Dental implants are increasingly becoming the first choice for replacing missing teeth. Unlike dentures though, they will always require minor surgery in order to place them. For this reason, a significant number of people still opt for dentures, despite some of the potential issues associated with them such as a lack of stability and movement. In today’s blog, we are going to take a look at the reality of dental implant placement and discuss how painful or not, the procedure is likely to be.
Even if they find it unpleasant, most patients probably know what to expect from a filling or an extraction. Dental implants are a different matter though. In this case, it isn’t a tooth that is being drilled into or extracted but the bone tissue of the jaw. For some people, this might sound like something from a horror movie, and we do understand that the fear of the unknown can be a powerful thing.
The reality though is that creating the holes in the bone for the implant to be placed into shouldn’t cause any more discomfort than most other invasive procedures. It is important to remember that modern dentistry equipment is very sophisticated and allows us to use scans etc to ensure exact placement and the local anaesthetic that we use is very powerful too. In addition to this, it is worth remembering that dentists have to undergo many additional years of training to be able to place implants so you can be sure that you will be in very good hands.
Having hopefully helped patients to understand that a dental implant procedure should not cause significantly more discomfort than most invasive treatments, it has to be acknowledged that it is usually a lengthier procedure than some. This is especially the case if several implants are to be placed, such as in the All On 4 procedure. Implant placement is a complex but highly successful procedure and, given that the outcome should provide you with dental implants that can last for at least twenty years if you look after them well, it makes sense to ensure that the treatment is carried out accurately even if this takes a little longer. We will be able to give you an estimate of the treatment time at your initial consultation.
One thing that can really help for this procedure and is also hugely beneficial to patients of Blake Dental who are nervous about receiving this treatment, is that we are able to provide you with sedation options and we will discuss these in a moment.
Ultimately, this procedure may be one that you don’t look forward to, and most people don’t enjoy dental treatment anyway, but it is one that can give you many many years of stable and secure teeth, compared with the possibility of loose and unstable dentures. The title of a well known book perhaps sums it all up when weighing up the concerns and the benefits; ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway’. This sounds like good advice to us and we are always more than happy to discuss any concerns that you might have to help you put your mind at ease.
Dental anxiety is quite common. For most people though, it is simply a case of taking a deep breath and undergoing any treatment that is needed. For others, dental phobia levels are much higher. Combine this with a lengthier treatment and it isn’t surprising that many implant patients opt for sedation to help them receive this treatment in a more relaxed manner.
There are two options available to our Witham patients to help you feel at ease during your treatment.
Oral sedation – This is administered in the form of a tablet that you take prior to the treatment. We will advise the best time to take it so that you gain the most benefit from it. This is a more straightforward and milder option.
Conscious sedation – For this one, we bring a doctor to the practice to administer the sedation for you. This is a stronger sedative which will leave you conscious and able to answer questions should we need to ask you anything, but also fully relaxed. We can discuss which of these may be most suitable for you before you receive the treatment.
In both cases, you will need to bring a responsible adult with you to your appointment. Both sedatives will leave you feeling a little ‘woozy’ and it is not safe to return home alone, and definitely no driving! The sedative will remain in your system for a while so you should also book the day off work. In fact, if you can, we recommend allowing yourself two or three days before returning to work, simply for the fact that rest is a good way to start the healing process of your dental implant. This is especially important if you do a heavy manual job rather than perhaps, say, work in an office.
We do understand that having dental implants placed in Witham might seem a little scary, but this treatment has been around for some time and is both well established and also very successful indeed. We are always happy to discuss any aspect of the treatment that you have concerns about and we are sure that our friendly and experienced teeth implant team will be able to put you at ease.
For more information on dental implants or to arrange to have an initial consultation with us, please call Blake Dental today on 01376 501688.
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Katie Annabel Blake trading as Blake Dental is an Introducer Appointed Representative of Financing First Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Katie Annabel Blake is a credit broker, not a lender. The provider of a payment scheme which is not offered through or by Financing First Limited may not be so authorised and regulated.
