Finding your confidence often begins with something as simple as your smile. It might be that your smile is lacking because of something caused by an injury or an existing problem with your teeth and/or gums. This is when it could be advantageous to get dental implants to repair your confidence.
Dental implants are great for helping you fix something that may be wrong with your teeth or gums and help repair that much-beloved smile of yours. You may be old or young, but you still want to make sure you are going into the procedure with enough information that it goes smoothly. Here are some things to keep in mind before getting dental implants.
How Much It Costs
Naturally, with any kind of procedure, you are going to be considering the cost. If you are wondering how much do dental implants cost, you are going to need to consider a few things, such as the extent of the procedure (ex. How much work do you need to be done). You should also consider the experience and expertise of a periodontist or practitioner. You need to figure out how much you need to pay out of pocket and how much of it can be covered by your insurance.
Ensuring You Are Ready
If you are considering dental implants, you want to be sure that you are in good standing to receive the procedure and ensure it goes off without a hitch. There are some important indicators that you may qualify for the procedure, and they can include:
- No smoking of tobacco
- Healthy oral hygiene
- Enough bone to secure the implant(s)
- No underlying health conditions that can impact the healing of the bones
- Understand the importance of recovery and oral maintenance
Knowing that you meet these criteria can make the procedure go much smoother and will give your periodontist/practitioner much more secure knowing they can get the operation done.
What Type of Implants You Need
There are two general types of dental implants: removable and non-removable. The removable type is more commonly referred to as Implant Overdentures or “Snap-On Dentures”, and you probably know someone who has them. Non-removable dental implants, otherwise known as fixed implants, which are the ones you are likely thinking about receiving, get placed inside the mouth, and as the name suggests, do not move. They often replace a tooth but can replace multiple teeth if the procedure calls for it. It is good to get your mouth X-rayed and imaged so your periodontist can see what extent it will take to give you dental implants.
How Long Recovery Time Will Take
The procedure will take multiple steps until you can finally reach the end phase of recovery, so it is important to follow the advice for the in-between periods of recovery. Removing the damaged tooth or teeth is the first step, followed by grafting of the jaw, dental implanting, and allowing for bones to heal and grow. This takes quite a while, months in fact, to get through all of the steps because it is not a one-shot procedure that can be done quickly. This also means continuous care by keeping the mouth clean and the like. Understanding that this is a complicated procedure that takes a while should be accounted for and should make you carve out enough time in your schedule to adequately allow for recovery.
Possible Risks
No procedure is without risks and the most common that occurs during oral procedures is the risk of infection. When teeth are removed and bone is manipulated, there is a higher risk for infection because of exposure. This means you need to be vigilant with washing out open wounds, as per your periodontists’ requests. Swelling can occur in the gums too, along with pain, bruising, and some minor bleeding. These are normal, but if your mouth becomes infected or you experience serious pain, consult with them immediately to rectify the situation.
Finding a Good Practitioner
Finally, you want to know how good of a practitioner you are getting to do this procedure. If you are dealing with teeth, bone, and gum problems, you most likely already have a periodontist you trust, but if you don’t your dentist may be able to recommend you one. Similarly, do your research online and read patient reviews to see who might be best for you.
Dental implants can be the pathway to enjoying your smile and repairing your oral health, so using this guide, you can see what kinds of things you want to keep in mind before getting any operation done.
