At first, you thought losing a tooth wasn’t a big deal—until reality hit you. You can’t always eat the foods you want without difficulty chewing. Your confidence has taken a hit as well because you don’t feel comfortable smiling in front of other people. Here at the office of Chris J. Devlin DMD PC, our team wants to help you restore your smile. Although there are several reconstruction options, our dentists will almost always recommend dental implants in State College first. Dental implants have many advantages compared to other restorations. If you’re interested in moving forward with the dental implant process, you probably want to know what it entails. Here’s a brief breakdown of what you can expect when restoring your teeth with dental implants.
Dental Implants: What to Expect
1. Examining Your Jawbone Density and Oral Health.
The first step to getting dental implants is determining if your oral health is up to par to receive the implants. Your dentist will mostly base this decision off the health of your jawbone and gums. You jawbone needs to be strong enough to stabilize your implant. If your jawbone holds adequate strength, then you’ll move right along to step two. If your jaw bone isn’t strong enough, you may need a bone grafting procedure to recreate healthy jawbone density.
2. Placing the Implant Posts.
During this step, your dental implant posts will be surgically placed into your jawbone right beneath the gum line. This sounds painful, but with the help of a local anesthetic and pain medications, this step will be practically painless! These biocompatible implant posts will fuse to your jawbone naturally with a process called osseointegration over the course of 3 to 6 months.
3. Determine Which Dental Prosthetic is Right for You.
Once your implant post has completely healed and abutment placed, your State College dentist will discuss the type of tooth replacement options you have. This is the most exciting part for most patients because they will finally be able to see the anticipated results! You will discuss two options: a removable dental prosthetic or fixed implant restorations.
Dental Implants Are the Best Choice for Tooth Loss
If you’ve been looking for tooth replacement options, many resources may have pointed you to traditional replacements like dentures, crowns, or dental bridges. Although these replacements are effective in their own way, they only replace the visible portion of your tooth.
What about the other important half of your tooth—the root? Your tooth root keeps your jawbone stimulated and strong. Without one, patients experience bone deterioration over time. This can lead to an increased risk of infections, tooth loss, and a general decline in overall oral health. Thankfully, dental implants mimic the entire structure of a tooth. By replacing both parts of your missing tooth, dental implants will stimulate your jawbone and encourage new growth and stability.
Ready for Dental Implants? Contact Us!
Even patients that have experienced severe tooth loss can enjoy a—or several—dental implants! Contact our State College office today to schedule a consultation with either of our dentists. We would love to help you restore your healthy smile.