Preparing for Dental Implants: What to Know and Expect

The process of getting dental implants is a journey that typically lasts the better part of a year. You’ll have to spend a few months, in most cases, giving your new implants time to heal. But before you even have your dental implants placed, you and your dentist will spend a good amount of time preparing for them. Take a look at some of the things you should expect when preparing for dental implants, along with some points you’ll want to consider.

Setting Expectations: Consultations and Exams

Dental implants have such a high rate of success due in large to the efforts of dentists and oral surgeons during the consultation and examination stages. During these stages, your dentist will work to determine your candidacy for dental implants. To do this, your dentist will take 3D scans of your mouth to determine if you have enough bone density and mass in your jaws.

Ensuring Success: Supporting Procedures

Not all candidates for dental implants are good candidates at first. For those who aren’t, there’s a lot a good dentist can do to significantly improve your candidacy.

Bone grafting is one of the most impactful of the supporting procedures for dental implants. This procedure entails taking bone material from a donor source and placing it in areas of the jaw where the bones have deteriorated. Over the following few months, the graft is accepted by the bone and regenerates new bone tissue.

The Big Day: Implant Placement

It’ll come and go in an instead, seemingly. Even for a full set of dental implants, the procedure can typically be done in one appointment. You’ll receive a local anesthetic to numb your entire mouth, ensure you feel zero discomfort as your dentist drills pilot holes as sockets to place your new implants in.

Healing: Nearing the Finish Line

For the strongest of dental implant patients, options like TeethXPress® enable them to get temporary teeth in as little as 48 hours after placement. For those who weren’t quite as strong, they may have to wear dentures for a few months while the implants heal.

You’ll have to check in with your dentist a few times during this period to ensure that healing is on track. But in roughly four months after placement, you’ll be ready for your permanent restorations.

More on Dental Implants in Walnut Creek, CA

Take a moment to schedule a consultation with a local dentist to learn more about your options for getting dental implants in Walnut Creek, CA.