While many people think of dental implants as replacement teeth, dental implants in Red Deer are actually replacement roots. Titanium posts placed into your jaw permanently fuse with the bone tissue there. Once fused to your jaw, those posts serve as the anchors for an abutment that fastens to your new replacement tooth, bridge, denture, or other restoration.
Why do so many people opt for dental implants from a dentist in Red Deer? Because they’re placed into and bonded permanently to your jaw, implants don’t slip, don’t make any noises, and don’t contribute to the loss of bone tissue. Just the opposite, in fact! Biocompatible titanium implants actually stimulate the growth of new bone tissue in your jaw.
Could Dental Implants Be Right For You?
Dental implants are not ideal for everyone. Your dentist in Red Deer will be able to tell you if implants are a good solution for your needs after carefully assessing the health of your gums and jaw and your goals. Having said that, investigating the availability of dental implants near you might be worthwhile if any of the following describes you:
- You are missing one or more teeth
- Your jawbone is fully grown
- The bone tissue in your jaw is sufficient to support implants, or if you have bone loss then you’re a good candidate for bone grafting if your bone tissue is deficient for any reason
- Your mouth (including your gums!) is generally healthy
- You don’t have health conditions that will undermine the ability of your jawbone to heal and fuse to the implant
- If alternatives to implants (such as removable dentures and traditional bridges and crowns) are unattractive or inappropriate
- You’re looking for a solution to tooth loss that restores your full ability to eat, chew, and speak
- You are patient enough to go through a process that will take several months to complete
- You don’t smoke
Next Steps
Do those criteria describe you? If you’d like to confirm that you’re a good candidate for dental implants, the next best step is to make an appointment with a dentist in Red Deer. Long before any procedure, your dentist at Gaetz Dental will complete three essential steps. Those steps are:
- A dental examination that will include a careful assessment of your jaw, teeth, and gums, the taking of dental x-rays and 3D images as well as making models and molds of your teeth and jaw
- A careful review of your medical history, including any prior and current medical and dental treatment, any medications you are taking, any health conditions that may affect your treatment and recovery, and your ability to avoid infection
- Based on all that information, your dentist will develop a treatment plan just for you that defines the detailed steps that will be taken throughout the entire implant process
If it sounds like you are a passive participant in these three steps, that’s misleading. You should be an active participant at every stage to ensure your dentist has all the information that they need, and that you receive all the answers to your questions.
Questions to Ask
Sometimes coming up with the right question to ask at the right moment can be difficult. To help you with that, here’s a checklist of questions to ask or information to gather from your dentist as part of the assessment and planning process:
- What options are available for anesthesia?
- How will your pain be controlled?
- What should you eat and drink (or avoid eating and drinking) before and after the procedures?
- Will you need to take time off work?
- What do you need to do to be sure you heal quickly without any infection?
- How long will each appointment take, and will you be able to drive home?
- Should you adjust any medications you’re taking (either schedule or dosage)?
- How much will the procedures cost, and what payment options are available?
- Will your dentist accept your benefits plans or provide financing?
The procedures for providing dental implants in Red Deer are almost always completely successful. One of the key reasons for that high success rate is all this preparatory work. Doing this work and gathering all this information in advance goes a long way to ensuring you get the solution you need for your tooth loss.
When you’re ready to take the first step toward dental implants, reach out to a dentist near you.
