What to Expect When Getting an Implant-Supported Bridge in Coatesville

Implant-supported bridges are complex restorations that are designed to replace teeth just like dental implants. Instead of using buffed-down teeth adjacent to the empty spaces in your smile to hold bridges in place, implants do all the heavy lifting. What’s ideal about implant-supported bridges is they are capable of replacing multiple teeth, even if you’re using fewer implants to do so.

However, many people considering the treatment for an implant-supported bridge in Coatesville aren’t sure what to expect after surgery and placement. Today, a dentist will go over the process in more detail.

The First and Second Surgery

Keep in mind that you’ll be given medications and sedatives during surgery, so you won’t need to be awake as the implant is being placed or restored.

During the initial surgery, the oral surgeon will use a surgical guide to place the implant in your jaw as precisely as possible. This clear piece of plastic (similar to a mouthguard) is modeled after a wax-up, which is used to help the doctors determine what the bridge will look like after it’s placed. After placing the guide over your existing teeth, they’ll open the gum tissue, place the implant, then close it to allow for healing.

The length of healing necessary will vary depending on where the implant was placed. It usually takes three to four months for implants placed in the lower jaw to heal and five to six months for implants in the upper jaw to heal. Once they’ve healed and integrated with the jaw bone, you’ll be scheduled for a second surgery so the healing cap can be placed. This allows the gums to heal properly before a temporary restoration is added.

The Placement

After the gums have properly healed, the healing cap will be removed. If the healing cap is given a permanent abutment, which is a cut down attachment designed to hold a crown, an impression will be taken with the abutment in place. This impression is used to make a permanent bridge. Until then, you’ll wear a temporary bridge to protect the implant while you chew.

This temporary restoration is worn for about four to eight weeks while the permanent metal framework for your porcelain bridge is made. After the framework is complete and the dentist has confirmed that it can hold the bridge confidently, the rest of the bridge will be completed and you’ll have it permanently secured.

Will Your Bridge Feel and Look Natural?

By the time you finish your necessary treatments, your final bridge will not just look natural to those around you. It will also feel incredibly natural as you chew food, brush and floss, and smile for photos. Just like any other dental implant, you’ll clean it every day, avoid tobacco products and not use it as a tool in any way. After all, you wouldn’t do that to your natural teeth.

Are you ready to learn about the versatility dental implants in Coatesville have to offer? Schedule an appointment today!

About the Author

Dr. Mark Simeone earned his DMD degree from Temple University’s School of Dental Medicine. He works with a highly experienced team of dentists fully capable of placing and restoring implants, including implant-supported bridges and dentures. To learn more about his practice, you can contact him through his website.