Dental implants are one of the most commonly performed oral surgery procedures at SF Oral Surgery. The process involves replacing a damaged tooth or teeth with a replacement crown anchored into the jawbone. Dental implants are generally considered to be more effective than dentures due to their increased durability and the fact that they require less daily maintenance than dentures, which makes implant dentistry a very popular choice for potential patients in San Francisco.
At its core, the implant dentistry process can be broken down into three stages: the initial consultation, the actual surgical procedure itself, and finally the post-procedure recovery phase.
The Initial Consultation
When a patient is considering implant dentistry, they must first undergo a consultation to make sure they are an eligible candidate for the procedure. This involves meeting with an oral surgeon, who will evaluate whether the patient has enough jawbone for the implant and also determine whether they are in good enough oral health to withstand the procedure. If it is determined that the patient does not have enough bone but is otherwise orally healthy enough to undergo the procedure, a procedure called a bone graft would be done to help additional bone grow in the appropriate area. Once it is determined there is enough bone, the next phase of the process will commence.
Dental Implant Surgery
As previously explained, having implant dentistry surgery involves anchoring an artificial crown to a patient’s jawbone. Depending on the recommendation of the patient’s oral surgeon, this procedure may be done in one or two visits, or it may end up taking longer.
Implant dentistry surgery is, like any other kind of operation, a complex process. The plan will be entirely dependent on both the patient’s oral health before and during the procedure and the results of your initial consultation as interpreted by the patient’s oral surgeon. Sometimes, the implant and the anchor must be placed on two separate visits, but if the implant is particularly stable, then the oral surgeon may be able to complete both portions of the surgery in one visit. No two implant dentistry cases are the same, and a patient should always default to the advice of their surgeon with regards to the planning of the surgery.
Post-Procedure Recovery
Once the patient has successfully undergone their dental implant surgical procedure, they can then begin the healing process. This will often take several weeks to finish completely, and the advice of the patient’s medical professional should be very much heeded regarding the optimal way to heal from the procedure. No two dental implant procedures are alike, and our experienced staff of medical professionals is always ready to answer your questions about the recovery process. We take great pride in putting our patients first, always.
If you have questions about the procedure, please contact our San Francisco-based office via either our website or by phone at (415) 776-6710.
