Caring for an Elderly Parent With Special Dental Needs
Preparing For Dental Implants: What To Expect
Joe Lawrence
Dental implants through a place like Oral Surgery Associates Inc are a viable option for many people who have lost adult teeth, either due to dental problems or physical trauma. If you're embarrassed by the appearance of a missing tooth when you smile, you may want to talk to your dentist about dental implants, which are essentially meant to be a permanent replacement for missing teeth.
The Initial Consultation
If you're interested in dental implants, the first thing you'll want to do is to make an appointment with a dentist who offers them. It is important to schedule this consultation as a means of determining whether or not you're a viable candidate for the procedure. In most cases, you should be, but there are instances where dental implants may not be right for you. Most often, those with advanced periodontal disease are not good candidates for implants because the jaw bone may not be intact enough to support the implant post.
Placing the Implant Post
If you are a viable candidate for dental implants, the procedure will begin with placement of an implant post. This is what will hold your new tooth in place. Specifically, the implant post is surgically inserted, essentially by drilling the post into the jaw bone. After this procedure, your dentist will wait to place the finishing crown over the post until he or she can be sure that it is healing properly and without risk of infection. This can take up to a few weeks.
Placing the Crown
Once your dentist is happy with the healing of the implant post, it will be time to place the crown. Most likely, your dentist will take the necessary molds for your crown as part of your implant post procedure. From there, an artificial tooth can be created that matches the look and color of the rest of your natural teeth. The placing of the crown is painless and only take a few minutes; from there, the appearance of your tooth with be restored.
Follow-Up Appointments
More than likely, your dentist will want to schedule several follow-up appointments in the weeks and months following your dental implant procedures. He or she will also want to take X-rays to inspect the implant post and make sure it continues to be accepted by the body. These follow-up appointments are an important part in making sure you're healing properly and that your new implants are going to last for a long time to come.
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Caring for an elderly parent tends to be tough enough without the added stress of dealing with dental implants or dentures. But, the prospect is not the end of the world—there are many things you can do to ensure that your parent's dental health is not compromised without having to spend a lot of personal time doing the care yourself. Between working with the right dentist, hiring a service provider for part time work, and giving your parent the tools he or she needs to care for his or her own dental health at home, you'll find that dental health for your loved one isn't so tough or time consuming after all. Hopefully you are able to get the support and information you need right here.