When you decide to undergo dental implants in Richmond, you’ll probably be aware that it’s unlike any other form of tooth replacement in that it requires a surgical procedure. This in itself is a daunting prospect for many people and understandably so. That said, like many challenges in life, they become less intimidating when they are fully understood. With this in mind, we thought that it would be a good idea to give you the complete lowdown on dental implant surgery and what to expect.
You might have already heard conflicting stories about the surgical procedure. Some might suggest that it’s lengthy and painful and others might tell you that you’ll be put under a general anaesthetic so you won’t feel a thing. In truth, here at Sheen Dental we’ve been placing dental implants in Richmond with great success for many years and every procedure is carried out using a local anaesthetic.
So why do we use a local as opposed to a general anaesthetic?
Quite simply because it’s far better for the patient to remain awake in order to be able to respond to the needs of the dentist. The good news is that even using a local anaesthetic the advancement in technology that modern dentistry allows means that the procedure itself is completely pain free. Therefore there are no noisy drills and imposing needles to worry about. Instead the procedure is carried out using precision instruments. For nervous patients we offer safe conscious sedation techniques. These are used to put the patient in a totally relaxed and some say ‘care-free’ state, in order that the implants can be fitted with as little stress to the patient as possible.
What about the actual time spent in surgery?
You might have heard that the implantation process takes ages and that involves sitting in the dentist chair for hour after hour. This is where some people get crossed wires. Whilst it’s true that the procedure itself as a whole can take up to 9 months to complete from start to finish, the actual surgery is only one small part of this process. In fact the surgery can take as little as 1-2 hours for a straight forward implant. The rest of the time will be taken up with recovery. In other words waiting for the osseointegration (bone/implant fusion) process to take place.
What about post surgery recovery?
It’s difficult to say exactly what symptoms people will get post surgery as everyone is different. For example, many people feel no pain at all and are able to resume normal duties in 1-2 days. Others will have slight swelling and bruising which should disappear in a few days, while some may feel slight pain which is normally eased using standard over-the-counter painkillers. On the whole pain should be minimal and in terms of recovery most people resume normal activities within 7-10 days and this includes eating.
So there you have it, the complete lowdown on dental implant surgery! If you want to know more about dental implants in Richmond then why not contact Sheen Dental and speak to our friendly experienced staff who can help. Alternatively visit our website at www.sheendental.co.uk and book yourself a free, no-obligation consultation where you can get all your questions and concerns answered for total peace-of-mind.