First Step to Dental Implants: The Consultation and Exam

By Golden Dental

April 05, 2014

Category: Dental Procedures

Tags: cosmetic dentistry dental implants

You have a missing tooth or two, and you decided on a dental implant as the procedure for you. It’s great that you are being proactive about your tooth loss. If you left it untreated, you would be setting yourself up for more dental issues. An implant isn’t done in one day, and it shouldn’t be rushed. To make sure you are choosing the best restorative option, you need to get an exam.

What to expect during a dental implant exam

Your oral health is important and should be a top priority in your life. Healthy teeth and gums make it easy to speak, eat and smile. All dental treatments require precise attention to detail. In regards to dental implants, the preliminary exam is very important. It reveals your health background, oral hygiene habits and current dental situation.

Dental X-rays

One of the first things your dentist will do is take X-rays of your jaw, focusing on the affected area. At Golden Dental, Dr. Roland Markarian, Lancaster dentist, will do a digital and panoramic digital X-ray of your teeth and jaw. For a dental implant, your dentist needs to know the height of available jawbone near the missing tooth. Why is that important?

When you lose a tooth, there is nothing to stimulate the jawbone, so it can start to resorb. For osseointegration (process of bone cells attaching to implant) to be successful, there needs to be a sufficient amount of bone for the implant to anchor.

Periodontal exam

Periodontal (gum) disease is the number one cause of tooth loss. Dental trauma and tooth decay could have caused the tooth loss, but first, your dentist needs to rule out periodontal issues. If gum disease is present, it needs to be taken care of before going forward with an implant. Severe gum disease breaks down tissue, jawbone and the tooth root. If this isn’t treated, a dental implant might not succeed.

Tooth-by-tooth assessment

Before undergoing a dental implant, you should take care of other dental abnormalities, ranging from cavities to chipped/cracked teeth.

A preliminary implant exam will determine whether a dental implant in Lancaster is right for your dental situation. If you need a consultation for dental implants in Lancaster, call (661) 948-8100.

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