Modern dentistry has developed a way to restore your smile if its beauty is marred by missing teeth. Dental implants in Fairfield County CT will look just like your teeth, and they will look like you have had them forever. The process varies between patients depending upon where the implant will be inserted.
The process begins with an x-ray to determine how much bone is available to receive the implant. An x-ray will also show the general health of the bone. If a tooth was extracted years ago, then there is a likelihood that the bone has deteriorated away from the area. This would require a bone graft to accept the implant.
A hole would be drilled into the jaw bone to accept the implant, and the gum may be stitched over the implant until it adheres to the bone. The implant is made of titanium because this material is not rejected by the body. Once this is accomplished, a device referred to as an abutment is secured to the implant with a screw. This piece accepts the crown which is the actual tooth replacement. It can be cemented or screwed to the abutment. If it is screwed to the abutment, then the dentist may be able to disguise the presence of the screw, or it may be invisible.
Once the crown has been securely attached and your new tooth is ready for use, it is important that you continue to practice good dental hygiene. You should treat the gum area where the dental implants in Fairfield County CT is located carefully as you would any other area.
People naturally always want to know how long the process will require, and the answer is as much as a year in the worst case. The process may be less than a year, but it may be longer than average if you require a bone graft since the healing time is months and not weeks. If bone grafting is required, it will be at least 5 months before the next step can begin. The permanent crown may not be installed until 6 months in the lower jaw and 8 months in the upper jaw if no bone grafting was done. Otherwise, add two months to the process. Some dentists and oral surgeons claim to have faster procedures, and it would be prudent to check these claims since you may very well find a faster procedure.
Schedule an appointment to consult one of Elke Cheung Dentistry dental specialists today at Fairfield County.