After Dental Implant Placement in Virginia Beach, VA

Many options are available and they are tailored to your specific requirements. If you need a replacement tooth while the implants are healing, temporary removable teeth or a temporary bridge can be made. If all of your teeth are missing, your general dentist can usually modify your present complete denture or make you a new temporary denture. Depending on your particular situation, some implants can be placed and “loaded” immediately. This means a replacement tooth can be placed on, or shortly after, the day the implant is placed.

Although it is natural to be concerned about the pain that may be caused by these procedures, most patients do not experience severe or significant post-operative pain. Pain medication and antibiotics will be prescribed for you to make your recovery as easy as possible. Occasionally, some people develop post-operative infections that require additional antibiotic treatment. Even though great care is taken to place the implant precisely, occasionally adjacent teeth are injured in the placement process. In addition, there is a chance that the nerve in the lower jaw, which provides sensation to your lower lip and chin, may be affected. If you are missing quite a lot of bone, it might be difficult to place an implant without infringing on the nerve space. Although we take great care to avoid this nerve, occasionally it is irritated during the procedure, resulting in tingling, numbness or a complete lack of sensation in your lip, chin or tongue. Usually these altered sensations will resolve within time, but they can be permanent and/or painful. If you notify us of post-operative numbness as soon as possible, it will allow us to manage your care in the most appropriate way.

Oral-conscious sedation involves taking a prescribed dose of Valium approximately 90 minutes before your procedure. This medication places you in a deeply relaxed, semi-conscious state in which you can still respond to the dental team's instructions but will have little to no memory of the procedure or any discomfort experienced during it. You will need a driver to accompany you to and from your appointment and remain on-site until your procedure is complete. You should not operate a motor vehicle until the following day after oral-conscious sedation.

Implants usually last a long time. When patients are missing all of their teeth, long-term studies (more than 30 years) show an 80 to 90 percent success rate. For patients missing one or several teeth, recent studies show a success rate of greater than 95 percent, which compares favorably with other areas in the body that receive implant replacement (such as hips or knees). However, if one of your dental implants either doesn’t heal properly or loosens after a period of time, you may need to have it removed. After the site heals (or on occasion at the time of removal), another implant usually can be placed.

The replacement teeth are usually attached to the implant when adequate healing has occurred and your jaw bone is firmly fused to the implant. Depending on a variety of factors, it may be possible to begin this phase of your treatment shortly after implant placement. We will review the most appropriate treatment sequence and timing for your particular situation. Your general dentist will be the one fabricating any temporary crown or bridge for the surgical site.

While the dental work required to complete your treatment is complex, we will work very closely with your general dentist to be sure you are prepared for each phase of your implant therapy. Once the implants have adequately healed, you will be sent back to your general dentist to begin steps towards a final restoration. In most cases, once your implants are placed, you can expect your tooth replacement treatment to be completed anywhere from 4 to 10 months.

As with natural teeth, it is important that you clean implant-supported restorations regularly with toothbrushes, floss and any other recommended aids. You should also visit your dentist several times each year for hygiene and maintenance. As with regular dentures and other tooth replacements, your dental implants and their associated components are subject to wear and tear and eventually will need repair, including clip replacement, relines, screw tightening, and other adjustments.