Your dental implant consultation is your opportunity to discuss this smile-restoring treatment from start to finish with your dentist. There, he and your dental team will go into greater detail about the surgery, prosthetics, and even the recovery period. They’ll also provide a thorough oral health exam and review your medical history, and you’ll be able to ask any questions you may have about the treatment and process.
In that spirit, here are five common things patients ask about dental implant surgery, and the answers you need to make an informed decision about restoring your beautiful smile with these life-changing prosthetics!
How Long Will My Dental Implants Last?
Dental implants are the only permanent tooth replacement option available today. In fact, with proper care and use, they should ideally last a lifetime. Unlike dentures or dental bridges, they are attached to your jawbone and should not come out on their own, nor should they break or become damaged. However, to ensure they don’t fail, you’ll still need to care for them properly with regular brushing, flossing, and visits to the dentist. You should also avoid smoking, using them as tools, and eating anything too hard or crunchy like hard candies or ice cubes.
How Should I Clean My Dental Implants?
The great news is that cleaning your dental implant crowns, bridges, or dentures doesn’t require any significant investment or special care. In fact, you can use the same toothbrush, non-abrasive toothpaste, and dental floss you’d use on your real teeth. Just be sure to brush twice a day, floss daily, and visit the dentist every six months.
If you have removable implant dentures, be sure to take them out twice a day for cleaning. Your dentist will provide you with more detailed instructions once you receive your prosthetic but maintaining them will still be much easier and more convenient than it is for traditional dentures!
How Successful Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants boast an incredible 95 percent success rate, even ten years after placement. However, to increase the odds of yours lasting a lifetime, be sure to take excellent care of your smile with regular brushing, flossing, and dental visits, as well as avoiding bad oral habits like smoking, nail biting, and teeth grinding. If you do grind your teeth or play sports, talk to your dentist about getting a custom bite guard or mouthguard made.
Can I Still Smoke After Dental Implant Surgery?
Smoking or using tobacco products like chew or vapes is discouraged with dental implants. Not only will they increase your risk of heart disease and cancer, but they can also increase your odds of dental implant failure and slow the healing process after surgery.
When Can I Get My New Teeth?
After your first dental implant surgery, you’ll need to wait until the posts have permanently attached to your jawbone via the process of osseointegration. This typically takes between three and six months, although it could be more or less depending on your individual oral health.
Once your jaw has healed, you’ll then need to have your abutments placed. This small surgical procedure takes a few weeks to recover from. While you’re healing from that, your prosthetics (in the form of crowns, bridges, or a denture) will be manufactured and sent to your dentist to be attached to the abutments. Then, you’ll return one last time for placement and can immediately begin using your new teeth that same day!
Remember, while it’s normal to have many questions about the dental implant process, your dentist wants you to be completely comfortable before you make your choice. Thus, don’t hesitate to ask him anything, whether you think he’s heard it a thousand times before or not!
About Our Practice
At Jacksonville Dental Specialists, we are proud to offer durable, lifelike dental implants! While we know this incredible treatment has the potential to change your life, it’s understandable that you might have a few questions about it. To learn more about how these permanent prosthetics could give you back your beautiful, pain-free smile, schedule a consultation with us today by visiting our website or calling 904-683-4781.