Dental implants; a Q and A session about the procedure

Do you want to have oral implants fitted, but are uncertain about the fitting itself? Or do you want to simply learn more about the surgery?

Our team at High Dental Implants has fitted hundreds of dental implants Melbourne over the years and will be more than happy to discuss any aspect of the fitting procedure with you.

Here, our team answers the most common questions we receive about having dental implants Melbourne fitted.

Does the fitting hurt?

It shouldn’t!

Before we fit your dental implants Melbourne, we will aim to numb the area with a local anaesthetic, or, if you are nervous, we will offer you a type of sedation to help you to relax.

When you are at home afterwards, any discomfort you feel from having the implant(s) fitted should be controllable with over-the-counter pain relief.

How long does it take?

The oral implant surgery can be lengthy, especially if you are having multiple oral implants fitted. Therefore, if you are having more than 1 implant fitted, we will generally aim to split up the sessions. But each session can last up to 2 hours, depending on where the implant is being fitted.

Will I need stitches?

In a word, yes.

When we fit an oral implant, we will be making incisions into the gums and, even if you have a vacant socket to place the implant into, we will still need to stitch the gums together afterwards.

These may or may not be dissolvable and depending on your age, and other factors such as the number of implants fitted, you may need to have the stitches removed at a later date.

To prevent damage to the stitches, clean the implant site with salt water at first and then move on to a soft-bristled toothbrush.

Do I need to make preparations for the surgery?

This depends entirely on the pain relief that is offered when you are having the surgery.

If you are going to have just a local anaesthetic, then you will not need to prepare for the surgery. But, if our team is going to offer you intravenous (IV) sedation, then we will advise you on what you should and should not do before the surgery.

If you are taking blood-thinning medications such as warfarin, you will need to discuss this with your doctor before you have an oral implant fitted.

Can I be sedated?

If you are nervous about having your oral implants fitted, or we have determined that your gag reflex is too sensitive, we may be able to offer you sedation.

Typically, we will aim to ensure that any sedation we offer is of minimum inconvenience, so we will try to opt for options such as nitrous oxide first. If this doesn’t suit you for whatever reason, then we will aim to offer you intravenous (IV) sedation. This is stronger than nitrous oxide and will require you to have an age-appropriate member of your friends or family escort you home afterwards. If you have been offered IV sedation, you will also need to refrain from operating heavy machinery for 24 hours.

DISCLAIMER

All treatment carries risks. Individual consultation is required with one of our practitioners to ensure that the treatment is right for you.