While it can make almost any dental procedure painless, no amount of anesthesia can numb a strong imagination. Anesthesia is a necessary part of dental implanting. Yet when some people think about what goes into getting dental implants, their imagination can disregard the anesthesia and paint truly horrific pictures in their minds.
So how can you shake off the nerves and put those scary thoughts to rest? Well, one of the best ways to find out what dental implants feel like during and after treatment if to hear from people who’ve been through it.
The Implant Process
Having his decaying teeth pulled was more of an issue than having his implants placed, wrote Jim Thornton in a piece for AARP The Magazine. He went on to share a slice of his dental implant procedure.
“A supervised resident numbs my jaw with lidocaine, cuts and peels back the gums, then drills four holes into the mandible,” Thornton said. “She uses what machinists call a tap to slowly cut threads inside my bone, then screws a threaded implant into each hole.”
From there it was a matter of getting his temporary crowns put on and waiting a few months for his implants to heal, before getting the permanent crowns.
On his final visit, Thornton brought along pretzels and nuts to give his permanent crowns and implants a test.
“In the car I rip open the pretzels and nuts and chomp down ferociously,” said Thornton. “The implants feel fantastic, which is to say, they don’t feel anything — exactly what I’ve always hoped for in a tooth.”
As invaluable as the results are, taking the first steps can still be hard. Too many people still don’t even make it to that first consultation.
Testing the waters and very anxious on his first visit, a patient of Withers Periodontics & Implant Dentistry in Fairfax, VA found that a warm, experienced dental staff can make all the unknowns known, so there’s nothing left to feel anxious about by the time the procedure begins.
“There was definitely anxiety, the fear of the unknown. But as soon as I came to Dr. Wither’s office, I was greeted by great people,” the patient said before adding later: “I’ll be coming to Dr. Wither’s office until [he] retires. I drive over 50 miles to this office.”
Take the First Step Today
Begin the first chapter of your dental implant success story today. Click here to schedule a consultation with a local dentist to find out more about getting dental implants in Fairfax, VA.
