If You Need a Dental Implant Dentist in Wheaton, Contact DuPage Dental Smiles
At DuPage Dental Smiles, Dr. Sumeet Bagai and his associates are all about producing healthy, radiant smiles, but it’s hard to have that kind of smile if you have missing or badly damaged or decayed teeth.
Fortunately, dental implants provide a way of correcting these issues, giving you not only the smile you’ve always wanted but the ability to chew your food and eat normally.
What are Dental Implants?
The simplest way to answer that question is to say that a dental implant is an artificial tooth (or teeth) made up of three parts; a dental implant post, an abutment anchor, and the replacement crown.
- The dental implant post – The post forms the new “tooth root” of your new artificial tooth. It’s similar to a small screw and is made of biocompatible, dental-grade titanium. Once in place, the implant fuses with the jawbone, and this fusion helps stabilize the bite and structure of the jaw.
- The abutment anchor – The anchor is a small metal piece that will secure the replacement crown to the dental implant post.
- The replacement crown – This part of the implant replicates the crown of your natural teeth and is composed of the most modern, high-quality dental materials currently available.
The Implant Procedure
The implant procedure is a relatively simple one, performed by Dr. Bagai at our dental clinics.
1) Placing the implant screw: In the first step of the procedure, Dr. Bagai will place the implant post into your jawbone. This is a form of oral surgery, generally performed using local anesthesia. Once this post is in place, it may take several months for the screw to fuse with your jawbone.
Dr. Bagai will attach the abutment to the implant post and take digital impressions to be used to design the replacement crown that will be placed over the abutment.
2) Placing the healing cap and abutment screw: Once this fusion process is complete, Dr. Bagai may place a healing cap to promote the healing of the gum tissue. After about two weeks, the cap is removed and replaced by the abutment that is screwed into the implant.
At this time you will also receive a temporary crown that you’ll keep as the healing process continues.
Keep in mind, however, that these times we’ve mentioned may be different as the procedure can vary from patient to patient.
3) Placement of the permanent crown: Dr. Bagai will make an impression needed to create the permanent crown that will be permanently secured to the abutment.
The procedure may be used to replace a single tooth, several teeth, or an entire arch. No matter the number, your implant(s) will be permanently attached to the titanium posts that are now firmly fused into your jawbone.
Recovery During the Procedure
As with many dental procedures, there will be some discomfort during these various states, but this can usually be controlled with OTC medications. Dr. Bagai will be certain to advise you on foods to avoid during the healing process to minimize your discomfort. Generally, you will want to eat mostly to soft foods as your gums and jaw heal and avoid foods that are too “chewy” or spicy.
An Extremely High Success Rate
In addition to providing a natural-looking and permanent replacement for missing or badly damaged or decayed teeth, dental implants have a success rate of 95%. With proper care, including daily brushing and flossing and regular dental checkups, they should last a lifetime.
Contact DuPage Dental Smiles to Schedule Your Implant Procedure
From this summary we’ve provided, we hope you have a better understanding of dental implants. If you think you’re a candidate for dental implant treatment, we urge you to contact us at DuPage Dental Smiles to schedule your initial consultation with Dr. Bagai. You can call us or schedule an appointment online.
Whatever your choice, we look forward to meeting you and making you part of our DuPage Dental Smiles family!
