Assisted Living: Dealing With Everyone's Emotions

Assisted Living: Dealing With Everyone's Emotions

What To Expect When Your Dentist Inserts An Implant Rod Into Your Jaw

by Julia Gregory

Getting a dental implant requires specialized bone surgery. That's why your general dentist may not be suitable for the job. You need an implant dentist  (like Dr. James Oline) who has been trained and certified in the procedure. Here is a quick look at the process you go through to replace a missing tooth with an implant rod.

Bone Evaluation

Your dentist has to evaluate the state of your bone first. This can be done through x-rays and a physical examination. If your tooth has been missing for a long time, your bone may have shrunk. The bone in the gap has to be thick enough and strong enough to hold onto the implant. If it's not, your dentist may decide a bone graft is necessary to build up your bone before the implant can be inserted.

Anesthesia

When you only need one implant, your dentist may decide local anesthesia is enough. If that's the case, you will receive a shot in the gum just like you do when you get a filling. If you have anxiety about the procedure, the dentist may also offer drugs to sedate you. These calm you and may even put you into a light sleep, but you'll still be alert enough to follow instructions. In some cases, general anesthesia might be necessary so you sleep throughout the treatment and are unaware of what is going on. Your dentist will take your preferences into account when deciding what is best. You may want to avoid a general anesthetic at all costs. On the other hand, if the idea of bone surgery bothers you, you may prefer to be put to sleep.

The Procedure

First, the dentist has to access your bone. This is done by cutting open your gum and spreading back the sides. If the bone is flat, the dentist is ready to start drilling into it. If your bone has an irregular shape, the dentist will contour it first. By shaving off the raised areas, the bone will hold onto the implant more evenly and will be stronger.

Drilling into your bone requires careful precision. The hole created in your bone has to be the exact depth and width needed for the implant rod. The dentist will start with a tiny drill bit and use progressively larger bits until the hole is the right size. The hole is measured periodically with a measuring pin. The pin checks for depth and alignment of the hole. When the hole is complete, the dentist may check it with an x-ray to make sure everything looks okay.

The final step in creating the hole is to add the threads to your bone. This is done with a special bit on the drill that creates ridges in the hole that will hold onto the ridges in the implant rod. After that's done, the rod is screwed into your bone just like a screw is placed in a wooden board.

Healing Period

After the implant is inserted, the dentist stitches your gum closed over the top of the rod. The area is left to heal from the surgery. Your gums will heal in several days, and it will take a few months for your bone to grow around the implant and fuse with it. Your dentist can check the progress of bone growth with an x-ray. When the implant is secure in the bone, it's time to add on the abutment and crown.

Going through the implant process usually takes several months. If you need to get a bone graft too, it will take a lot longer. However, the end result is an artificial root that will hold a crown just as securely as your real root holds one of your natural teeth. You'll be able to eat and speak normally, and you won't have to worry about further bone loss once the implant is in place.


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About Me

Assisted Living: Dealing With Everyone's Emotions

The decision to move one of my parents into assisted living was one of the most difficult I have ever made. I had extreme feelings of guilt that led to me being at the facility with my parent practically around the clock. It took a few months before I realized that I could not let my own life fall apart from the guilt I was feeling. I also learned that my parent was fine without me constantly hovering around. Since that time, I have had several friends express similar feelings of guilt. I started this blog to help others in the same situation understand not only their feelings about assisted living, but those of their parents.

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