What Can I Expect from the Dental Implant Procedure?

If you have lost your tooth, we advise you to visit our office immediately for replacement. The longer you delay treatment, the more you open yourself up to further health complications and pricier treatments in the future.

When you lose even one tooth, the remaining teeth suffer from significant consequences of the increased load they need to bear—additionally, the jawbone atrophies without the natural stimulation from chewing and grinding. Jaw degradation means your teeth move from their firm positions, which affects your bite alignment. Addressing the missing tooth early on could prevent complications such as the need for orthodontics, bone grafting, and tooth replacements.

When your natural tooth can no longer hold, several options are available—however, none of these come close to dental implants. Implants are made to resemble your natural teeth from the crown to the root. What does this mean for you? Your tooth looks, functions, and feels like your own.

But what does the procedure for placing dental implants involve? Here’s what you can expect. 

• Consultation: The dentist will discuss your goals and use advanced dental X-rays and 3D scans to determine your eligibility for dental implants.
• Pre-surgery procedures: Not everyone is lucky to go straight to implant surgery. An existing tooth that needs replacement must be extracted to make room for the implant. We recommend immediate implant placement after tooth extraction to prevent possible bone loss. Patients with jawbone loss may require a bone graft to stabilize the jawbone to support a dental implant. 
• Implant surgery: The dentist will surgically place a titanium post at a predetermined location in the jawbone. Our dentist may use the BLAST protocol to sterilize the implant site to minimize the chances of infection. This technique also stimulates the natural growth factors to hasten healing and the formation of bone cells around the implant.
• Healing and fusion: The implant will be left to heal and fuse with the jawbone over the next 3-6 months. After osseointegration, the implant will be firmly secured and ready to support one or more replacement teeth.
• Abutment placement: Dr. Mohan will attach a small prosthetic tool (abutment) to the implant. The abutment protrudes above the gum line to connect with the restoration teeth.
• Implant restoration: The dentist will top off your implants with a customized dental crown or denture for full mouth restoration. Attention to aesthetics will ensure that your teeth look natural and your implants feel and function like real teeth. 

We are committed to providing top-notch dental implant services to ensure you leave our office smiling. Whether you need a single implant or full mouth restoration, you can count on Dr. Mohan and the team for excellent outcomes—call (858) 465-8717 to schedule an appointment today. We proudly serve patients from several locations, including Rancho Santa Fe, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Escondido, Poway, and Rancho Penasquitos.