If you are thinking about having dental implants, you are probably aware that this process can take quite a while. Just how long depends on your overall general health, the health of your jawbone and how many implants you need to replace how many teeth.
The best thing to do is to understand what the process is like and this article aims to give you a general overview of what you will be letting yourself in for on your journey to the restoration of fully functional teeth. With this information to hand you will be able to ask more intelligent questions when you visit a reputable implant provider such as Polwarth Dental Clinic in Edinburgh.
Getting Started
Every implant journey starts with a thorough examination and consultation to assess your oral and jawbone health. You need to be in good oral health to have dental implants, so your dentist will probably suggest you have any other important issues dealt with first. These issues include gum disease, misaligned teeth, the removal of other failing teeth, and, on a happier note, cosmetic concerns. If you want to have teeth whitening done in the future, then do it before you have implants so that the dentist can match the colour of the implants crowns to your whiter teeth. Once in place, implant crowns cannot be made lighter with teeth whitening procedures.
You may also have to have more significant preparatory work if the dentist finds that your jawbone has lost density and size. This happens when the teeth have been missing for a while and there has not been enough stimulation to keep the bone cells renewing. It can often be solved these days with bone grating or sinus lifting to replace the missing bone tissue.
Another delay to implant surgery may come from your lifestyle. If you have out of control type 2 diabetes you may be refused surgery. Similarly, if you are a smoker. Both of these issues can prevent your implants from integrating properly with your jawbone. Both are resolvable, if you have the discipline to take your eating or your smoking in hand.
Once all these issues are sorted out, you will be ready for implant surgery and a new life.
