Do You Have To Go Without Teeth Before Getting Implants?

If you’re dealing with missing teeth and want to get dental implants in the Wausau area, you’re probably wondering what the procedure looks like.

Specifically, will you have to go without teeth for a while? Well, the short answer is: not necessarily.

Keep reading to get the long answer:

How Do Dental Implants Work?

 Dental implants are artificial teeth made from three distinct elements:

• Titanium post: Is designed to replace the missing tooth’s root and help stimulate the jaw to support your overall oral health.

• Abutment: A connecting piece that absorbs some of the shock put into the implant while chewing.

• Dental crown: The dental crown is the visible part of the restoration that completes your smile.

The implant surgery involves making an incision into your jaw and inserting the titanium post. After that, you will enter a healing phase known as osseointegration. During it, the jaw bone and gums will fuse to the implant, keeping it firmly in place.

Since the titanium post is the foundation of the entire implant, patients can’t receive the abutment or crown until the area is fully healed. Otherwise, you can risk implant failure.

Will You Go Without Teeth for Six Months? 

Patients aren't too excited when learning that dental implant procedures span such a long period of time, especially if your implant is replacing one of your front teeth.

But there are some temporary solutions you can opt for to complete your smile until your implant surgery site heals. 

These can include:

• Temporary dental crowns: They can be cemented over the implant site and complete your smile until you’re ready to complete the procedure;

• Flippers: These are a type of removable retainer that fills the gap in your teeth. They need to be removed before eating and to clean your teeth.

• Temporary bridge: Like crowns, a bridge is cemented over the implant site and two of your natural teeth. However, bridges are only recommended if those two anchor teeth are also damaged since the procedure requires resizing them to fit the caps. 

Dr. Skutak can help you determine which of these options works best for you.

How to Support Healing After Implant Surgery

Whether you get a temporary tooth replacement or not, you can stick to the implant healing timeline by:

• Making sure to clean your teeth every day by brushing and flossing
• Chewing on the other side of your mouth
• Eating foods in the first few days after your surgery
• Not smoking
• Taking a break from the gym or strenuous physical activity the first week after surgery, etc.

Lisa M. Skutak, DDS, can provide more personalized care tips to help you support dental implant healing.

But first, you should find out if you’re a good candidate for these artificial teeth.

Request a visit to Skutak Dental online or call our office at (715) 355-4433 to find out more about our dental implant services.