Facing Your Fears Before A Dental Implant Surgery

When you are going to undergo dental implant surgery, you might be concerned about the whole procedure, whether it will be painful and what it will be like. A lot of patients are afraid of undergoing procedures such as dental implant surgery, but dentists fortunately have techniques in place that can be used to help you overcome your fears.

Anxiety Vs. Phobia

First, you'll need to know if you are suffering from dental anxiety or dental phobia. A lot of individuals suffer from dental phobia, but dental anxiety is a much more serious condition. Most patients experience some fear when visiting the dentist. However, some patients have a more serious fear that stems from having a dentist phobia.

If you suffer from a dentist phobia, this might be the result of having gone to the dentist and having a bad experience. Other patients had their first experience with a dentist when they were in excruciating pain and now associate seeing a dentist with pain. They may even cry when they finally are back in the dentist chair. What is even worse is that by putting off dental work for so many years, patients might end up losing some of their teeth and be forced to receive dental implants.

Feeling More Comfortable

Dental implant surgeons will do whatever they can to help ease fears and help you feel comfortable. In extreme cases, you may even need to be given a sedative so that you can relax more easily. 

What to Expect from a Dental Implant Surgery

Another way to feel more relaxed is to know what to expect when you undergo a dental implant surgery. When the dental implant is inserted into your jawbone, you will likely experience less pain than you expected. You may receive local anesthesia or even sedation. The type of discomfort you'll experience is similar to the discomfort that is experienced with any other type of surgery and can be managed with medications. 

As you are healing, your jawbone and implant will fuse together gradually. This is meant to create a long-lasting and possibly permanent fuse between the implant and the jawbone. You will initially be expected to eat only soft food to allow for your jawbone to heal properly. After you have healed completely, you will then have custom-made teeth attached to your implant. You can use your implants just like you would use normal teeth. 

For more information about dental implants, talk to your dental professional.

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