooth damage, such as the loss of one or more permanent teeth, the best solution for your oral health issues may be a dental implant, a procedure which has many advantages. 

In fact, dentists today have been able to do great work with new implant materials, helping to protect their patients’ facial structure, ensure they can access proper nutrition, and, critically, restore their confidence after an accident or serious health issue. 

As popular as they are, however, dental implants are a major intervention and it’s important to be fully prepared before your dentist gets started.

What Type Of Implants Are You Getting?

The first question you should ask your dentist when they recommend dental implants is what type of implant they are recommending. The two primary types of implant are endosteal implants, which are placed into the bone, and subperiosteal, which are placed above the bone. Whenever possible, dentists typically prefer to place endosteal implants because they help maintain the shape of the face and are more secure for long-term use. However, if you have significant bone loss in your face, they may have to place a subperiosteal implant instead.

How Long Will The Procedure Take?

Many people mistakenly think that dental implants can be completed fairly quickly, but the process can actually take a long time from start to finish, so it’s important to discuss the timeline. After any damaged teeth are removed, you may need to undergo jawbone grafting, then have the titanium implant placed into your jaw. You’ll then need to wait for new bone to grow around the implant in order to secure the foundation of the new tooth. 

Once the implant is secure, there are two additional elements. First, your dentist will place the abutment, which will require reopening the healed gum, though some dentists do place the implant and the abutment in one step. When done in two steps, however, the placement of the abutment signals that the process is almost complete. After a few weeks of healing time, your dentist will place your new artificial tooth.

How Many Teeth Will Be Replaced?

Many people only have one or two dental implants, because they lost a tooth in an accident or needed to have a crown placed on a cracked tooth. For others, however, many more teeth need to be replaced and there are several ways to approach this. 

For example, those who need all or most of their teeth replaced may benefit from a combination approach using a mini implant and implant-supported dentures. Dentists who choose this strategy place just a few complete implants – usually four to six – and then create a new set of dentures that fit securely around the implant. This is much less invasive but also ensures a better denture fit than would be possible without the implant.

How Long Will The Recovery Take?

As evident from the many above steps, there are actually several different parts to recovering from dental implants, including recovery from the initial extraction and any bone grafting, recovery from the implant and abutment placements, and then recovery from the final tooth placement. 

By the time you reach that last phase, however, you’ll have actually dealt with the worst parts of the process, so you’ll feel back to normal quite quickly. You may need to take some OTC pain medication and eat soft foods, but within a few days, you’ll probably feel much better than you did before you started the process.

With proper care, dental implants can last a lifetime, but more importantly, for those who receive them, the procedure can be life-changing. From struggling to eat and afraid to smile to confident and capable, dental implants don’t just give people their smiles back, but allow them to live their lives more fully.