Upon the recommendation of your Island Dental dentist, you’ve decided to get dental implants. It may be because you’ve lost one or more teeth due to periodontal disease, sustained an injury or accident, or you don’t want to wear dentures. Dental implants can be used to replace one or more missing teeth and also secure dentures. 

Are you a Candidate for the Dental Implant Procedure?

You are a good candidate for a dental implant because you meet one or more of the following conditions:

• You are in overall good health both physically and orally
• There is enough bone in your jaw that will support the implant
• You do not show signs of gum disease
• You are willing to commit to the time needed 
• You don’t smoke, because that affects the healing process

The Dental Implant Procedure 

The dental implant procedure is an inpatient surgical procedure that involves three visits to the Island Dental office in Franklin Square. The first visit is to prepare your jawbone for the procedure, the second visit is to put the implant post into your jawbone, and the third visit is for the final adjustment and bite. You will be given general anesthesia and will be asleep throughout most of the procedure. Your gum tissue will be numbed with a local anesthetic while the implant guideposts are placed in your jawbone. After that, the dental titanium post will be placed in the proper position and fitted to both the gum and bone. After the procedure, your dressings will be removed and you will be woken up. Your Island Dental dentist will measure the distance between your jawbone and the implant, adjusting the remaining parts to the implant in order to form an attractive appearance and a stable fit. 

Once your implant has become fully osseointegrated or integrated into your jawbone, you will return to the office so we can make a dental crown for the implant. The crown will be placed onto the connector that is attached to the implant. Once it is bonded, the implant post will never need to be repaired or replaced and can last a lifetime. The dental crown that is placed on the implant may need to be replaced at some point between seven to 15 years. 

Recovery After a Dental Implant Procedure

After your dental implant procedure, you may feel a bit groggy for a few hours. You will need to arrange beforehand with someone to take you home after the procedure. You may experience some minor bruising and swelling, minor bleeding, and pain. You will be asked to eat soft foods for a certain amount of time while you are healing. 

Are You Ready to Get Dental Implants?

Taking good care of your implant crown and preventing damage to the tooth will affect the life of your dental implant restoration. You don’t get tooth decay with a dental implant but you can be affected by periodontal disease, so it’s important to practice good dental care and continue with regular care from your Island Dental dentist. Overall, dental implants have a success rate well in advance of 95% but you need to make sure that you practice good oral hygiene and return to the office for regular dental visits. 

If you would like to know if you are a candidate for dental implants you can contact our dentists at Island Dental Associates in Franklin Square to schedule an appointment. Give us a call at  516-271-0765 or use our online form to schedule a visit.