Implant FAQ'S
Surgery and Implant Placement
The implant surgery takes between one to two hours and will be performed in an operatory at Dr. Richards' office.
Am I a good candidate for dental implants?
Dr. Richards and your general dentist will work together with you to determine if you are a good candidate for implant therapy. They will make a complete evaluation of your oral health status, the condition of your gums, teeth and supporting structures as well as any dentures or dental work. They will take X-rays, make replicas of your teeth and jaws for guidance in placing your implants. Your jaw will be assessed for any special considerations that may require treatment before implant placement. In some cases a bone graft, or guided bone regeneration may be required to ensure adequate bone to anchor the implant.
Your medical health will also be evaluated as well as any special medical conditions you may have and medications you take.
Your doctors will consider the health of your gums, oral tissues and the shape of your jaw as well as instruct you in oral hygiene practices to help you prepare for and maintain your implants. Healthy gums are more likely to heal round an implant properly.
What precautions should I take before surgery?
Before or after the surgery you may be asked to take oral antibiotics and use antiseptic mouthwash. You will also be asked to brush your teeth carefully the morning of your surgery.
What happens during the surgery?
You may be given a sedative if you like and local anesthesia will be administered. After you are anesthetised Dr. Richards will expose your jaw bone and prepare one to several precisely measured holes. Very gentle low speed drilling and extensive saline irrigation will be used to promote healing of the delicate bone tissue more quickly. Dr. Richards then places the titanium implant and sutures the soft tissues back around the neck of the implants, which will extend to the gum line. The implants are designed so that the living bone tissue will bond rigidly to them, usually in about 6-8 weeks.
What happens after surgery?
You will be given post-operative instruction by either Terry or Wendy, our assistants. An ice-pack held to yor face will reduce the swelling. When you are ready to leave, your assistant may give you a prescription for pain or antibiotic medication, along with further instructions from Dr. Richards.
The first day at home you may drink liquids and start a soft diet. Take your antibiotics and pain medications as prescribed and continue to use ice-packs and gauze as needed. Proper home care with frequent rinsing helps prevent infection and assists the healing process.
One to two weeks after the surgery, Terry/Wendy or Dr. Richards will remove the sutures. At two weeks you will be asked to clean your mouth with a soft-bristled toothbrush to prevent plaque build-up. Shortly before healing is complete, Dr. Richards will evaluate the restored shape of your gums and decide if adjustments are necessary.
When can I resume my normal activities?
Most people return to work within a day or two of surgery. You will make routine visits to Dr. Richards to ensure proper healing. Two-three weeks after surgery, your general dentist or Dr. Richards may reline your old denture.
You can then wear your denture, which may have to be adjusted during the healing period. Should any soreness develop, be sure to contact your general dentist or Dr. Richards who will releive the pressure under your dentures. You will usually have a restorable implant within 2 months of placement.
What symptoms should I report?
Call Dr. Richards if:
your jaws continue to swell after the first 24 hrs you have a fever pain in your jaws, mouth or sinuses is unrelieved by pain medication.
Creating and Attaching your new teeth
When osseointegration is complete and your jaw and gums are completely healed, you are ready for the making and attaching of your new teeth. Osseointegration may take between 6 weeks and 6 months depending on whether a bone graft was needed at the implant site. A grafted site takes longer to heal. When the implant is ready for the crown you will begin working with your general dentist or prosthedontist.
How will my new teeth attach to the implants?
Before referring you back to your dentist Dr. Richards must remove the temporary screws from your healed implants and insert abutments (special attachments) in their place. He may take an x-ray beforehand to confirm the osseointegration of the implants.
How are my new teeth created?
With the abutments in place your dentist will make impressions (molds) of your mouth and imprints the way your jaws fit together. These are used to construct a model of your jaws, teeth and the abutments.
From this model, your dentist will create a prosthesis (an artifcial replacement tooth). To ensure the best fit this may take several visits to your dentist over a period of several weeks. during this time you can continue to wear your old denture, partial or single false tooth.
Once the best fit is made the new prosthesis (single tooth or bridge) will be attached to the abutments previously placed on your implant(s).
What precautions should I take when using my new teeth
Your dentist may ask you not to eat hard or crunchy food for a few weeks after your prosthesis is installed. After that, make sure never to chew on ice, pencils, metal or other hard objects which may damage your prosthesis.
What problems should I report?
Call your general dentist if:
you have pain or discomfort in your jaws your new teeth are loose your new teeth do not fit together correctly the prosthesis chips or breaks
Caring For Your New Teeth
Dental implants need special care to keep them clean and trouble-free. Much of the success of osseointegration depends on keeping each abutment post clean and plaque-free. After the placement of your prosthesis your general dentists will evaluate the progress of your home care at your check-up appointments.
If your prosthesis feels loose don’t hesitate to call your general dentist who, in most situations, can quickly rectify the problem.
How do I clean my new replacement teeth?
Just like natural teeth, you should clean both the prosthesis and the abutment, after each meal. However, it is important that you develop personal cleaning techniques to suit your own needs.
Brushing
You should brush both the inside and the outside of a removable prosthesis. Then brush around the gum and abutments with the prosthesis removed.
Brush a fixed prosthesis thoroughly as you would natural teeth. You may want to use an inter dental brush with a bent handle to clean around the abutment posts. Make sure that the interdental brush has a nylon-coated center wire to avoid scratching the soft metal surface of the abutment post. Your dentist should be able to recommend the home care kits that will work best for you.
Flossing
With dental implants you will need to floss even more than before. You may be asked to use a special floss.
Floss around the abutment posts of removable prosthesis with your teeth removed. Use floss or other suggested non-metallic instruments around the front, sides and back of the abutment posts of fixed or removable prosthesis.
When will I need dental check-ups?
Your general dentist should check the fit of your prosthesis and clean your abutment posts as necessary at least twice a year.
You should see Dr. Richards once a year to check the stability of your anchored implants and the health of your gums and jaw.
A. Removable partial denture. 
A. Tooth-supported bridge 
A. Removable partial denture 
A. Removable full denture 
A. Removable full denture 
ooth has been lost the bone around the vacant site disappears because there is not tooth present to support it. This bone loss can be so severe that in some cases before an implant can be placed it is necessary to regenerate this lost bone. Bone regeneration can be acheived in one of two ways. 
