How Dental Implants Work - Rochester, MNGiving New Life to Incomplete Smiles

You know how important it is to replace your missing teeth. That's why you're opting for dental implants in Rochester, right? You've learned all about the benefits, why they're the best, and what you can expect after they're in place, but what about the actual process? As a patient, you can rest assured that our dentists at Gentling Dental Care want nothing but the best for your smile and will do everything possible to give you the fully restored smile you deserve. But before they get started, we want you to have some insight into what you can expect as you prepare to say goodbye to that vacant spot in your mouth and hello to the dental implant filling its spot.

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

Before any dental procedure, it's always best for our dentists to sit down with you for an initial consultation. What does this mean? Well, it means that your dentist in Rochester will go through each step of the process with you, discussing the surgery, the timeline, the cost, and what you'll be required to do in order to extend the life of your dental implant.

During this appointment, they'll also examine your mouth to see how much bone support you currently have. If you're wondering why this is important, it is because the implant needs a strong and solid foundation to hold it up, so if you don't have enough bone density, the implant will fail. If it is determined that you need additional dental work before receiving dental implants, our dentists may suggest a bone graft or sinus lift depending on your individual needs.

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Dental Implant Surgery

One of our highly skilled dentists will administer anesthesia to ensure you are comfortable throughout the duration of the procedure. Once they are satisfied with your level of comfort, they will make a small incision in your gum line and expose the bone. Drilling a small hole, they will position and place the implant before stitching up the wound.

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment

The next phase of your dental implant procedure is you'll be required to go home and spend the next several months healing. A process called osseointegration must occur in order to move forward with the dental implant process. Osseointegration is the fusing together of the implant and bone. Without it, the implant will be unstable and ultimately, it will fail.

If necessary, one of our dentists will place a temporary crown that you will wear while you heal. Once you've spent anywhere from 3 to 6 months healing, you'll return to our office to have the abutment put into place. This is a connector that fits on top of the implant and serves to hold the custom restoration in place.

Placement of Dental Implant Restorations

Finally, whether you're receiving a single tooth implant, an implant bridge, or an implant-retained denture, your customized restoration will be placed on top of the abutment. To create your dental crown, denture, or bridge, the lab will match the size, color, and shape to your natural teeth, so no one will be able to tell you have an artificial prosthetic in your mouth.

  • Gentling Dental Care

    2210 North Broadway Avenue
    Rochester, MN 55906

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    Phone: (507) 288-7379

    Hours
    Mon: 7:30AM-5:00PM
    Tue: 7:30AM-5:00PM
    Wed: 7:30AM-5:00PM
    Thu: 7:00AM-5:00PM
    Fri: 8:00AM-12:00PM
    Sat: Closed
    Sun: Closed