Placing dental implants in Drexel Hill, PA, includes inserting a titanium post into your jawbone. After the initial procedure, you will need to let yourself heal and allow the implant to fuse into the bone in a process called osseointegration. The fusion happens when the bone grows around the implant. The healing following the initial procedure often takes just two weeks. But the osseointegration can be completed for up to 3 to 6 months. Within this period, you may need to see your dentist so they can check on the process.
After the initial healing period, your dentist will attach an abutment in another minor procedure to open your gum. This procedure has a healing period of two weeks, and your tooth restoration will be placed after six weeks.
Lastly, your dentist will attach a crown to the abutment. The crown is made from impressions taken of your tooth. The crown is made to look exactly like your tooth at a laboratory. Since the artificial tooth has the same size, color, and shape as your natural tooth, it will blend in with the rest of your teeth. Once the crown is fitted, you can have a fully functioning tooth again.
How Much Time It Takes to Complete the Implantation Process
The estimated healing time after dental implant surgery depends on the patient and a lot of factors. These factors include the number of implants you get, if bone grafting is necessary, the location of the implants, your oral hygiene, your bone health, and whether you are a smoker or not.
Those who get several implants, need bone grafting, have poor bone health, and are smokers will take longer to heal than people in good health. The initial implant surgery can take 1-2 days or up to 2 weeks.
Aftercare
To speed up the healing time, it’s important to avoid smoking and maintain good oral hygiene. When you smoke, your implants may fail, and infection may set in. You need to avoid this and if you smoke, stop it for a few days at least before your procedure.
Ensure you follow the aftercare instructions of your dentist and oral hygiene reminders. Ensure you rest following the procedure and use a saltwater solution to rinse your mouth. This solution will help ease the swelling and pain you may experience, as well as minimize the risk of infection.
For the first 24 hours, don’t brush and floss the teeth around your implant. Also, apply a cold compress to the jaw in thirty-minute intervals.
