If you have lost some or all of your teeth, your dentist may present you with different treatment options, explaining what they are and how they are applied. The most common missing tooth treatment options include dentures, dental implants and dental bridges. Here are frequently asked questions about dental implants and dental implants procedures.

Why Are Dental Implants So Expensive?

First, dental implants are drilled in your jawbone through surgery. This means you have to be placed under general anaesthesia, especially if you require many dental implants. You might also require various types of surgery equipment, fluids and medicines, which cumulatively are expensive. You also need a second surgery to place abutments (they form the attachment position for artificial crowns), meaning you will incur the cost of surgery twice.

Secondly, the metal used for dental implants is titanium. This is an expensive metal, meaning the more dental implants you need, the higher the cost.

How Long Does a Dental Implant Procedure Take?

Dental implant procedures are done in stages. The first stage is the placement of dental implants in your jawbone, while the second is the placement of abutments and dental crowns.

Once the dental implants are placed, you need time to heal, which can take months. After this healing time, you need to visit the dentist for the second stage (abutment placement). When the abutments are attached, you need time to heal as well. This is usually several weeks.

Therefore, a dental implant procedure can take anywhere between a few months to nearly a year.

How Do You Eat During Healing Time?

This depends on the number of teeth or dental implants installed. If it's only a few and you still have most of your teeth, your dentist might require you to change your diet to soft foods and plenty of fluids, especially within the first few months.

If you have lost the majority of your teeth and many dental implants are drilled into your jawbone, your dentist installs temporary prosthetics. You will be required to take extra soft foods for the first few days.

Temporary prosthetics are designed as dentures but fit onto some of the dental implants for support. These dentures are not meant for chewing hard food; your diet will mostly consist of soft food and fluids.

You might also note that your dentist insists on dental hygiene and even guides you on how to do it. The reason is that if you do not clean your mouth correctly, you can easily get an infection and won't heal properly.

For more information about dental implants, talk to a dentist today.

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