What should I expect from a dental implant procedure?
At Allure Dental Center, your dental implant procedure will be performed by either Dr. Trinh Lee or Dr. Suzanna Lee, both of whom are American Board of Oral Implantology implant specialists. Prior to the actual procedure, you will have an initial consultation to discuss your medical history and hopes for the procedure. Your implant specialist will also examine your mouth and take x-rays of your jaw, teeth, and skull to ensure that you are fit for the procedure. If you are deemed fit for dental implants, your implant specialist will proceed with the procedure. The first stage of the procedure involves placing the dental implant beneath the gums and into your jawbone. After it is in place, the gums are stitched back up. In some cases, depending on your medical history, jawbone condition, and the materials and techniques used, your gums will need to heal before moving on to the second stage of the procedure. If so, the procedure will take place over a course of several months. At Allure Dental Center, we use the Simplified Microsurgical Implant Lifelike Esthetics (SMILE) technique, which immediate placement of the implant and provisional crown so you can get the procedure over with in one sitting. During the second stage of the procedure, your implant specialist will attach an abutment to the implant. The abutment connects and holds the crown that caps the dental implant securely to the implant. Finally, a prosthetic tooth is made and attached to the abutment. The prosthetic tooth looks and feels like a natural tooth, so you don’t need to worry about it feeling uncomfortable or standing out in an unflattering way.