Considering dental implant surgery at your Sutton dental office? Get the facts before you visit your dentist so you know the right questions to ask.

Knocked-Out Tooth

You may not need to consider dental implant surgery at all. Give your tooth a quick rinse in water or milk and leave right away for emergency dental treatment. There’s still time to save it if you act quickly. If you reach the dentist within 30 minutes, the tooth may be successfully re-implanted. Keep it in its socket for the ride or hold it under your tongue. If neither of those is an option, place it in a bowl with saline solution or milk for the trip. The longer it takes to get to the dentist, the more unlikely it is that the tooth can be re-implanted.

If you’ve hurried but were unsuccessful, it’s time to ask your dentist if dental implant surgery is right for you.

What is Dental Implant Surgery?

In the past, replacing missing teeth meant choosing between bridgework that was supported by the surrounding teeth or removable dentures. Fortunately, there’s a high-tech alternative available today that offers comfortable, natural-looking teeth.

When you undergo dental implant surgery in a Sutton dental office, your dentist will place small titanium posts in the missing tooth’s socket. If more than one tooth is missing, there will be a post for each tooth. This post acts as a substitute root, holding the implant in place. Over time, the implant fuses with the bone.

Dental Implant Advantages

Dental implants offer great value with a proven track record. With proper maintenance, your dental implants can last a lifetime.

Being supported by individual metal posts also offers an advantage over bridgework. Since each dental implant has its own support, it won’t cause any stress or damage to the neighbouring teeth.

Dental implants also offer an advantage over dentures, which can slip out of place. Your implant doesn’t need to be removed and soaked in special solution to keep it clean.

Dental implant surgery also helps you avoid the soft tissue "sagging” that can happen over time when you have missing teeth. Since there will be no gaps where the teeth were missing, your face will retain its natural shape.

Going to the dentist can be intimidating, especially if you’ve been avoiding dentists for years. Remember that it’s your dentist’s job to fix broken teeth and help you replace missing teeth. If missing teeth are affecting your confidence and your social life, it may be time to finally make the call. Dentists understand that a bad experience in the past may make you uneasy about visiting. Just let them know that it’s been awhile and explain why when you make the appointment.

If you don’t have a dentist, look online to find a Sutton dental office that is accepting new patients. Let the receptionist know that you’re interested in dental implant surgery so your Sutton dental office will be prepared to guide you through the steps involved in the surgery.