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Dental Implant Procedure: A Step by Step Guide

A dental implant is a permanent tooth restoration that could last for your entire life. Unlike dentures, which could slide around in your mouth, dental implants are placed directly in your jaw. This allows an implant to look and function much like the natural tooth it replaces.

How Can Dental Implants Help Patients?

For many patients with missing teeth, or teeth that are too damaged to be saved, tooth replacement is the only way for them to feel confident about their smile. However, dental implants can help with more than just aesthetics.

The jawbone under the site of a missing tooth is susceptible to deterioration. If this happens, it can cause several medical and cosmetic issues including tooth drifting, misaligned, or loosened teeth or, in extreme cases, a collapsed facial profile.

Dental implants help to prevent jawbone deterioration due to a missing tooth as they stimulate bone growth, and allow people to eat, talk, and smile with confidence.

What are Dental Implants Made From?

While the term ‘dental implant’ refers to the metal post that functions as a root, when we talk about dental implant surgery it includes the fitting of the entire replacement tooth, which is composed of three parts:

  1. The tooth implant is the metal post, or screw, typically made from a biocompatible material, titanium. Titanium bonds well with bone, so it forms a solid base for the artificial tooth.
  2. The abutment, a small structure made of titanium, gold, or zirconia, which holds the crown to the implant post.
  3. The replacement tooth or teeth. This is usually a custom-made crown but could also be a bridge or denture. Whichever type of artificial tooth is chosen, it will be crafted to blend perfectly with your natural teeth.

If you’re considering dental implants, here is some more information on what you can expect from the entire process.

Assessment

Lumina’s dentist will evaluate your mouth to see if you’re a good candidate for a dental implant. Not all patients are strong candidates for dental implants. You need a certain degree of healthy bone material to place a dental implant. If you don’t have enough bone material, your dentist could recommend a smaller mini dental implant or bone grafting to improve the jawbone at the procedure site. If you have many missing teeth, a traditional dental implant may not be the only option you have.  In addition to implants restorations there are many other procedures that Lumina’s dentist may recommend, including implant-supported dentures.

Bone Grafts

To improve the amount of healthy bone at the implant site, your dentist may recommend a bone graft. In most cases a graft is placed at the time the tooth that is to be replaced has been extracted, this is done to preserve the site for the coming implant.  At times, this is required after a tooth has been missing for an extended period of time and some bone loss has occurred. There are different types of bone graft materials that can be placed and this will be discussed with you prior to your procedure. After placement, the bone graft will need time to heal before the implant is placed.

Dental Implant and Temporary Crown

Next, Lumina’s dentist will place the dental implant and possibly a temporary crown. The procedure takes around an hour or so to complete for a single implant.  Over the counter pain relievers are usually enough to manage any discomfort that you may experience during the first few days after the procedure.

Waiting and Healing

Before permanent crowns can be placed, your mouth needs time to heal. For many patients, this period lasts for several months. However, it is possible that it could take six months or longer for your jaw to heal enough to finish the dental implant procedure. The team at Lumina Dental Clinic will assess your progress to make a determination about when to schedule the final appointment.

Abutment and Crown

During the last appointment, Lumina’s dentist will remove your temporary crown, attach an abutment to the dental implant, and place a permanent crown. When this is completed, you’re finished with the procedure. Lumina’s dentist might give you additional instructions on how to best care for your new dental implant.

Do Dental Implants Look Fake or Real?

One of the greatest concerns among dental implant patients is whether their new teeth are going to look and feel natural. The answer is almost always a resounding yes.

Dental implants are designed to look and feel just like your natural teeth. And when compared to other restorative options for missing teeth (i.e., bridges), dental implants are hands-down the most natural-looking option.

DENTAL IMPLANTS: DO THEY LOOK AND FEEL NATURAL?

This is actually one of the most common questions patients ask to Lumina’s dentist prior to an implant procedure, especially when it comes to patients who need implants for their front teeth.

We understand our patients’ concerns. The last thing anyone wants is to undergo oral surgery if the result doesn’t look or feel natural. 😉

We are most often asked about the appearance of dental implants by patients needing implants on their front teeth. We love working on anterior teeth, as this is the area where dental implants have the biggest impact on a patient’s smile and confidence in their appearance.

We are happy to report that nearly all patients find that the implant looks and feels better than they could have imagined. They’re thrilled that they have teeth in their mouth that look and feel natural, especially in areas where teeth were missing.

If you are considering restorative dentistry to replace a missing tooth, and wondering, how are dental implants made?, the highly qualified dental team at Lumina Dental Clinic are happy to answer your questions about implants and other dental health issues.

Due to their longevity, dental implants are a relatively cost-effective solution to missing teeth. However, some patients are concerned because of the significant initial investment. Lumina’s team are committed to maintaining the oral health of our patients and want to assure that implants are accessible. As such, we offer generous payment plans for patients looking to undergo dental implant treatment in Indonesia.

Contact us at +6281228888837 or +6281210688884 or email at [email protected] to arrange a consultation at Lumina Dental Clinic by Lumina Aesthetics

See you soon at Lumina 😊

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