Full Mouth Dental Implants Recovery Time
Full mouth dental implants are an excellent treatment option for patients who are missing most or all of their natural teeth. Unlike traditional dentures, which limit the types of food you can enjoy, effects your speech, and can result in additional jawbone loss, full mouth dental implants restore the look and natural feel of your teeth.
Every patient will have a slightly different experience with regards to the steps involved in getting full mouth dental implants and what their recovery time is, but in general you can expect the following:
- Initial appointment: During your initial examination, your dentist or periodontist will evaluate your teeth and gums, review your medical and oral health history, and if necessary, diagnose the underlying issue that has necessitated the need for full mouth dental implants. Diagnostic tests are then taken (CT scans, x-rays, smile design, virtual planning, etc.) and a treatment plan is developed. Unless any additional procedures are performed at this appointment, such as a scale and root planing procedure, you will have no recovery period.
- Preparatory procedures: In some cases, it may be necessary to first perform a bone graft and/or extract a tooth/teeth prior to placement of your full mouth dental implants. Following the extraction of a tooth, you will need to use a gauze to stop the bleeding and may need pain medication and ice therapy to manage discomfort and swelling. Recovery time is usually a few days. If a bone graft is necessary, you will be sore for a few days following the procedure, and it can take anywhere from three months to one year for a bone graft to fuse with your natural bone.
- Placement of posts: Once the graft is complete, at your next appointment four, six, or eight implants are strategically placed in the upper jaw and four to six implants are placed in the lower jaw. Like a bone graft, it will take several months for these posts to fully integrate with your jawbone.
- Placement of permanent crown: Once the posts have completed the osseointegration process, permanent porcelain teeth are fixed using screws or dental cement, after which you can begin enjoying a fully restored, aesthetically pleasing functional smile. There should be no or minimal recovery period following placement of your permanent crowns.
Factors that Cause an Implant to Fail
When cared for properly, full mouth dental implants can provide indefinite sustainability; however, there are underlying reasons why an implant may weaken prematurely. Underlying medical conditions, such as cancer or diabetes increases an individual’s risk of experiencing dental implant failure. Another factor that can cause an implant to fail is improper or insufficient dental hygiene. Like your natural teeth, full mouth dental implants require daily maintenance, which includes brushing and flossing twice daily. It is also essential that you continue scheduling regular dental examinations every six months. If proper oral health care is not followed, a person increases their risk of developing gum disease, which can also be an underlying cause of implant failure.
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