The idea of getting dental implants probably brings mixed emotions with it. In one sense, you should be very happy and relieved at the prospect of permanently filling that gap between your teeth. A missing tooth does more than just grab the attention of whoever you’re talking to as soon as you open your mouth; it also creates an opportunity for bacteria and pathogens to infect your gums, and then the rest of your teeth, much more easily. It’s very important to get that gap filled with a temporary or permanent prosthetic as soon as possible to preserve your oral health and, of course, your beautiful smile.
The other emotion you may be feeling, though, is probably anxiety. Not knowing how much discomfort to expect and not knowing exactly what’s going to happen in the process can keep you awake at night worrying about whether you really want to move forward with your plans to get dental implants. From your dentist in Raleigh, NC, here are some answers to help put your mind at ease.
Make an appointment today for gentle, expert dental care.
Initial Visit
At your first appointment with us Dr. Eric Ladimer and his team will conduct a thorough exam, complete with X-rays and photos of your dental structure, to determine exactly what your needs are. Of course, that also includes having a conversation with you and finding out what your expectations are. We want to know about any concerns you have, what you might be worried about, or any other health factors that we should know about as we plan out the process of building and installing your dental implants in Raleigh, NC. This is the ideal time to get all of your dental implants questions and answers out of the way, making sure the rest of the process is streamlined as much as possible.
Oral Surgery
The next step in the dental implants process is to prepare the site and place the implant itself. This is done by an oral surgeon, and we work with only the best here in the Raleigh area! Your oral surgery team works carefully to extract a tooth if needed, make the appropriate changes to the jawbone structure, and graft the post for the implant directly to the bone. This is the most delicate, time-intensive, and important part of the process.
It takes four to six months for your jaw and the rest of your mouth to “get used to” the implant’s presence and to heal from the surgery. After that, it’s time for you to return to our office for the final step—building the permanent restoration that the rest of the world will see.
Entrust your major oral procedure to only the best surgeons available.
Permanent Restoration
The permanent prosthesis that will be attached to your newly installed dental implant is a combination of science and art. On one hand, it needs to made of extremely durable materials so that it will withstand all the activities of normal life without wearing down more quickly than your natural teeth. But of course you also want your brand new tooth to match the rest of your teeth in appearance, blending in perfectly and creating a cohesive, great-looking smile that you can be proud of.
The technology that we use in our office to build crowns and other permanent restorations is incredibly advanced. Dr. Eric Ladimer will use images of your mouth and specialized mapping software to design a crown that uniquely matches the rest of your teeth, and that allows you to enjoy a normal-looking, normal-feeling dental structure—perhaps for the first time in a long while.
Follow-Up
If there’s one thing our patients know here at New Hope Dental Care, it’s that our team has their back. After having dental implants installed, our patients can contact us any time to ask us questions about care or to make an appointment with us if something doesn’t seem to be going quite right and needs to be looked at. We’ll help you out with all the advice, materials, and guidance that you need to enjoy great oral health for the rest of your life.