An overview of the steps involved in a dental implant surgery

Improper treatment of the teeth during the growth years of an individual or an injury that leads to loss of teeth can leave one with no choice but to get a dental implant. If a cavity goes unattended, it can lead to complete decay and loss of the tooth. This can be another reason to get a dental implant. In a few cases, the teeth may be lost due to old age, because of which senior patients may need to get dental implants. The costs of such a dental implant can be covered under individual dental insurance plans for senior citizens. There are many other reasons for which someone would have to get a dental implant. Getting a dental implant can feel like a painful affair, so let’s look at the procedure in detail.

Preliminary Steps

Consultation
The first step of a getting a dental implant is to consult your dentist and surgeon for their advice on the type of dental implant that will be required. It is also important for the surgeon and dentist to work in tandem to achieve a successful dental implant. The consultation is followed by an evaluation of the patient’s dental condition. This evaluation includes x-rays of the head, jaws, and teeth, and a medical questionnaire that gives the doctors an idea of the patient’s allergies, medication, and other health problems.

Gum or jawbone reconstruction
This step is commonly seen during senior dental implants. It is required when a lack of bone or gum tissue becomes an obstacle to the implant surgery. In such a case, the surgeon is required to perform a gingival or a bone graft that allows the restoration of adequate levels of bone or gum tissue. This step will require the patient to wait for a while before continuing with the other steps of the dental implant.

Surgery Procedure for Dental Implant

Placement of dental implant
This step of the implant can be performed at the dentist’s clinic with the help of local anesthesia. The first step is to make an incision in the gum and expose the jawbone in the spot where the implant will be placed. A small hole is created in the jawbone without affecting the neighboring nerves and sinuses. The dental implant is then placed into this hole, under the gums and at the same level as the bone. Post this, there is a breathing period which allows the jawbone to fuse with the implant and also allows the gums to heal from the incision.

Placing the abutment
Once the incision has healed and the jawbone has enveloped the implant, an abutment is placed on each side of the dental implants. This abutment is where the crown will be attached later. There are two types of abutments – a) cover screw abutment: this is buried into the gums and then closed with stitches after it is attached to the implant and b) healing abutment: this passes through the mucosa and the surrounding mucosa adapts around it.

Artificial teeth
Once all the steps are complete, the dentist will install a crown, bridge, or denture – an artificial prosthesis – on the abutment of the dental implant. This prosthesis is made in the lab with the help of dental models and pictures of the patient’s jaw. The patient will be required to make more than one visit to the dentist as the crown must fit perfectly to promote smooth movement of the jaw and efficiency in chewing food.