What to Expect When Getting Dental Implants?
Initial consultation
Your dentist will carry out a comprehensive dental examination to ensure your suitability for Dental Implants, which will include a dental X-ray to assess your bone levels in your jaw.
Having adequate bone to support the implant and restoration placed on top is the main factor influencing implant viability and success. At Truly Dental we use a high-tech CT scanner to render an accurate 3D image of your mouth, localised to only the precise area necessary for analysis, which allows your implantologist to assess the amount and quality of bone available, to decide on placement and positioning, and to make plans to compensate when the levels are low. Less frequently impressions of your mouth may also need to be taken at this appointment, to create a 3D model of your teeth, gums, and bone to best plan for the placement of your finished implants and restorations.
Your dentist will then devise a detailed treatment plan for you, taking into account your own goals for your treatment and all particulars of your specific situation. You will have a chance to discuss any questions or concerns with your dentist at this time as you are informed about every stage of your proposed treatment, as well as how long each stage will take. This treatment plan will take account of not only your long-term restoration, but any temporary replacement teeth you will need during the course of your treatment, to ensure that you are greeted with a beautiful and complete smile the first time you depart from a procedure at the clinic.
At Truly Dental we ensure all of our patients complete transparency regarding the cost of your treatment plan. Your treatment team will be happy to discuss this with you also at your initial appointment, or you can call or email us today and our team will be happy to go through our different payment plan options and costs and book you in for your initial consultation with our dedicated implant team.
Implant placement
Your appointment for your implant placement procedure is actually quite straightforward – your mouth and gums will be completely numb with a local anaesthetic, making the entire procedure entirely painless.
You can also choose to have this stage of treatment carried out under dental sedation. Many patients, including those who experience acute dental worry or fear, opt to receive their dental care this way, making this ground-breaking, transformative dental treatment available to even the most anxious patient.
After the successful completion of your routine surgical procedure to place the implant into your bone, your dentist will provide you with detailed instructions on how to care for the surgical site to ensure complete healing over the following days and weeks. You will also be provided with a prescription for pain relief medication to make your recovery as seamless and as fast as possible, although many patients find that any pain or discomfort is mild enough to be relieved by over-the-counter solutions.
Your dentist will also, when suitable, provide a temporary dental restoration on the same day as your implant placement, so you won’t be left with an unsightly gap over the initial healing period, which is typically 2 weeks. After this initial recovery after you will routinely be invited back to the clinic for a short review, to ensure the area is healing and being cleaning adequately, and to answer any questions you may have at this stage.
Permanent Restoration Placement
In most cases, after a single or multiple dental implants have been placed the surgical site(s) must be left for a period of about 3 months to allow for complete natural healing and integration with your bone.
Your dentist will inform you at your 2 week review of when you should schedule your follow up appointment, typically around the 3 month mark, so that they can assess if your implant has adequately fused with your bone. Once your dentist is satisfied of the success of your implant, the next stage is taking a digital scan impression of your mouth.
These impressions are sent to our external lab for your custom-made crown or bridge dental restoration to be fabricated. Your bespoke, permanent restoration will be returned to the clinic within 3 to 4 weeks and you will be schedule in for a final appointment to have your dental restoration fit and secured. The average treatment time from start to finish for a single implant treatment with Truly Dental is 4 months, but your dentist will be able to specify the exact estimated treatment length for every stage of your individual case.