Dental Specialists of
South Loop

After Implant Placement

What’s Safe to Use While Healing from Implants?

You have many choices that are tailored to your needs when you’re healing from implants. If you’re looking for a replacement option during the healing process, we can create a temporary bridge as well as removable teeth. If you’re missing all of your teeth, these options can be modified into a complete or temporary denture. However, if you want a non-removable solution, we may be able to use transitional implants until your permanent implants can be placed. These can often be created and inserted on the same day. Depending on your situation, we may even be able to place implants immediately. This means you don’t have to wait to fully heal before receiving a replacement option.

What Problems Could Occur?

Pain is one of the most common concerns when it comes to dental implants, but few patients experience significant or severe pain after the surgery. We prescribe antibiotics and pain medications to make the recovery process as pain-free as possible. In some situations, a post-operative infection can occur, requiring additional antibiotics. Even if you take great care of your implants, sometimes the nearby teeth can be damaged during placement. There’s also a small chance of nerve damage in your lower jaw, which can cause numbness in the chin and lower lip. If you have suffered from significant bone loss, this is a bigger concern because there’s a higher chance the nerve space will be affected. Although we take every precaution to avoid this area, it may become irritated during the procedure, causing numbness, lack of sensation or tingling in the chin, lip or tongue. These feelings often resolve over time, but there is a chance they will become painful or last permanently. It’s important to notify us of any numbness immediately so we can better manage your care.

Dental Implants

are the most technologically advanced and longest lasting tooth replacement option available. Restore your confidence… Smile, Eat and Enjoy!

Dental implants are the latest in dental technology and last much longer than other available tooth- replacement options. We can help restore your confidence, so you can smile and eat with pride.

How Long Do They Last?

Dental implants are designed to last. For patients who are missing all of their teeth, long-term studies conducted over a span of more than 30 years show a success rate of between 80 and 90 percent. For those missing just one or a smaller number of teeth, these studies show success rates up to 95 percent, which is significantly higher than other implant areas, such as the knees and hips. However, if proper healing doesn’t take place or the implant becomes loose over time, it may need to be removed. Once the site heals, we can attempt to place another implant.

When Are Replacement Teeth Attached?

We typically allow for your mouth to properly heal before adding the replacement teeth on the support posts, as we want the jawbone to fuse firmly beforehand. There are some factors that impact when this process is completed. In some situations, we can complete this step immediately after the procedure or shortly after that. We will go over the appropriate timeline based on your unique case.

The entire implant process is quite complex. First, we need to create the new teeth before they’re placed. The process of teeth replacement has become more comfortable and pleasant than past options. In most cases, dental implants don’t require local anesthesia.

To begin the creation of your teeth, we take customized impressions to ensure your mouth and implants are properly replicated. Bite records will also be made to record the orientation between upper and lower jaw. This information will be used to create the support posts for the replacement teeth. We will use one of several types of abutments to restore your smile. In most cases, we can use stock-support posts. In other situations, we need to make custom-made abutments from gold or ceramic the same color as the teeth. If you require custom-support posts, treatment time may be lengthened and is likely to be costlier. Unfortunately, we can’t advise on the appropriate type of abutment to use until impressions are made, and the mouth has healed.

Treatment times and the number of appointments required to complete the procedure varies by patient. It doesn’t matter how many teeth need to be replaced; we complete every implant treatment with attention to detail, care, and precision. If you only require a few teeth to be replaced, we can complete the process in as little as three visits. Between your appointments, we will complete the necessary lab work to create your new teeth. It’s critical to keep your appointments as scheduled.

If you choose removable dentures for your restoration, we will schedule up to five office appointments to take place over a period of several months. Your treatment plan will begin with impressions, bite records and adjustments to ensure the custom support bars and their components, as well as the replacement teeth, work properly. Until the treatment is complete, we will do all we can to ensure you’re comfortable with temporary replacement options.

After your implants are placed, treatment will be complete in a time frame between one and 12 months. Because of this range, it’s difficult to predict the exact cost of your treatment. However, we can provide a reasonable estimate prior to beginning your treatment. We also may not be able to tell you how long the treatment will take.

How to Care for Implants

Caring for your implants isn’t entirely different from caring for your natural teeth. You should still brush and floss regularly, as well as follow our care recommendations. We suggest you continue to see us at least two times per year for cleanings and maintenance. Like other tooth-replacement options, such as dentures, dental implants will experience normal wear and tear and may need repairs in the future, including screw tightening, clip replacement, relining and more.

Do I Need More Than One Dental Professional?

In most cases, you will see your regular dentist for the actual tooth replacement procedures, both temporary and permanent. However, because setting the posts is a surgical procedure, you may need to see a specialized dental surgeon for this aspect of treatment. Depending on a number of other factors, you may need to see other dental specialists throughout the course of your treatment as well.

How Much Does It Cost?

One of the most important things patients ask is how much this type of treatment will cost. We will work hard to ensure you get the most accurate estimate possible regarding the placement of the implants and creating the replacement teeth. First and foremost, there will be a charge for any necessary diagnostic elements, such as x-rays, CT scans, creation of a surgical template, study models and anything else required to provide the best treatment. You will also need to pay for support posts and the tooth replacement to be placed, including crowns, dentures and any temporary restorations. Throughout the course of treatment, there will also be regular hygiene visits, denture relines, tissue conditioning and other services that can increase your costs.

Each doctor involved in your treatment will bill for their services separately. Once we have your insurance information, we will help you estimate the cost of your actual treatment. Because some insurance policies consider this type of treatment to be cosmetic, you may need to make a personal investment in your oral health. We can help you find financing options to make your treatment more affordable.

Each patient has different needs, making it impossible to discuss all of the available options and outcome for treatments. This article provides a general overview of the treatments choices you may have. If you would like to further discuss tooth replacement treatment, contact us. We can answer all of your questions.

Your Smile. Your Health. Our Commitment.

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South Loop Dental Specialists

850 South Wabash, Suite 240
Chicago, IL 60605

312-356-4700