There Is No "One Key" To Great Dental Health

Implant Restoration After A Horrible Car Accident: What To Expect

You have been through a really horrible car accident. Your face received some serious damage, so much so in fact that your dental implants were ripped from their sockets. Right now, your jaw is wired shut so that it can heal properly. The dentist came into the emergency room while you were unconscious and stitched the flesh of your gums and inner cheeks back into place, and then did the wiring. What next? You want the implants back, but here is how this situation is going to proceed.

Heal Completely

First and foremost, you have to heal completely. The damage done to your jaws and teeth alone needs a couple of months to mend. If you need rehab therapy for what the accident has done to the rest of your body, you need to do that first as well. When you are nearly a hundred percent yourself again, and you no longer need your jaws wired shut, you can visit your dentist to see about the implant restoration process.

The Initial Assessment

After healing, your dentist will look at your gum tissue and bone structure. He or she will take x-rays to see if there is adequate bone and gum tissue present to sustain fresh dental implants. If there is enough tissue and bone, your dentist can schedule you for the implant restoration. If there is not, you may have to consider an alternative to implants; partial dentures.

The Implant Restoration Procedure

Hopefully, the E.R. dentist was able to remove the damaged dental implants completely. That makes the restoration process much easier as it has given the bone structrures of your jaw time to grow newer, stronger bone cells. As before, when you initially had dental implants, you will be fully anesthetized for the procedure.

Next, the dentist will go through the same process of cutting the gum tissue open to reveal the bones of the jaw. A dental drill will create a pocket into which the implant screws are placed. The fake tooth crowns are made ahead of time, usually from the original implant molds you had. Then the implants are twisted into the screw sockets. Finally, the gum tissue is sewn up around the implants, and you are aroused from anesthesia.

A Word about Pain

You may have had some nerve damage in the accident. This is common. However, it might contribute to less pain during the implant restoration procedure. You could also be much more sensitive to pain, but the dentist will give you a prescription pain killer if you experience that problem.

Contact a dental office, like Tijeras Dental Service, for more help.


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