Many men and women in Peoria who have loose, diseased, or missing teeth, visit our doctors every year to discuss their tooth replacement options. For most, the solution to these problems is the placement of dental implants. But what is involved in this process? We understand that you’ll have many questions, and the thing you can do to know what you can expect for your dental implant procedure is to visit our doctors for a personalized treatment plan. But in this blog, we will go over what you can generally expect—from your initial consultation to your recovery—when getting dental implants placed at Associated Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons in Peoria.
Your Dental Implants Consultation
To start your journey with dental implants, you will first visit our doctors for an initial, one-on-one consultation at our Peoria office. During this appointment, our doctors will fully evaluate your oral health, take any needed X-rays, images, or impressions, talk to you about the dental implants process, and answer any questions you may have. They will then work with you to develop a treatment plan to suit your individual needs.
The Surgical Process
After you have met with one of our doctors and the two of you have determined that dental implants are the recommended option to replace your affected tooth or teeth, you will then schedule your first appointment.
For patients with gum or jawbone resorption, this could mean the first step of your surgical process will involve one or more pre-surgeries. Dr. Busch, Dr. Otte, or Dr. Schroeder may need to perform a bone graft for those who have insufficient jawbone for dental implants, a gum graft for those who have damaged or diseased gums, or a sinus lift for those whose sinus cavities are too low to receive upper dental implants. Before you are able to move forward with your dental implants process, you will be required to heal completely from your pre-surgery.
The next step in the surgical process to receive dental implants is the implantation of the dental implants themselves. Your doctor will surgically place your dental implants into your jawbone, through the gum line. Again, you will be required to fully heal before moving on to the next step of the surgical process, but you will be fitted with temporary crowns during this recovery time.
Finally, after your jawbone has fused to the dental implants, you will return to our Peoria office a final time to have the abutments placed on top of the steel posts. The abutments are an extension of the dental implants and provide a place for your new prosthetic teeth to set. Once more, you will need to heal for a short period of time before your permanent crowns can be placed. (There are times when abutments can be placed at the same time as the dental implant, but this decision will be made on a case-to-case basis.)
Your Final Recovery
During every phase of the dental implant surgical process, you will have a time of healing. While this time, our doctors will provide you with detail instructions that you should follow to ensure complete and complication-free healing. For instance, be sure to eat only soft foods for several days after every step, maintain proper oral hygiene throughout the process, and avoid lifting heavy objects or exercising until your doctor has cleared you to do so.
Call AOS Oral Surgeons Today!
If you’re ready to learn more about how dental implants can change your life, call our office in Peoria today to schedule your initial consultation.
You can reach a member of our friendly team by calling (309) 326-9250.
