What to Expect

WHAT TO EXPECT: DENTAL IMPLANTS

Upper/Lower All-on-6 or Full Mouth Rehabilitation Patients

The first visit involves the surgical procedure. Weeks in advance, you will have to decide between Regular Anesthesia which is a combination of Dormicum (sleep-inducing Tablet) or IV Sedation which requires fasting for 8 hours prior to the surgery and will be administered by an Anesthesiologist.

Regular Anesthesia comes with our package and 30% of our patients prefer this, whereas the other 70% opt for IVS for an additional cost to be completely knocked out. With Regular Anesthesia, you may have a bite to eat before the surgery; however, with IVS, you must not eat nor drink anything 8 hours before the surgery.

We will take your 3D Scan which is a very detailed version of the Panoramic x-ray that will allow our Oral Surgeon to evaluate your bone density. Good bone density means that you can go through the dental implant placement without additional costs. Low bone density means that the doctor may have to do a Sinus Lift(s) or or Bone Graft(s) depending on the location of your bone loss. Some areas have more bone than others. If you have the minimum of 4 mm of bone in the areas with low bone density, the doctor can do the Sinus Lift or Bone Graft right before placing the dental implants. If you have severe bone loss, these procedures will have to be done initially and wait for a period of 4 months before we can schedule the next step which is the dental implant placement.

The surgery will take approximately 2 1⁄2 hours. Once completed, they will take your impressions in preparation for your temporary fixed, non-removable Acrylics. Acrylic as a temporary is the ideal material for the Osseointegration phase, because it’s thicker and provides strong support for your dental implants as they fuse into your jaw bone. If chosen as the permanent material due to factors such as time (inability to return within the 4 – 6 month period) or cost effectiveness, your Acrylics will be created with titanium bars to provide máximum strength, support and durability. Based on our statistics, 97% of our patients eventually return and upgrade to Zirconia.

Once the surgery is over, those who select Regular Anesthesia are able to walk unaided and may leave the clinic afterwards. Sedated patients, however, are taken into the Recovery Room where they will continue to rest for a few more hours until the Anesthesia gradually wears off. You will be given a prescription for your post-surgical medication which will include antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, painkillers, and an oral mouthwash. A pharmacy is conveniently located on the Ground Floor of our building.

For the first 24 hours, expect bleeding to occur. Keep the gauze pads in your mouth to absorb the blood. Follow the instructions for taking the medication and you mustn’t take them on an empty stomach as they are very powerful. During this time, it's extremely crucial to follow the Soft Diet Guideline, which is mostly liquid or pureed food. Between 48 – 72 hours, you will receive your temporary Acrylics. Healing time is needed before they are attached onto your dental implants. Days 3, 4, and 5 are continuous Aesthetic Trials to achieve proper occlusion for optimum functionality as well as in arriving at the design you’re happy with. Note that you will be 100% proactive in selecting the color, size, shape, and overall appearance of your Acrylics.

For patients who return to receive their permanent Zirconias, be prepared to schedule your second visit within a 4 – 6 month period. This phase will require 10 days to finalize. On day 1, a new 3D Scan will be taken to check the health and viability of your dental implants. Your Oral Surgeon will determine if it will need to be replaced with a new one or if it won’t be necessary. New impressions will be taken as well in preparation for your Zirconias. You will not have any teeth anywhere from 24 – 72 hours but you will be given your temporaries afterwards. You may take the weekend off and you will be notified for your appointment to receive your Zirconias. This is the most critical period of your procedure as it will affect the final outcome of your Zirconias. Expect multiple Aesthetic Trials at this time, even twice a day, so we ask that you stay in Santa Ana during these final days.

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