Missing teeth can happen for a variety of reasons. Whether due to trauma, decay, or disease, the loss of teeth can have a significant impact on your life. If you have lost your adult teeth, you may benefit from dental implants. Implants are a long-lasting, durable, and highly dependable solution to replace missing teeth and restore form and function to your mouth. They are becoming the preferred choice of our patients over alternatives such as bridges or dentures.

Dental implants are posts that are placed in the bones of the jaw. If you are considering this procedure, here are the details on what happens before, during, and after your procedure.

Before

During your first appointment, we will conduct our initial consultation to determine if you are a candidate for implants. The ideal patient for dental implants has a mouth free of disease and has an adequate amount of bone structure to support the implant. Many who do not sufficient bone structure are be able to undergo a bone graft procedure to become eligible for dental implants. If we determine implants will work for you, scans are also taken to prepare for the implant placement.

During

You will be in a sterile environment and your mouth thoroughly disinfected for your implant procedure. Once the area is profoundly numb, the implant will be placed into the jaw. Once the implant is securely in place it can be topped with a temporary restoration. At this point, the implant is left to heal through a process called osseointegration. During osseointegration, the jawbone grows around the implant, fusing together and allowing it to become part of the natural supporting structure for the mouth. When this happens, you can come back to the office for your permanent restoration. Many of our patients comment that it was easier than a filling or that they felt nothing and once the freezing comes out.

After

Once your implant has healed and you are fitted with your permanent tooth, you will be able to enjoy your brand new smile. Dental implants allow you to speak, bite, and chew the same as you do with natural teeth.

If you are in the Calgary area and would like to learn more about dental implants, call us today to schedule a consultation.