Your Dental Implant Consultation: What to Expect

You don’t like going into a situation blind. You like knowing what to expect and preparing for it. When it comes to your dental implant consultation, it won’t be like a normal checkup—it’ll be centered on whether you can get implants and end with a plan in place. But what exactly happens during this appointment? How does your dentist judge whether you’re ready for implants? Continue reading to get a clearer idea of what you can expect from this appointment.

Discussion about Tooth Replacement Goals

Before evaluating whether dental implants are a good option for your smile, you and your dentist will have a conversation about what you’d like out of your tooth replacements. Are you surprised to learn that your input matters? It very much does! Your dentist should consider your goals and your commitment to implants as they go through the next steps.

During the consultation, it’s a great opportunity to ask any questions you have about implants in general. After all, this treatment is one of the most complex in dentistry, so it makes perfect sense if you need some clarification.

Thorough Examination of Your Mouth

To qualify for dental implants, you must have a healthy mouth. In other words, you cannot have any cavities or infections. For example, if you have gum disease, a common inflammatory condition, you cannot get dental implants because the infection will interfere with the success of treatment.

Keep in mind that, even if you have impediments like gum disease at first, these obstacles can be overcome. Gum disease can be controlled, teeth can be extracted, and cavities can be treated. After necessary work, you may then qualify for implants.

Detailed Scans

In addition to a healthy mouth, you must also have a strong jawbone with enough density to support the implants. This structure holds the implants firm, but it’s impossible to tell on the surface whether the jawbone is adequate.

That’s where technology steps in. A cone beam CT scanner takes hundreds of X-ray-like images and produces a 3D model of your oral cavity. Unlike normal X-rays, however, this scan also captures blood vessels and nerve endings, making the model more comprehensive. From this scan, your dentist can tell whether your jawbone meets the requirements and also how to approach implant placement in the most successful way possible.

Treatment Plan Customized to You

After all this, your dentist can then share their professional recommendation for your unique smile. They will explain any preliminary work that needs to be done, including gum disease treatment and bone grafting, and answer questions that are specific to your case.

With all this information in mind, you can go into your dental implant consultation with more confidence and be fully prepared for what’s coming.

About the Practice

Unlike many other offices in the area, Queen Creek Complete Dental can perform the entire dental implant process under one roof. We utilize cutting-edge technology, such as a cone beam CT scanner and a digital impression system, to make treatment much more comfortable, precise, and successful. If you are interested in dental implants and want to see if you are a good candidate for it, reach out to our Queen Creek office online or call 480-722-1200.