Restoring Your Smile – How Dental Implants Work

Missing teeth cause embarrassment and misery for many people who have lost them to dental decay or gum disease. Fortunately, today’s dentists offer great solutions like affordable dental implants. Because they look, feel, and function just like your natural teeth, dental implants can give you back your self-confidence and even allow you to enjoy favorite foods you’ve had to avoid because of chewing difficulties. Before you can have implants placed, your dentist in South Bend will need to determine if you have enough healthy bone and soft tissue to support them.

How are Implant Dentures Placed?
When a dental implant will replace a diseased tooth that is still in your mouth, your dentist, oral surgeon, or periodontist will remove it. Then, an anchor or small titanium screw and a post will be placed into your jawbone as a support for the crown or visible part of the implant. The post, or abutment, extends out of the screw. Some dentists place the post in a separate procedure. Before the new crown can be added, your jawbone must grow and fuse to the anchor; this usually takes three to six months. When it is firmly attached, your dentist will cement the crown in place.

What Should I Expect After Surgery?
Experiencing tenderness and some swelling after dental implant surgery is normal. Your dentist will provide pain medication, if needed. You may need to eat only soft foods for a short period of time after the procedure.

The best dental implants can last for decades, but just as with natural teeth, you must pay close attention to oral hygiene to keep them healthy. Unlike removable dentures, implants stay in your mouth. There is no need to remove them for cleaning.

Follow your dentist’s instructions carefully to avoid gum disease and bone loss around the implant site, and be sure to keep your follow-up appointments.

To learn about our family dentistry practice in South Bend, call The Dental Center of Indiana today or make an appointment.