When you visit your dentist for a dental implant consultation, you might get good news. You could be told that everything in your mouth looks great, and you can move forward with tooth replacement almost immediately. However, there is also a chance that you will need some preliminary care before your mouth is ready to support your new smile. What are some procedures that are often needed before dental implant placement? This blog post discusses the most common.
Tooth Extractions
If you have one or more teeth that are severely decayed, fractured, or compromised by infection, your dentist may recommend extractions before proceeding with dental implants. Removing these problematic teeth helps eliminate sources of pain and infection, and it clears space for your new restorations.
In rare cases, healthy teeth are removed prior to implant placement. This may happen if you only have a few teeth left, and extracting them would simplify your dental implant journey.
Gum Disease Treatment
Healthy gums are essential for successful dental implants. If you have an active gum infection, it could eat away at your jawbone and ultimately lead to dental implant failure.
Therefore, if you are exhibiting signs of gum disease, it must be treated. Sometimes, this involves something as simple as a deep professional cleaning and some changes to your at-home oral hygiene routine. In other cases, more extensive care is necessary to get gum disease under control. For example, surgical intervention is required in certain situations.
Bone Grafting
Dental implants depend on your jawbone for support. Therefore, if your bone is thin or weak due to things like resorption, injury, or other factors, you might need a grafting procedure. This involves placing bone material on your jaw; your body will eventually integrate the new material, resulting in a stronger and sturdier base for your new teeth.
There are quite a few different types of bone grafts. For example, socket preservation can be used to maintain the integrity of the jawbone at the site of a tooth extraction. A sinus lift may be used for the upper jaw. Ridge augmentation can widen the jawbone. If you need any of these procedures, your dentist or specialist will discuss details with you during your consultation.
Preliminary treatment may extend the timeline of your dental implant treatment, but do not feel too discouraged if you learn that you need some preparatory procedures. A bit of extra time and effort will be well worth it when you are the proud owner of a complete, healthy, and confident smile!
Meet the Practice
At Four Town Dental, we pride ourselves on providing comprehensive high-quality care for our community. We are qualified to perform dental implant surgery as well as many preparatory procedures. If you are curious about what it would take to replace your lost teeth, we would be happy to speak with you during an in-depth consultation. To request an appointment in our Enfield office, contact us at 860-856-6928.