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When our many Toronto, ON area patients first hear about dental implants, they naturally begin to assume that the implant process is actually very complicated. After all, dental implants are capable of providing much greater results than what was previously possible using dental bridges and dentures. It’s only natural to assume that the process would be more complicated. However, we here at Christie Park Dental are happy to say that this is not the case. In fact, the dental implant process can be broken down into five simple steps. We encourage you to read on to learn more about the process that Dr. Andre Hughes will use to restore your beautiful smile.
Step 1: The Consultation
Before you can move forward with the dental implant process, you must first attend a consultation with Dr. Hughes in order to find out whether or not your oral health is fit for dental implants. During your consultation, the doctor will perform a thorough examination of your mouth in order to make sure that implants are the best option for your needs. This examination will also be used to determine whether or not you will need a supplemental procedure before your mouth will be healthy enough for implants.
Step 2: Supplemental Procedures
If your jaw structure is not strong enough to support implants, you may simply need a supplemental procedure first. Some patients have trouble with implants because their jawbone has deteriorated or their gums have receded. For these patients, we will use bone grafting or soft tissue augmentation to restore their jaw structure to the point where it will be able to provide the foundation needed for dental implants to succeed.
Step 3: The Implant Procedure
During the implant procedure, an implant fixture is placed in the empty spot left behind by your missing tooth, taking the place of your missing tooth root. Once in place, the area will then be stitched up so that it can properly heal moving forward. At this point, Dr. Hughes may choose to attach an abutment and temporary replacement tooth to your implant fixture. However, he may choose to wait until after the fixture has recovered before attaching anything to it.
Step 4: The Recovery Period
Once the implant fixture is in place, it will need about three to six months to recover. The reason why so much time is required is because it is during this recovery period that the process of osseointegration takes place. Osseointegration is an organic process that works to integrate your implant fixture into your oral anatomy, resulting in its acceptance by the jawbone as a natural tooth root. This process works with implants because titanium, which is the metal that dental implants are made from, is biocompatible with your bone, convincing your body that your implants are no different from natural tooth roots.
Step 5: The Restoration
The final step of the dental implant process is to have your new replacement teeth connected to your implant fixtures. The most common restoration we use here at our practice is a porcelain crown. We can also use dental bridges and overdentures, but these treatments will require more than one implant fixture to be placed. No matter what restoration type you use, we will use scans of your remaining natural teeth to ensure that your new teeth match your old ones in terms of their color, shade, size, and shape. In fact, our replacement teeth look so good that, once they are in place, no one will even be able to tell them apart from your remaining natural teeth.
Begin the Dental Implant Process in Toronto, ON
Are you currently suffering from one or more missing teeth and are unimpressed with the quality of treatment that is offered by tooth restoration methods such as dental bridges and dentures? If so, then we encourage you to consider treatment using dental implants, which provide the only replacement teeth that can function and feel just as good as any of your natural teeth. If you would like to learn more about the dental implant process, contact our office and schedule a no-obligation consultation with Dr. Andre Hughes today. Our helpful staff is ready and waiting to answer any questions or concerns you may have about the process.
