Treatment Planning
The most important step in dental implant placement is comprehensive treatment planning by specialty trained dentist that include:
- Evaluation of patients medical history to assess risk factors
- Presence of adequate foundation bone
- How many teeth are missing, Is soft tissue missing as well
- Does patient need facial support with Implant restoration
- What kind of restoration is the most appropriate, conservative and affordable for the situation presented
Finding the right treatment for every patient requires careful evaluation of multiple factors as every patient’s mouth condition is very unique. It is definitely not about filling the hole with an implant restoration. CAT scan are frequently used to study the quantity and quality of bone and this will help in figuring out he the type and number of implants needed in a particular situation. In some instances the foundation needs to be built first before we can place an implant. All these require careful treatment planning and execution and patients are well served by choosing a specialist dentists for their implant based treatments.
On the day of the procedure, your dentist will expose the jaw bone and carefully place the dental implant at the pre-determined location. One or several implants may be placed on the same day depending on the treatment plan. If there is any damaged tooth at the implant site, they are removed and the site is prepared carefully. A bone grafting procedure may be needed if the implant site is deficient in bone. The dental implant will be protected with a healing cap and the wound is closed with a suture. Local anesthesia is typically sufficient and in some cases, oral sedation may be provided to control dental anxiety. The site is allowed to heal over a period of several months.
Minor discomfort, pain, swelling and minor bleeding are expected after the procedure. Doctor will prescribe pain medication and antibiotics to ease the pain and help with healing. Some patients may need to be pre-medicated before the procedure depending upon their medical conditions. Patients are advised to eat soft food and avoid chewing on the implant site for few days.
After the procedure
- Do not touch or disturb the implant site
- Do not rinse the mouth. Avoid continuous spitting or cause any other disturbance
- Eat only soft food (ice cream, shake etc) for few days. Avoid chewing food on the side.
- Do not smoke
- Do not brush the implant site for several weeks
- Finish all the prescribed medications
Follow-up appointments are typically scheduled after one week. Dentist will check the implant site and remove the sutures. Implant Restoration is typically scheduled after 4-6 months following the implant placement.