What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are titanium posts that function as replacements for the roots of missing teeth.
Dental implants can secure one or more false teeth in place, filling in gaps in your smile and restoring the functionality of your bite.
Dental implants are often preferred over other methods of replacing missing teeth because they create a strong, stable foundation and the replacement teeth feel just like regular ones.
What Is A Dental Implant Procedure Like?
The first part of Foster City dental implant procedure is the preparation of the site for the implant. This involves opening the gum tissue to access the jawbone where the implant will be placed and creating holes for the implants using a special dental drill.
You must have sufficient bone structure to support a dental implant and in some cases a bone grafting procedure may be required to create a jawbone strong enough to attach the implants to.
Once the site is ready for the implants, the dentist installs them and stitches the gum tissue back up. Then, the implants start healing and eventually become part of the jawbone.
While they heal, dental implants actually fuse to the jawbone, which is a process called osseointegration. That’s why replacement teeth attached to dental implants feel so natural the implants actually become part of your mouth!
After the implants are in place, a post gets attached to the top of each implant. These posts can be used to hold replacement crowns, bridges, or dentures.
Dental implants typically heal within three to six months. After they heal completely, Bay Star Dental can fix natural-looking replacement teeth to them.
Do Dental Implants Hurt?
Most people who receive dental implants only experience mild discomfort and soreness after the procedure.
We use local anesthesia to numb the implant site during the procedure. If you’re feeling particularly anxious about getting dental implants, we may sedate you during the installation.
The area of your mouth where we place dental implants has very few pain-sensing nerves. This makes getting dental implants a relatively painless procedure.
The soreness after a dental implant procedure is comparable to what you probably felt if you’ve ever had a root canal or gotten a tooth removed.
An over-the-counter painkiller is usually enough to manage the discomfort in the first 48 hours after receiving Foster City dental implants. The soreness and swelling should subside in a couple of days, and all the discomfort should be gone within two weeks.
When Should You Get Dental Implants?
Dental implants are a great way to restore your smile and biting ability if you’re missing a single tooth, several teeth in a row, or even a full row of teeth.
Dental implants are often better than dental bridges because you don’t need to get crowns on the teeth on either side of a gap. Just two or three dental implants can support multiple missing teeth.
Since dental implants act as artificial roots and actually fuse to your jawbone, becoming part of your mouth, they hold replacement teeth in place extremely securely.
Foster City dental implants are an attractive alternative to more traditional dentures, which can move around in your mouth and are inconvenient.
False teeth fixed to dental implants also tend to be the most long-lasting solution. Provided you maintain good oral hygiene and stay healthy, dental implants can last you for the rest of your life.
Reasons to Get Dental Implants:
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To hold a crown in place
- To replace a single missing tooth
- To replace several missing teeth (an alternative to bridges and dentures)
- To restore biting and chewing ability
- To restore the natural look and feel of teeth
When to Not Get Dental Implants
There are several factors that can make someone ineligible to receive implants. For instance, smokers are usually not good candidates for dental implants because smoking increases the likelihood of complications.
Additionally, people with poor gum health, inadequate bone structure, and autoimmune diseases may not be good candidates for dental implants.
For more information about our Foster City dental implant procedures or to schedule a consultation with a dentist, call our office today!
We Use the Latest Sedation Technology
Our number one focus is to provide excellent quality dental care in the most comfortable environment possible. Bay Star Dental has a state of the art nitrous oxide sedation system that is available to patients for simple and complex procedures. We have this system because we understand that your comfort is the most important.
