Getting dental implants fitted takes time and resources, but most people find the benefits of dental implants in Camden are worth the effort. Patients can expect the process to take several weeks, if not months, to complete.
There are four stages to getting dental implants in Camden, and the trick is to find a dental surgeon with plenty of experience in fitting them. Various dentists in the area offer this tooth restoration method, including Ace Dental.
1. Assessment
Arguably the most important part of the process. The dentist carefully examines the patient’s jaw and health history to find out if they will be capable of sustaining dental implants, which require dense, strong bone to bed into. Dentists use x-rays and CT scans to look at the jawbone, and also need to know about any history of smoking, diabetes, and gum disease, all of which can affect the success of implant surgery.
If the jawbone is not dense enough, the dentist may suggest treatments, such as bone grafts or sinus lifts to augment it, or the use of extra-long implants to anchor into the cheek bone.
2. Implant Surgery
This is done using a local anaesthetic, but patients are also offered sedation so that they can relax properly while the dentist cuts through the gum and drills a channel into the jawbone to accommodate the implant. It is then inserted, and the gum put back in place.
3. Osseointegration
Over the next several weeks, the titanium implant integrates with the jawbone, which is stimulated to grow new tissue over and around the implant, holding it tightly in place like a natural tooth.
4. Crown Fitting
The patient comes back and hand-crafted porcelain crowns are fitted onto the implant via an attachment called an abutment. One implant can hold up to three teeth on a bridge.
5. Aftercare
The main enemy of dental implants in Camden is gum disease, which can attack the bone holding the implants in place. A diligent twice-daily cleaning routine plus bi-annual hygienist sessions will keep normal gum disease at bay. If this is done, patients can expect their implants to last for at least 15 years, maybe even decades.
