What to Expect during Dental Implant Surgery

What is a Dental Implant?

A dental implant is a small titanium post, surgically placed into your jawbone. Designed to mimic natural tooth roots, dental implants stimulate the nerves within the jawbone to prevent bone degeneration. These restorations are widely accepted as the best solution to tooth loss.

By choosing our highly trained team to perform your dental implant surgery, you can rest assured that you will receive the highest standard of care.

The Dental Implant Surgical Procedure

During your consultation, Dr. Siegel can evaluate your smile to determine whether you are a candidate for dental implants. We may take a series of digital x-rays or other advanced images for a detailed picture of your teeth and jawbone. If you have suffered from significant jawbone deterioration, you may need a preliminary bone graft or sinus lift before proceeding with surgery. If you are cleared for treatment, we can then design a customized plan tailored to your needs. Your procedure may entail:

Anesthesia

To ensure your comfort throughout treatment, we can administer local anesthesia to numb your gums and your selected form of sedation.

Dental Implant Placement

We can create a small hole in the gums to access the jawbone. We can then carefully embed the dental implant into the jaw. Once complete, we can close the incision with sutures. We may also provide a temporary restoration to assist with dental function during healing. The length of the procedure will depend on how many implants are placed. To replace a single missing tooth with a dental implant, treatment typically takes about 30 minutes to one hour.

Osseointegration

Over the next four to six months, the dental implant will fuse with your natural bone, becoming a permanent part of your smile. One of our doctors will monitor your recovery during this period to ensure your gums are healing properly. 

Abutment

Once you have fully recovered, you can return to our office for a second, minor surgical procedure. During this time, we can open the incisions to access the dental implant. We can then place an abutment, or connector device, which will secure your final restoration to your dental implant. 

Final Restoration

After two weeks of healing following abutment placement, we can take impressions of your smile and design your customized restoration. Depending upon your needs, we can place a dental crown, bridge, or denture, to restore full form and function to your smile.

We can review each step of the procedure prior to surgery to ensure you feel comfortable and confident in our services.

Recovery After Dental Implant Surgery

To ensure a smooth recovery after dental implant surgery. we recommend patients:

• Set aside plenty of time to rest for the first few days after the procedure.
• Stock their pantry with soft, nutritious foods. You should maintain a soft foods diet for the first day or two following surgery so as not to disrupt the surgical site.
• Apply ice packs or cold compresses to the outer jawbone, alternating in 20-minute increments. This can help reduce swelling and bruising.
• Take an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory for the first few days.

We can provide you with detailed post-operative care to help you achieve a comfortable recovery.

Begin Planning Your Dental Implant Surgery

At our practice, we are dedicated to helping you achieve optimal oral health and a fully functional smile. To find out if dental implant treatment is right for you, call us at (301) 963-4330 or contact us online.