A guide to how dental implants are fitted

Unsure of the process behind having oral implants fitted?

At Hilton Dental Clinic, our team has fitted many dental implants Nottingham, and knows each stage of the fitting process inside and out.

Here, we offer a brief guide on what you can expect when you have dental implants Nottingham fitted by our team.

The initial consultation

At the initial meeting you have with our team relating to dental implants Nottingham, we will assess your suitability by taking X-rays of your jawbone, asking questions about your health and lifestyle, and also conducting assessments of your teeth and gums.

If it all looks good, we will invite you back for a fitting.

Second visit and the fitting!

At this appointment, the fitting begins!

And as such, our team will inject your gums with a local anaesthetic and will then make some incisions into your gums. Gently peeling them back, a small hole will be drilled into your jaw (assuming that there is not an already vacant socket) for us to fit the implant.

For each implant, you can expect a session of around 2 hours and once they are fitted, we will sew up the gum around them.

Home care

When at home, it is vital that you care for your newly fitted implants so that the fusing process can go off without a hitch.

This means that for the first few weeks, you should consume healthy, soft foods like stews and soups, and you should avoid eating any hard or hot foods that could irritate the gums or put pressure on the implants.

To keep the implant site clean, it is advised that you use saltwater to clear away any bacteria and debris.

Prosthetics!

Depending on the size of the gap in your mouth, our team may need to fit more than 1 implant. So, if you are having a bridge fitted, we may need to secure 2 or more implants, and for supporting an entire set of dentures, it is likely that we will place 4 implants in the bottom jaw and 4 in the top.

The prosthetic teeth will be colour, translucency and shade-matched to blend in with your surrounding natural teeth. If you are having a set of dentures fitted, however, we can make them in any shade you wish, so you can really achieve that Hollywood smile if you want to!

The fitting of the prosthetics will take place once we have determined that your implants have fused to your jaw, and the process of attaching them will take up to 2 hours.

Life with implants

OK, so your implants have been fitted and you have had your prosthetics attached. Your new life with your gorgeous new smile and functional teeth can begin!

But, while it can be tempting to forget about brushing your new teeth (after all, they won’t become decayed will they?) it is very important to stay on top of your dental hygiene. If plaque and bacteria are not removed from your mouth when you have implants, this can lead to the implants becoming loose and failing. After all, gum disease can cause natural teeth to become loose and fall out, and it can do the exact same thing for implants.

So, aim to brush them twice a day, floss, rinse with mouthwash and of course, see our team twice a year to have them assessed for signs of gum disease or rejection.