What Should I Know Before Having Dental Implant Surgery?
If you are out there and you’ve lost either one or more of your teeth, you should consider going for a dental implant surgery near you.
What Is an Implant?
Dental implants are surgical components acting as tooth roots that are fused with a person’s skull bone or jaw to develop a system of support for the placement of a bridge, crown, or denture. They are a new development in the field of dentistry used to address various oral issues. Unlike crowns or bridges, implants are long-lasting and have a strong foundation saving you the cost of going for replacements after a few years as in the case of crowns. Also, they will feel and look more like your natural teeth.
Although implants provide a solution for people with missing teeth, some patients have fears and still doubt the effectiveness of this treatment. Fortunately, there exist some pre-options anxieties that can be adapted to facilitate optimal recovery.
What Should Patients Do Before an Implant Surgery?
Bay Premier Dentistry is a facility that offers this procedure, among many more. Please book an appointment with us and get your implant at an affordable cost. It will help if you are prepared to quit some habits and adopt new changes in your eating lifestyle until completely healed.
For successful implant surgery, some tests have to be done. The tests help to lower the risks involved in the placement procedure, thus increasing the chances of a successful operation. Below are examples of the tests you will have to undertake:
- Mouth Examination
During an oral examination, your dentist will check the condition of your gum ridge, which is to determine the size and position of your implant. The dentist shall be looking for signs that may indicate tooth decay, biting anomalies, and gum disease.
If any of the above problems are detected, it has to be treated first before proceeding any further with treatment. If left untreated, an illness such as gum disease can easily cause the supporting bone to break, and in a worst-case scenario, it may infect the implant too. When the implants become infected, you risk losing it just as you would lose your natural tooth.
As for patients with bruxism, it would be of importance that such parafunction is corrected as it can cause issues with the dental implants.
- Blood Test
A blood test is one of the most pre-operative tests because it enables practitioners to detect systematic diseases like diabetes or hypertension, which are possible risk factors. Any of the mentioned diseases is likely to interfere with your implant.
- CT Examination
A computer tomography scan reveals cross-sectional images that give information on the exact height and position of your bone, thus determining the size of your implant.
- An X-ray
Sufficient bone structure and adequate thickness are one of the main factors that contribute to successful implant surgery. If the bone tissue is not enough, your dentist may suggest a PRP treatment or applying an artificial bone to make the implant more stable. In such a case, bone grafting and augmentation procedures have to be carried out before the implant is placed.
An x-ray examination is used to determine the volume of your bone.
What You Should Not Do If You Are Scheduled for Implant Surgery
- Cosmetic dentists in Tampa, FL, emphasize the importance of not taking any alcoholic drink the day before your surgery as it may interfere with the effectiveness of the anesthesia.
- Do not drink or eat for the next 6 hours before your surgery, especially if sedation is scheduled for the operation.
- If your doctor gives you an antibiotic, please take it at the time scheduled. If you are allergic to any drug, make sure to tell your dental practitioner.
Post-surgery Tips
- After surgery, patients are advised to get enough rest to allow the body to recover. Some people may opt to go for exercise, which is discouraged as it can cause throbbing or bleeding.
- Avoid lifting, bending, or other activities that can result in increased swelling, bleeding, and pain.
- Use ice packs to reduce the swelling on your face.