Am I A Good Candidate For Dental Implants?
In a perfect world, everyone would be eligible for dental implants. However, at Just Smiles General, Cosmetic, and Implant Dentistry in Westerville, we acknowledge that some conditions can make it more complicated for the implant to join connect to the bone.
In order to properly ascertain your eligibility for a dental implant, our team always follows a specific set of steps.
- Our team conducts an extensive analysis of your jaw, teeth, and gums.
- By relying on the most advanced scanning technology, we analyze the bone structure in your jaw and determine whether it is sufficient enough to support an implant.
- Throughout the entire procedure, as well as every step of the process, we monitor your gums and teeth. This step is crucial in ensuring that your body is reacting positively to your implant.
- If, after our analysis, we determine that your dental and oral conditions make you ineligible, we can discuss options to strengthen jaw structure before we proceed with your restoration.
Whatever your particular issues are, we make space for them. Whether you suffer from advanced periodontal disease, have recently dealt with dental trauma, are recovering from a mouth injury, or have noticed that your teeth are aging and weakening, dental implants can give you a fresh start and a fulfilled life.
How To Prepare For Dental Implants
We suggest that all potential implant patients maintain a rigorous brushing and flossing regimen every day, regardless of the situation. However, this is especially crucial in the days before an implant procedure. Avoiding decay and any other dental issues is crucial to reducing the risk of your jaw and tooth structure shifting before you visit us for your procedure.
- We recommend brushing 2-3 times a day; and be thorough!
- Reduce your consumption of starchy or sugary foods; you don’t want to weaken the area that has to maintain and support your restoration.
- Don’t forget to floss a few times each day. This helps prevent bits of for from becoming lodged between your teeth. This can accelerate decay and cause conditions like gum disease.
In short, you want to avoid altering the state of your smile between your preliminary analysis and your implant appointment. If it does, your eligibility could become ineligibility very quickly, even after your initial consult. So, keep taking care of that smile!
Keep stress as minimal as possible. The anxiety from an implant procedure can be overbearing. At times, it can even make you put it off for fear of pain and discomfort. To counteract this, keep in mind that, by reinforcing your teeth and jaw, you are investing in your future. Implant technology is the most advanced in modern dentistry, and restorations like these have a success rate of over 90%. With them, you can restore your confidence, bite force, and cosmetic consistency.
In order to soothe your nerves before your dental implant procedure, you might want to:
- Play calming music, either at your residence or on the car ride over
- Meditate and take deep breaths
- Read more about our (LINK) sedation options.
Dental Implant Aftercare
The dental implant process at Just Smiles General, Cosmetic, and Implant Dentistry in Westerville is multi-faceted, and each step includes a lot of rest and healing. If you have recently-installed restorations, our hygienists recommend a routine of gentle brushing and avoiding hard, brittle foods.
If there are any exposed wounds in your mouth, food debris can become lodged in your gums. This, in turn, can lead to infected and swollen gum tissue around your restoration. After every implant dentistry procedure, our team will help you design a customized aftercare routine that is specifically tailored to your dental needs.
What Makes A Good Candidate For dental Implants?
First things first: if you’re not eligible, it’s not the end of the world! During your consult with us, we analyze any obstacles to your eligibility and present you with various solutions to address them. Our team has compiled a series of general eligibility requirements for an implant. Check them out below!
- Good Overall Dental Health: Though a bit general, patients with few cavities, minor gaps or cracks in their teeth, and overall healthy smiles have a higher chance than their counterparts of being eligible for dental implants.
- Required Bone Structure: If you have a solid amount of remaining bone and enamel, your jaw is more likely to support dental implants.
- Healthy Gums: If you keep your gums healthy by flossing often, you will see significantly less gum recession. This gives you a higher chance of successfully supporting dental implants.
- A Commitment to Regular Care: Maintaining a dental implant requires consistent care. This applies at home and in the dental office.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: How many teeth can dental implants replace?
- A: A single dental implant can restore one or two cracked, broken, or missing teeth. If you need more help, (LINK) whole mouth dental implants can replace an entire arch, whether it’s the upper arch or lower arch. We can even replace both, for a brand-new smile!
- Q: After my procedure, can I chew normally?
- A: Dental implants will give you back your bite force in full. Following your healing period, you will be able to eat and chew whatever you desire.
- Q: How long does the whole process take?
- A: On average, it takes 2-3 months to complete a dental implant. Plenty of time is allotted to healing. This, of course, is different depending on the patient and on the restoration. This time frame also doesn’t include the eligibility analysis, or any procedures we might have to perform in order to prepare you for your dental implant.
- Q: How long do dental implants last?
- A: Provided they are properly cared for, implants will remain in place for decades. They could even last a lifetime! The best way to ensure longevity is a healthy brushing and flossing routine.
- Q: How much pain should is involved in a dental implants procedure?
- A: Though the procedure does take quite a few steps, we will minimize any discomfort you might expect from your treatment. If you’re hesitant about your procedure due to the possibility of pain, check out our (LINK) sedation options.
- Q: How much do implants cost?
- A: Since every situation is different, this one doesn’t have just one answer. However, our team will sit down with you during your appointment to discuss our financing options to make sure the treatment fits your budget and needs. Read more about those options and all necessary financial information (LINK) here!
