As mentioned previously, dental implants are an incredibly popular procedure. What makes dental implants shine above all other restoration treatments is their success rate. The success of a dental implant procedure is determinant on a variety of factors. For one, choosing the right dentist can make a world of difference in the kind of dental implant treatment you receive.
At Contemporary Dental Arts, we offer our patients first-rate dental implants treatments by providing patient-centered care. At our San Jose office, we provide our patients with a four-stage dental implant treatment process, so that you’re able to get the comprehensive care you deserve.
Step 1: Initial One-on-One Consultation
Before proceeding with your dental implants procedure, you’ll need to meet Dr. Keith Cooper for an extensive consultation. During this consultation, Dr. Cooper wants you to open up and tell him all of your concerns and dental needs. Communication is key to getting the results you’re looking for.
With that in mind, we encourage you to do some prior research on our site, so that you’re ready to ask all the questions you need. During the consultation, Dr. Cooper will look at your dental structure and talk to you about which treatments will work best for you. When we have all of your concerns squared away, we’ll go ahead and schedule your next follow-up visit for the implant procedure.
Step 2: Dental Implant Procedure
Before Dr. Cooper is able to create and fit your replacement tooth, he needs to place the implant fixture into your jaw bone. This is actually a pretty straight-forward procedure. Basically, Dr. Cooper will use a small drill to install the titanium fixture underneath your gum line.
Although this sounds painful, the surgery itself is relatively painless. Dr. Cooper may give you a general or local anesthetic to reduce any soreness. When the implant is set into your gums and jaw, we will stitch up the opening of the gums and get you prepped for the healing process.
Step 3: Healing and Recovery
The bulk of your dental implant procedure is done. Now, you’ll need to wait for your dental implant fixture to heal. This will be a 3-6 month healing period, and during this time osseointegration will take place. Basically, when the implant is inserted, it will stimulate your jaw to generate new bone tissue that will grow around the fixture to strongly hold it in place.
Osseointegration is an amazing biological process. Ultimately, your dental implant will become a functioning and organic part of your mouth. They’ll never shift, move, or become loose. Osseointegration is the game-changing treatment phase.
During the ending of your healing stage, you’ll come back to our San Jose office to have the abutment attached to the implant fixture. If you remember from “What Are Dental Implants?“, the abutment holds the crown in the gum line. After the abutment is attached to the fixture, we’ll start prepping you for your dental crown.
Step 4: Get Your Custom Tooth
During the last step of your dental implants process, you’ll come in and get fitted for your new permanent replacement tooth. Dr. Cooper will make sure that your new crown perfectly matches your teeth in color, shape, and size. He’ll also double-check to make sure that you’re satisfied with the process, and that healing is going according to plan.
Once he perfects your crown and makes it exactly to order, he’ll mount it onto your dental implant. At this point, you’ll be smiling because you’ve completed the journey, and you want to show off your new beautiful teeth. Once you walk out of Contemporary Dental Arts office in San Jose, CA, you’ll have the charming smile of your dreams
