You used to love having lunch with friends. It’s fun to talk and catch up, but eating in front of other people has started to make you self-conscious since you got dentures years ago. You’ve become accustomed to your prosthetic teeth, but could they give you more?
After hearing and learning a lot about dental implants, you consider talking to your dentist about them. Going into your consultation, you may be nervous about transitioning from dentures to dental implants. What will it be like? How will they feel? How can you make the process go smoothly? Read on to learn more.
Why the Transition Is Worthwhile
Before you go through the effort and time of making this transition, you may be wondering if it is even worth doing. Especially if you’ve had dentures for a long time, you may have become used to them and have adjusted how you talk and eat.
However, dental implants come with priceless benefits, such as a stronger bite, healthier jawbone and facial shape, confidence that your prosthetic teeth won’t slip, and much more. They also last substantially longer than traditional dentures, which means you don’t have to replace your prosthetic teeth nearly as often. When you consider all these upsides, the time and effort it takes to get dental implants become worth the small sacrifice.
After the Implant Placement Surgery
Unfortunately, getting dental implants does involve minor surgery, but it doesn’t interrupt your life for weeks or months. In fact, most feel back to normal within a week. For about two days after the procedure, you shouldn’t be active, giving your body ample time to heal. Smoking and using a straw should also be avoided during this vulnerable period to allow a blood clot to protect the tissue underneath.
Usually, over-the-counter pain medication is enough to keep discomfort to a minimum. After about a week, you may resume your normal diet and activity level without any hinderance.
After Implant Restoration
When you’re ready to have your implant restoration attached, you will definitely feel a difference in your prosthetic teeth. Instead of relying on suction or remaining teeth for stability, your restoration will be grounded in the jawbone, which means it should feel like the real thing!
As you readjust to “natural” teeth again, at first you need to be cautious when biting and chewing to avoid accidentally harming soft tissues. You may want to start with softer foods and build back up to your normal diet as you get used to moving food in your mouth with stable teeth. However, once you’ve mastered this more natural feeling, you should be good to enjoy your complete smile to the fullest!
In total, the time it takes to go from dentures to dental implants is usually between six months and a year to complete, which may seem like a long time. However, when you think about the many, many years of confidence and smiles ahead, it’s a worthy sacrifice to make. So take that first step and talk to your dentist about getting implants!
About the Practice
At Williamsburg Dental, we have the training and clinical experience to handle complex treatment including placing and restoring dental implants. Our team can walk you through the process from beginning to end and let you know what you can expect at each step of the way. Would you like to learn more about dental implants? Contact us at one of our six Lincoln locations here and schedule an appointment.