Through his years in private practice, New York City periodontist Dr. Kissel has found that New Yorkers who are considering getting dental implants to replace a missing tooth or teeth just want to be informed. They want to know what the process is like, what’s involved and what recovery time will be like. Read on as Dr. Kissel outlines these important questions for his New York City dental patients.
The Dental Implant Process: Determining That You Are a Good Candidate
All New York City residents have unique oral anatomy. No two patients are alike. Because dental implants involve inserting a titanium implant into your jawbone, it is important that Dr. Kissel determines that 1) you have enough natural jawbone tissue to undergo surgery now and 2) if getting dental implants in your upper jaw, that your implant will not interfere with your sinuses. Determining whether or not you are a candidate for dental implants involves having a full oral examination, which may include X-rays or an oral CT scan.
Just because you may not get the “a-okay” results that you are hoping for from your initial oral examination doesn’t mean that getting dental implants are off the table entirely. If the results of your oral examination show that you do not have enough healthy bone to proceed with the dental implants surgery, Dr. Kissel may recommend that you have a bone grafting surgery performed to grow additional bone at the dental implants site. And if it’s determined that the dental implants may interfere with your sinuses, oral surgery can be performed to lift the sinuses, so that you can proceed with receiving dental implants.
The Dental Implant Process: Preparing Your Tooth Crowns
These days, preparing your tooth crowns is done in advance using digital planning software. This means that your realistic looking tooth crowns can be created in advance of your oral surgery so that you can have your permanent crowns placed the same day as you titanium rod implants. Preparing your tooth crowns is a process, though, that requires analyzing your existing teeth and mouth’s structure, and having the tooth crown fabricated.
The Dental Implant Process: Having Your Titanium Rods and Tooth Crowns Placed
The day is finally here! You are off to Dr. Kissel’s New York City offices to have your dental implants placed. During your procedure, you will receive a local anesthetic to numb the site of the dental implants. You can also choose between various sedation dentistry options to make you more comfortable during your oral surgery. Once you are sedated to your preferred level, the oral surgery will begin, with the titanium rods being placed into your jawbones. After the jawbones are inserted, your realistic looking tooth crown will be placed over the titanium rod.
The Dental Implant Process: Your Immediate Recovery Period
Depending on your unique case and whether or not there was an exposed abutment, Dr. Kissel will place you on a soft food diet for a specified period of time, usually at least 2 weeks, to allow your mouth to heal. During this time you may also be instructed to take preventative antibiotic treatment in efforts to reduce your risk for developing peri-implantitis, and you will be instructed not to brush the implant site for a few days after the procedure. It is crucial that you follow the specific post-op instructions that Dr. Kissel has prescribed to you, and not go off what you have read online, as only Dr. Kissel knows your unique case.
Learning More About the Dental Implant Process
If you’re a New York City resident who is considering dental implants, and you’d like to know more about the procedure, we highly recommend that you speak with Dr. Kissel himself. It is only through a consultation and oral examination with Dr. Kissel that he will be able to familiarize himself with your unique case and answer your specific questions.
To schedule your consultation with Dr. Kissel today, call his New York City office at (212) 702-9088.
