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What You Need to Know About Dental Implants
Dental implants are essentially artificial replacements for damaged or missing teeth, or to correct other dental issues. It can be hard to live with missing teeth, but fortunately there is a solution. Implants correct missing teeth without using dentures or bridgework. Below are five important things to know about when considering dental implants.
Implants are flexible
Whether you’re missing one tooth or several teeth, dental implants are customized to meet the needs of your specific condition. While dental implants prices vary based on scope and complexity, a dental implant plan can be made just for you. The implants are made to fit your mouth perfectly and will create a perfectly natural smile.
Dental Implants consist of three parts
The three parts of implants are the fixture, the abutment and the dental prosthetic. The fixture is like a screw that is surgically implanted into your jawbone–it’s essentially an artificial root for your new teeth. The abutment connects the fixture to the prosthetic. The dental prosthetic is the part of the implant that’s seen and looks exactly like a real tooth. There are many different options for these three parts, which affect dental implants cost. McKenzie Family Dental in Hannibal, Missouri, can walk you through the options to find the best one for you.
What to expect from the procedure
The first step to getting dental implants is to undergo a comprehensive exam, including x-rays, to have a full understanding of what implants are needed. At McKenzie Family Dental we take special care to make sure you understand the entire process and what to expect. Once your implant plan has been established, the next step is a surgery to implant the fixture. After surgery, you’ll go through a healing phase before finally being fitted with the abutment and dental prosthetic.
The time it takes to get dental implants
Of course, the time it takes to get implants depends on your specific needs. A dentist who offers implants near you can help you with an assessment. Generally speaking, one fixture can take around 30 minutes to install with more time if more teeth or work are needed. There might be the need for regular visits to your dentist to adjust and configure your implants. The entire process could take as little as six months, but could take more depending on your implants.
How to speed up the healing process
After surgery, you can typically expect around three months to heal. However, there are things you can do to help promote healing. Probably the most important thing you can do is to avoid any hard foods that may damage the implants while they’re healing. Smoking tobacco can slow down the healing process, so it’s best not to smoke while recovering from dental implant surgery.
If you have missing teeth or another condition that could be helped by dental implants, the first step is to get in touch with an experienced dentist that specializes in dental implants. McKenzie Family Dental has years of experience and countless happily smiling patients who chose us for their implants.
Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we can help you get the smile you deserve.
