Losing a tooth is not quite as annoying as it used to be. At least in modern times, dentists have a great way to replace missing teeth: with implants. A dental implant extends into the jaw bone and heals very stably. Once the tissues around it have healed, it will be so much like a normal tooth that you won't even remember you have an implant. Still, if you are missing a tooth or are about to have a tooth removed, you may be seeking to learn more about implants before you spring for one. Here are some important things to know at this stage.

The dental plant process is considered surgical.

It is a minor surgery, and it is typically done with you awake. However, it is surgery nonetheless. That means that your dentist will need to take a few more precautions when giving you an implant that they would not have to take with simpler procedures, such as inserting a crown. They may ask for your medical records, send you for blood tests, or consult with your general practitioner to ensure you're healthy enough, overall, to undergo dental implant surgery. Most people are, but these precautions are still important.

You won't have a new tooth after the first procedure.

Sometimes, patients expect to walk into their implant surgery and walk out with their new tooth. But actually, during this first appointment, the dentist will only insert the screw-like portion of the implant that goes down into the jaw bone. The crown, which is the visible portion of the implant, will be added to the implant later on once you've healed. This procedure requires a little patience, but it's worth it.

Some people need a bone graft first.

Your jaw bone needs to be strong and ample in order to accommodate the implant and heal around it. Without enough bone, the implant may always be too wiggly in your jaw. Luckily, if you don't have enough jaw bone, the dentist can address this with a bone graft. They'll add some cadaver bone to your jaw bone. It will fuse with your own bone, and a few months later, you can have the implant surgery.

Hopefully, this article has taught you more about implant surgery and perhaps even cleared up a few quandaries you may have had. If you need to know anything else, talk to a dentist at a service such as Koehn Dentistry & Aesthetics. They can be really informative in situations like this.