Dental implant surgery is one way to restore your smile and improve your oral health. Dental implants replace lost teeth with natural-looking prosthetics. The crown or denture plate attaches to a metal rod implanted in your jaw. Most people with healthy gums and jaws qualify for dental implants. At Lovett Dental Sharpstown, our experienced dental team can answer your questions about the procedures.
Benefits of Dental Implant Surgery
Dental implant surgery often involves multiple procedures and dental visits. It has quite a few benefits over traditional tooth replacement, such as dental dentures and crowns.
Here are a few of the advantages that come with this specialized oral surgery:
- Permanent dentures supported by dental implants do not move around as regular dentures do. This means that you are less likely to cut your mouth.
- They also act like natural teeth making it easier to eat. Since you can eat nutritious foods again, you may see an overall health improvement.
- You don’t need adhesives after dental implant surgery. This can give you more confidence in your smile.
- Implant-supported dentures preserve your bone density. Because they fuse with the bone, implants stimulate bone growth. Traditional dentures change the shape of your face and contribute to bone loss.
Recovery from Oral Surgery for Implants
Dental implant surgery feels like a tooth extraction to some people. However, the healing process takes a few months. You can expect the anesthesia to last a couple of hours. The stitches dissolve within two weeks.
Dentists compare implant placement surgery recovery to what it’s like after tooth extraction. Upper teeth heal more slowly and take longer to fuse with the bone. During osseointegration, new bone forms. The doctor verifies whether bone tissue has adhered to the implant. Typically, this takes five to seven months.
Factors Affecting Dental Implant Surgery
Every patient heals at their own pace. So, it’s hard to predict how long your recovery will take. Here are some of the factors that influence your recovery time:
- How many implants you get
- The location of the implant
- Oral hygiene
- Smoking
Good oral hygiene before and after dental implant surgery can facilitate healing. However, smoking slows down the healing process. That’s because nicotine constricts blood vessels without letting it reach the soft tissues in your mouth.
Failing to maintain good dental hygiene could cause the implant to fail. If the dentist has to extract a tooth or perform bone grafting, the healing timeline could last as long as one year.
Talk to your Lovett Dental Sharpstown surgeon to explain what factors could influence your recovery time. For example, if you’re replacing a single tooth, your recovery time will be shorter than someone who receives four dental implants to support a set of partial dentures.
Also, keep in mind that the lower jawbone heals more quickly than the upper jawbone. So, when you get a dental implant in your upper jaw, it could take longer to heal than one placed in your lower jaw.
Premier Oral Surgery and Other Services at Lovett Dental Sharpstown
Our general dentistry services include regular exams to keep your teeth healthy. The dentist provides cleanings and exams to keep your teeth healthy. You may also need a sealant to prevent cavities from worsening. Come to Lovett Dental Sharpstown for these and other preventive care dentistry services.
General, Cosmetic, and Specialty Dentistry at Lovett Dental Sharpstown
Lovett Dental Sharpstown is a one-stop dental clinic. We can replace a broken or cracked tooth or discuss cosmetic surgery such as veneers. Let us help you like what you see in the mirror when you smile. Contact us at 281-975-5560 with any questions you may have. Alternatively, you can schedule an appointment online to consult with the dent about implants.
