Implant Surgery
The Surgical Procedure
At Virginia Dental Care, we understand that going to the dentist, and specifically having dental surgery done can create a lot of anxiety. Most patients however, are surprised at how non-invasive the implant procedure can be.
Most surgeries performed are done within the dental office under local anesthetic. Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas) is available for those patients with high anxiety. After anesthetizing the area and making sure the patient feel no discomfort, a small incision is created and the gums moved aside so that the surgeon can have proper access to the site. A small osteotomy (hole) of around half an inch deep is created and the jaw bone. Patient will feel a vibration in their jaws, similar to that felt when a filling is being done.
Dr.Akmal utilized a number of different surgical approaches to minimize the amount of bone that is removed. We want to maintain as much bone around the implant as possible to give it the best stability and long-term success. Additional bone grafting is often done to further enhance the stability of the site or to fill in any voids in the area. The bone grafts employed by Dr.Akmal are generally not from the patient, and as such, you don’t need a second surgical harvest site.
If soft tissue augmentation may also be required, to bring the site as close to your natural dentition as possible, to maximize the chance of long term stability.
Most surgeries performed are done within the dental office under local anesthetic. Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas) is ava ilable for those patients with high anxiety. After anesthetizing the area and making sure the patient feel no discomfort, a small incision is created and the gums moved aside so that the surgeon can have proper access to the site. A small osteotomy (hole) of around half an injch deep is created and the jaw bone. Patient will feel a vibration in their jaws, similar to that felt when a filling is being done.
During the placement of the implant procedure, patients will experience mild to moderate vibrations in their jaw, slightly stronger than those felt when a dental “filling” is being done. Once the implant has been placed, the tissue is closed with some sutures.
Most patients will go back to work the next day. With a combination of Advil and Tylenol they can go about their day as normal. A stronger medicine may be prescribed as well so that the patient has access, if needed. Antibiotics and a small steroid pack may also be prescribed to help with the healing. A modified soft diet is recommended for the first week, along with antibacterial rinses to keep the site clean. Dr.Akmal will go over your specific directions after the procedure.
