Dentists in NW Calgary regularly recommend that people replace missing teeth with advanced titanium dental implants. Implants provide the most permanent and stable replacement for missing teeth that return teeth to your smile and roots to the interior of your jaw. Replacement teeth held in place by an implant restore all dental functions that your original teeth performed for you. Those replacement roots — in the form of titanium posts — not only hold your replacement teeth in position stably but also bind to your jaw tissue as if they were natural tissue. Even better than that, the replacement roots stimulate the ongoing health and growth of strong natural bone tissue to support the structure and shape of your face.
If your dentist has recommended implants to restore your missing teeth and dental function, use this outline of the implant surgery procedure to guide your discussions with your dentist about what to expect.
The dental implant surgery procedure
The process of obtaining dental implants in NW Calgary includes three stages. During the preparation stage of the process, your dentist in NW Calgary will examine the health and conditions of your gums, teeth and jaws. Your dentist will thoroughly review your medical history and take dental images to determine whether implants are appropriate.
A dentist near you will apply a local anesthetic or appropriate sedation during implantation. A hole will be made in your jawbone, and a titanium implant will be placed. Stitches will then be used to put and hold your gums in place while the post fuses to your jaw bone tissue over three to six months.
After the healing process, a dentist near you will complete the attachment phase of the procedure. A small piece called an abutment will be connected to your titanium post, and an artificial crown will be attached to that abutment to complete the implant procedure.
What will you experience during the implant procedure?
The implant surgery procedure is relatively invasive, involving an incision into your gums, drilling into your jaw bone and placing the implant. That process can be uncomfortable. Providing dental implants near you is always performed under local anesthesia or even sedation depending on your particular needs and conditions.
While local anesthesia will be sufficient to ensure you experience no pain or discomfort, sedation dentistry in one form or another can help you to relax and remain calm and still throughout the procedure. Sedation dentistry is available in a range of options, including (from mildest to most significant) nitrous oxide, oral sedation, intravenous sedation and even general anesthesia (though general anesthesia is unusual and uncommon except in the most extreme cases).
Following your surgery and during your 10 to 14-day recovery period, you may experience swollen gums, facial swelling, bruises on your skin and gums, pain at the site of the implants and minor bleeding. Our dentist in NW Calgary will provide detailed aftercare instructions to ensure you recover completely without experiencing any complications. Those instructions will likely include advice to restrict yourself to soft foods during your recovery period.
Complications arising from implant surgery are uncommon and unlikely but possible. Possible complications include bleeding, infection and numbness in adjacent muscles or sinus cavities. If you experience unexpected or worsening symptoms after surgery or at any time during or after your recovery period, contact your dentist immediately so their staff can review your recovery and take any steps necessary to ensure your complete recovery.