Having dental implants placed and maintained requires the care of multiple providers including your implant specialist, your general Dentist, a dental lab, and your dental hygienist. Each dental professional is vital to the success of your implant in their own way. Dental implants are one of the best ways to restore one or more missing teeth so if you are considering dental implant treatment, it is important to understand each step of your treatment and caring for your implant.
Oral Surgeon or Periodontist: Implant Placement
Your Dentist will refer you to either an Oral Surgeon or Periodontist for an evaluation for implants. If the doctor determines that you are a candidate for dental implant, they will schedule you for surgery.
It is important for anyone looking to receive dental implants to have sufficient bone structure in their job in order to provide a stable foundation for the implant. During your evaluation, your implant doctor will assess your bone structure and if you do not have enough, they may need to perform a bone graft prior to implant placement. A bone graft can be synthetic or harvested from the patient or a donor cadaver. Once your bone graft heals, you can have your implant placed.
To begin, your doctor will administer a local anesthetic via injection to the area being treated. They will then make a small incision in the gum tissue and drill a small hole into your jaw bone and place your titanium implant. Once the implant is in place, they will stitch up the tissue leaving a small portion protruding through the gums onto which a temporary abutment is situated to protect the implant while you heal.
The healing time after implant surgery is up to six months during which you will visit your implant doctor periodically for follow up appointments to make sure that everything is healing properly. You will also have a temporary appliance to give you the appearance of a tooth until your permanent implant restoration can be placed. They will send a progress report to your Dentist after each visit to keep them apprised of your healing. Once they determine that you are healed and your implant is fully integrated with the bone, they will release you for restoration.
General Dentist and Dental Lab: Restoring Your Implant
Once you have been approved for restoration, your general Dentist will take over. Your first appointment will be a simple impression of both arches of your mouth. Your dentist will use his impressions to make models that will be sent to the dental lab. The lab will use this model to fabricate your implant restoration. An implant can support an individual crown, a bridge, for a full or partial denture. Most cases take about two weeks to make and once your Dentist receives your case back from the lab, they will have you back to the office to try it in. Together, you and your dentist will make sure that your case is perfect only in appearance but also the fit and bite. If everything is perfect, they may be able to permanently place your restoration at this appointment. If it is not, they will send it back to the lab with adjustments notated.
Dental Hygienist: Maintaining Your Implant
Once your implant treatment is complete, your dental hygienist will help you maintain the implant so you keep your investment for as long as possible. Most of that patient will benefit from a more frequent cleaning schedule than the typical every six months. Implant care is a lifetime commitment so if your Dentist and dental hygienist think that you should have cleanings three or four times a year, it is important to heed their advice.
Each professional cleaning, your hygienist will evaluate your gun to shoot to make sure that it is healthy and pink and check the mobility of your implant to make sure that it is stable. They will then use ultrasonic and handheld instruments to scale plaque and tartar from your teeth. Once a year, they will take an x-ray of the implant and the surrounding bone structure as well as record measurements of your gum pockets. All of that information will be sent to your implant doctor to keep them up-to-date on the status of your implant.
Any problems that you've had with your implant including any pain or sensitivity should be reported to your hygienist. Your hygienist will also be a great resource in learning how to properly care for your implant on your own during your home care routine.