The dental implant process is quickly gaining a reputation for achieving beautiful results for all of our teeth restoration patients. Our patients love their dental implants because they provide comfortable and stable restorations that work and feel just like natural teeth. With results that are this great, it’s no wonder that more and more of our current and prospective patients suffering from missing teeth are asking questions about the dental implant process. To answer these many questions, Dr. Anthony Dailley is blogging today from Berkeley, CA to give a general overview of the dental implant process and what each step of it entails.
What To Expect With The Dental Implant Process
The dental implant process is a straightforward method for restoring missing teeth. In fact, the process can be broken down into four steps, which include:
Consultation
Every journey to a beautiful restored smile begins with a consultation with Dr. Anthony Dailley at his Berkeley, CA office. During your consultation, the doctor will perform a thorough examination to determine whether or not you might be a good candidate for treatment with dental implants. He may also recommend a supplementary procedure, such as bone grafting, if you lack the foundation needed to support implants.
Procedure
During your procedure, Dr. Dailley will make a small incision on your gums, exposing your jawbone. An implant fixture will then be placed in the empty space left by your missing tooth, and the area will then be stitched up for healing. At this point, Dr. Dailley may attach an abutment and temporary replacement crown to your implant fixture. However, it is not unusual to wait until after the recovery period before attaching anything to the implant fixture.
Recovery
The recovery period is the most important part of the dental implant process, as this is when osseointegration occurs. Osseointegration is the process of your implant fixture being accepted by your jawbone and gums as a natural part of your oral anatomy. This process is possible because dental implants are made from titanium, a metal that the body doesn’t recognize as a foreign material. Osseointegration is the reason your implants will work and feel just like your natural teeth.
Replacement
Once your implant fixture has had enough time to heal, you will return to our office to have your replacement crown attached. Our crowns are custom made for each patient based on scans we take of their remaining natural teeth. This ensures that once your dental implants are in place, no one will be able to tell the difference between your natural and artificial teeth.
Call and Schedule a Consultation in Berkeley, CA
While it is true that the dental implant process tends to take longer to complete than other restoration treatments, the benefits that are exclusive to dental implants make up for it. Only dental implants are capable of providing replacement teeth that are permanent and comfortable, and any extra time needed to complete the process is worth it. If you would like to learn more about the dental implant process or the benefits that come with it, we encourage you to contact us and schedule a no-obligation consultation with Dr. Andrew Dailley today.