"Unlocking a Radiant Smile: Dental Implants in Eau Claire

BodyIf you're unhappy with dentures or you have several missing teeth, it may be time to think about receiving dental implants in Eau Claire. This is a surgical procedure that takes several months to complete, but once the process is done, you will have a permanent set of new teeth. You'll have a great smile and your implanted teeth will never "pop out" unexpectedly like a set of dentures.

Dental Implants Eau Claire Candidacy

If you have some missing teeth, you may be a good candidate for implant dentistry in Eau Claire, WI. Your dentist will conduct a full exam. You must be able to meet certain criteria to be considered for dental implants:

• Adequate bone structure

• Healthy oral tissues

• Fully grown jawbone

• No health issues that could affect bone growth

• Willing to spend months on the process

• Current non-smoker

Implant Dentures Eau Claire Steps

A dental implant procedure takes place in stages over several months. One step in the procedure will happen and then your jaw and gum tissues will need time to heal. In general, these are what the steps look like when we implant new teeth for you:

• Extraction of damaged teeth

• Jawbone prep if needed, via grafting

• Placing the dental implant

• Time for bone growth and healing

• Placing the abutment

• Placing the implant teeth

Eau Claire Bone Grafting

Bone grafting becomes necessary if your jawbone does not have enough structure to support the implant(s). Your dentist will discuss different types of bone grafting with you, such as a natural bone graft or a synthetic bone graft. No matter which option you choose, a bone grafting procedure will likely add several weeks or even months to your treatment time. It takes time for the grafted bone to fuse to your jawbone so that you will have an adequate support base for the implants. Note that not all patients require bone grafting.

Implant Placement

During the first implant procedure, your dentist will make an incision in your gum to reveal the bone. Holes to receive the implant are drilled into the bone. The titanium post is then deeply implanted into the jawbone. Over the next several months, osseointegration will take place. The bone will fuse to the implant and the gum tissue will heal.

Installing the Abutment

Once the bone has fused to the implant, your dentist will attach an abutment to the post. The abutment is what your set of implant teeth will eventually attach to. This is a minor surgery that takes about two weeks to heal before the final step.

Implant Teeth Eau Claire Final Step

Once the gum has healed, your dentist will make an impression of your remaining teeth that will be used to make a crown, or in the case of an All-on-4 procedure, a whole new set of teeth. The set of implant teeth that you decide on can be removable or fixed. Once they are attached by your implant dentistry Eau Claire professional, your smile will be restored and you'll no longer have to worry about the issues that often accompany dentures.