Steps along the way to dental implants in Herefordshire
It takes a while to replace lost teeth with dental implants in Herefordshire. There are several stages to the process, and some take longer to complete than others. At the end of it, you will have beautiful new teeth that give you back the full functionality of your mouth, and no one but you will know that these teeth are not your own. Let’s take a look at the steps involved.
The consultation
The first thing to do is to come along to Warrendale Dental Care for a consultation with our clinician Dr Chris Brown. Dr Brown will want to know all about your dental and medical history and what you hope to achieve with your implants. He will give your mouth and jaw a thorough examination, paying particular attention to the state of your jawbone. It needs to be strong and healthy in order to anchor the implants properly when you are eating.
If your jawbone is in good nick, it’s onto the next stage. If not, you may need to have some preparatory work, such as a bone graft or a sinus lift. This can add several weeks to the course of your treatment.
The implant surgery
This is performed using a local anaesthetic, which is plenty to numb the area. If you are anxious, you can also have either intravenous or oral sedation. Dr Brown will open up your gum and create carefully planned channels in your jawbone into which he will insert the tapered titanium implants. He will put back the gum and you are ready to go home.
Healing
It takes 2-6 months for your jawbone to integrate with your dental implants in Herefordshire. For the first few days, you may need to take over-the-counter painkillers and eat liquid foods before moving onto a soft food diet while your jawbone grows new bone tissue and blood vessels all over the surface of the implants.
Porcelain crowns
After osseointegration is complete, you come back and we fit you with custom-made porcelain crowns. Each implant can hold up to 3 crowns.
Maintenance
A diligent oral health routine can keep your implants in full working order for decades.