It’ll be worth the wait
Having dental implants in Edinburgh may take a while but it will be worth the wait. These miracles of dental engineering have the power to alter people’s quality of life for the better. However, getting implants fitted can take a while.
In Edinburgh, dental implants are available from various dental practices, such as Edinburgh Dental Specialists.
Consultation and examination
The first stage in the process is an initial consultation where the patient gets to ask lots of questions and decide if they want to go for a proper examination. This is the second appointment. The dentist thoroughly examines the mouth for oral issues that need to be addressed first, and also checking that the jawbone is strong enough to receive the implants, and to withstand chewing once the implants are in place. For issues with bone density, the dentist may suggest a bone graft. If there are issues with healing, such as uncontrolled diabetes or tobacco smoking, the dentist may ask the patient to get these sorted before surgery can take place. This can delay things, but with the price of dental implants in Edinburgh, this is not something to waste by not being physically prepared and in good condition.
Treatment plan
The dentist will draw up a written treatment plan detailing the number of implants to be placed and how many crowns each one will support. There is no need to have an implant for every crown, which reduces cost and surgery time.
In the chair
On surgery day, the patient will receive a local anaesthetic and sedation if they are anxious. While they relax in the chair the dentist will open up the gum, drill channels at pre-determined angles and put the implants into them before covering them with a temporary protective cap and closing the gum back up. This takes about an hour.
At home
Next come several weeks of healing while the titanium of the implant fuses with the jawbone to create a stable and secure chewing base.
Back in the chair
The dentist reopens the gum, removes the cap, screws in an abutment and adds the artificial crown, bridge or denture. And all is done.
