If you’re faced with needing to replace a natural tooth, our Mesa, AZ dentist may recommend you get a dental implant as a lifelong solution. While the term may sound a bit intimidating, when you’re in the hands of a highly trained team of professionals, you can rest assured knowing that you’re getting the best possible treatment there is to offer.
Becoming familiar with the process of getting a dental implant may help put your mind at ease and give you a better understanding of what to expect.
Under doing a dental implant procedure isn’t a one-step process. Since there are a lot of components, it can take several visits, and there is a healing time between appointments before the entire procedure is complete.
Here’s a guide to help you become more familiar with getting a dental implant.
- Consultation
If you've become victim to needing to replace a natural tooth, the first thing we’ll need to do is an exam to determine if a dental implant is a viable solution.
Our Mesa, AZ dentist will examine your teeth and gums to check the status of your oral health. A CT scan X-ray will confirm if there’s enough room and bone for the implant, and make sure there are no nerves or other anatomy to work around.
If it's determined that you do in fact qualify for this procedure, we may have to order your implant or get a custom stent made to help ensure precise placement.
- Extraction/Bone graft
If your tooth is already missing, then you’ve lucked out and can likely skip this step. But if your tooth still needs to be removed then we may have to extract it first.
In some cases, we can take out the tooth and place the implant right away. Usually, this is with single-rooted teeth like the ones in the front and some premolars.
For a tooth that has multiple roots like a molar, or an area with a significant amount of infection, an extraction will be needed prior to placing the implant. Then time will be given for you to re-coop. Our Mesa, AZ implant dentist may choose to place bone grafting material within the sockets to help ensure more predictable results.
- Extraction Healing Time
Once the extraction and/or grafting is done your body will need time to heal. During the next 2-3 month period, the bone grafting material will integrate with your body's natural bone and produce a solid foundation for your new implant. You may periodically return to our dentist in Mesa for a quick visit to check the status of the bone via a digital x-ray.
- Placing Your Implant
When the big day comes, you’ll need to bring a driver with you and plan to be with us for a couple of hours. In the skilled hands of Dr. Vihn Huyn, you’ll undergo sedation and before you know it your implant will be set.
- Implant Integration Period
Though the dental implant has been placed within the bone, it will need time to integrate with its new surroundings before attaching a restorative crown (tooth) to it. Doing so prematurely may result in trauma to the area, loosening of the implant and other complications.
Think of it like a post in the ground, surrounded by cement. If you put force on that post and wiggle it around before the concrete is completely set, the post will always be loose and not sturdy enough to last.
As with the first integration period you’ll likely return every few weeks for us to x-ray the area and ensure that everything is healing properly. Once it’s determined that the implant is sturdy enough to withstand a crown, we will proceed to the final step.
- Scan and Crown Placement
A digital scan of your teeth will help us design and fabricate your custom crown. This procedure is simple and doesn’t require sedation, or even anesthesia. When you leave our office, you’ll have your new tooth in place and you’ll ready to take on the world!
Dental Implants in Mesa, AZ
If you’re missing a tooth or needed to get one replaced, the first step is to pick up the phone and call Eastport Dental. If you would like you can also book an appointment online using our contact form by clicking here. Our implant dentist will gladly sit with you to discuss your options, answer any questions, as well as address your concerns.
When you’re our patient, you’ll see why we’re the number one choice for implants in Mesa. Call today. We look forward to meeting you!