The Procedure of Getting Dental Implants in Oakland CA

If you have lost a tooth in adulthood, you probably understand how hard it is to live without that tooth. Worse, finding a solution for replacing your teeth that is exactly as per your preference can be overwhelming. There aren’t that many tooth replacement options available. Among those that exist, still, only one seems to offer permanency over the long haul. If you are looking to replace your tooth today, read on to learn more about dental implants, and why they are the game-changer when it comes to teeth replacement.

What Are Dental Implants?

They are oral fixtures that are used in restorative dentistry to replace missing teeth. In missing teeth treatment, tooth implants act as a replacement for the roots of teeth, as opposed to the typical technique of replacing the crown of teeth.

The metal fixture in the form of a tooth implant near you features titanium material. This material makes for a sturdy fixture, effectively replacing the lost tooth.

How Do Implants Work?

Oral implants work by replacing the roots of teeth. Once the root is replaced, then the crown can be installed. Typically, implants are used to replace single teeth. Over the years, however, dental experts have determined a way that implants can be used to replace multiple teeth.

Ideally, you would need a dental implant for every single tooth you are missing. However, this would be both expensive and overwhelming. Instead, a dentist will incorporate other types of oral appliances to work with the implants. For example, dentures can be used along with implants for complete teeth restoration. This utilizes the all-on-4 procedure. Other than that, a partial denture or dental bridge can be used along with implants for replacing several missing teeth in a row.

The Implantation Procedure

Having that a dental implant replaces the root of a tooth, it comes without saying that the procedure for achieving this involves surgery. Surgical intervention is the only way to insert the metal fixture in the jawbone of a patient. This is what makes the dental implant process different from other tooth replacement procedures, like dental bridges. This procedure is also longer than other procedures. Some of the steps you should expect during the process include the following:

1. Local anesthesia – the surgical intervention will cause some discomfort for you. It is why a dentist near you in Oakland CA will use local anesthesia to alleviate the pain in the implantation site. Besides that, other types of sedation might be used to help calm your nerves, allowing you to sit still throughout your procedure.
2. Gum incision – it involves cutting open your gum tissue as the site of the dental work. This helps expose the bone that is beneath the gums. The bone is where the implant needs to go, which is what makes this step important.
3. Drilling – a special tool will be used to drill a hole on your jawbone. The size of the hole will be equivalent to the size of the oral implant being inserted.
4. Installing the implant – The implant is strategically placed in the drilled hole.
5. Sealing – to hold the implant in place, the dentist will sew back your gum tissue. This will ensure your mouth starts healing properly. Given the nature of the procedure and the type of oral appliance used, you will require a couple of months to heal. The dentist will specify how long you have to wait. Meanwhile, he/she will take impressions of your mouth. These impressions will be necessary for the next step of the procedure.
6. Installing a dental crown – the implant cannot be left out in the open. Therefore, after your gums have healed for a certain period, your dentist will install the crown. This crown will cover the implant so that you have a completely restored tooth. The dental crown is installed through a dental bonding procedure.

Is This Treatment Successful?

Dental implants still receive a lot of negativity from patients. Part of the reason has to do with the invasive nature of the treatment. Besides, the thought of having a metal fixture in your mouth can be overwhelming.

Even then, the time has stood to prove that the implantation procedure is usually successful. The success rate of dental implants in dentistry stands at 98%. Besides, you can bank on having long-lasting results, since implants are durable.

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