The Toothache That Changed My Life

Neglecting oral hygiene is commonly not regretted until teeth have become severely deteriorated. For example, someone might continue to neglect their teeth after experiencing pain from a small cavity. Due to the neglect, the enamel further deteriorates until there is not much enamel left, which could be depressing when multiple teeth are affected. Once severe deterioration has taken place, smiling is often the last thing someone with such poor oral health desires to do. Fortunately, a dentist can install dental implants to provide a second chance at a beautiful smile and better oral health practices.

Quickly Getting Rid of Gum Disease

Poor oral health usually leads to the development of gum disease, which must be treated before dental implant installation. Addressing any infection caused by gum disease is the easiest part of the dental implant installation process. To get rid of the infection, a dentist will prescribe a round of antibiotics that are highly effective if taken as directed. For example, if a dentist says to take all of the antibiotics even if the infection seems to have been cured, a patient must continue to take the antibiotics. The sooner that the infection has been cured, the sooner that dental implant installation will take place.

Repairing Damaged Jawbone

After oral health has been neglected for a long time, it often leads to the deterioration of the jawbone. Unfortunately, a healthy jawbone is required for dental implant installation. The reason is that without a healthy jawbone, there is nothing stable for the implants to be locked into. When a patient has an unhealthy jawbone, a dentist can repair it via a bone grafting procedure. Bone grafting is a procedure in which an unhealthy jawbone is replaced with healthy bone tissue, which could be taken from a patient's body or from a cadaver.

Undergoing Dental Implant Installation

The dental implant installation process can take a while to complete, especially when multiple implants are being installed. Holes will be placed in a patient's jawbone via a dental drill, and then the implants can be screwed inside the holes. The remainder of the process will be put on hold for several months because healing and bonding must take place. For example, the implants will bond with the bone during the months that a patient is sent home to heal. After the healing period is up, the patient has to return to the dentist so their artificial teeth can be attached to the implants.

Contact a dentist to learn more about dental implants.