It’s Halloween season, and that means that spooky sights are everywhere. People’s lawns have been transformed into graveyards, or battlefields full of plastic and inflatable beasties. All your favorite TV stations and streaming services are promoting their horror movies and shows.
Even at this time of year, though, there’s one thing that you shouldn’t be afraid of: dental implants. Dental implants are the best tooth replacement option available, hands down. We know that our patients have expressed many fears about dental implants, but these fears shouldn’t stop you from getting implants.
We want to show that the truth about dental implants is a lot less scary than many people think.
Dental Implants Don’t Hurt
Fear of pain is a common element in dental fears generally. The thought of getting dental implants in the jaw makes people imagine that the procedure will be painful. However, there’s little to no discomfort associated with the dental implant procedure.
We have helped many patients get dental implants, and they don’t report discomfort during the procedure or following it, thanks to modern, reliable anesthesia. We will make sure you are fully comfortable during your dental implant procedure, and if you are concerned with discomfort as you heal, we can write a prescription for pain medications.
The Procedure Doesn’t Take a Long Time
It’s hard to believe, we know, but most dental implant procedures take less than an hour. That’s for one dental implant if there’s no need to extract a natural tooth. If you need more dental implants, it might take longer, but not too much longer.
The secret to the fast procedure is the advanced technology that implant dentist Dr. Ken Siegel uses at Dental Excellence of Blue Bell. Our cone beam CT scan lets us get a 3D digital model of your jaw so we know exactly where the dental implant needs to go for reliable success and long-lasting results. During the procedure, we are one of the few dental offices that utilize X-Guide® 3D navigation to ensure dental implants go exactly where they are supposed to. This helps the procedure go more smoothly and more quickly. You can get your implants without spending all day in the dental chair. Not only that, but with NuCalm relaxation dentistry, the time will pass so quickly, the procedure can seem instantaneous.
You Won’t Have to Miss a Lot of Work
Getting dental implants is surgery. People assume that surgery means taking a lot of time off from work. It may be true for other surgeries, but not for dental implant placement.
Most people recover from dental implant surgery in just one day. That means that most people take just one day off from work for their dental implant procedure. This makes it a lot easier to fit dental implants into your busy schedule.
You Won’t Have an Incomplete Smile While Implants Heal
It does take three months for dental implants to fully heal before we can place the final restoration(s) on them. However, that doesn’t mean you’ll have an incomplete smile for all this time.
We have several options to temporarily replace missing teeth while your dental implants heal. You might get a temporary crown or bridge, a partial denture, or a retainer. The retainer looks like an aligner from clear braces, but it has one or more temporary replacement teeth in it. The temporary replacement we use for you will depend on the setup of implants you’re getting and your oral health. However, in all cases, you will have a full smile while your implants heal.
You’ll Be Able to Eat Good Food While Implants Heal
We understand that people worry about having a restricted diet for a long time while dental implants heal. However, this isn’t the case.
During the immediate period after we place your implants, you will have a restricted diet: only soft foods and no alcoholic beverages. However, we’ll set up your implants so you can mostly return to a normal diet within a few days to a week. There might be a few things you have to avoid, but you’ll be able to eat and enjoy most foods.
You’ll probably be happier with eating than you were before your implant procedure. Whether you had a damaged tooth, a missing tooth, or dentures, your food options will improve even before we place your final restoration.
Implants Will Last
People worry that after they spend all the time and money on dental implants, their implants will fail. This would certainly be unfortunate, but it’s rare. Studies show that the success rate for dental implants is in the range of 97-99%. This means that your odds of having a dental implant fail in the first year is 1/20 to 1/50, even less if you follow all postoperative instructions.
Since half of all dental implants that fail do so in the first year, the implants that survive will most likely last for decades–30 years or more. With proper care, dental implants can outlive you, even if you expect to live another 50 years.
Let Us Help You Relax
Although there is no reason to be afraid of dental implants, we understand that sometimes you can’t help being afraid. That’s why we offer drug-free relaxation dentistry with NuCalm. NuCalm lets you feel calm and comfortable during your dental implant procedure.
If you have additional concerns or questions about dental implants, please call (610) 272-0828 or use our online form to schedule an appointment with Dr. Siegel at Dental Excellence of Blue Bell in Blue Bell, PA.
