preview

Dental Implant Procedure

Decent Essays

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

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 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. When you just have one missing tooth, the implant has to go in one specific area. Therefore, the bone in the gap has to be thick enough and strong enough to hold …show more content…

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

Get Access