False Teeth - Making the Right Choices

How to Increase Your Chances of Having Your Dental Implants Be Successful

If you need to have dental implants, there are a few things you can do to ensure that your dental implants are successful and that additional work is not needed. Here is what you can do to make sure that everything goes well. 

#1: Make Sure You Choose the Right Type of Professional

When having dental implants done, instead of going to your regular dentist, you should go to a specialist. There are a couple of different types of dental specialists that specialize in dental implants; the type of specialist you need depends upon your dental history. 

If you have an uncomplicated dental history, you may want to go to an implantologist. An implantologist is a dentist who has taken extra courses in order to learn how to perfect dental-implantation techniques. If your dental implant is really routine, an implantologist may be the best dental specialist for you.

If you have either had gum problems before or have suffered any bone loss around your teeth, you may want to go to a periodontist instead of an implantologist. A periodontist has the same dental-implant training as an implantologist; however, periodontists have also received additional in-depth training regarding tissue structure in the mouth. This additional training will help them work around any gum or bone loss that you have suffered.

Finally, if you do not want to be awake at all for the procedure or suffer anxiety over dental procedures, you may want to go to an oral surgeon. An oral surgeon will have the training needed to successful perform a dental implant and will also have the training and supplies necessary to fully sedate you for the procedure. 

#2: Don't Rush the Process

When getting dental implants, it is vital that you don't rush the process. Although you can get a permanent crown shortly after a titanium implant screw is put into your jaw, most dentists prefer that their patients allow the jawbone to adjust to the screw and grow around it before they proceed with the placement of a permanent crown. This wait period allows your mouth to heal around the screw. Putting on a permanent crown too early will put additional pressure on the affected area, and this can slow down the healing process. 

To increase the success of your dental implant, make sure that the dentist you work with is willing to wait in between implanting the screw and putting on the permanent cap. 

#3: Take Care of Your New Implant

Once your implant is in place, the long-term success of your implant rests on you. It is vital that you brush and floss your teeth on a daily basis as well as visit your dentist for your biannual checkup and cleaning. 

It is also important that you don't engage in activities and habits that will damage your teeth, such as smoking or grinding your teeth. If you currently engage in habits that could decrease your dental health, work with your doctor and dentist on breaking these habits. 


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