Top 10 Questions You Should Ask Your Dentist Before Getting Dental Implants
Top 10 Questions You Should Ask Your Dentist Before Getting Dental Implants Dental Implants are a fantastic treatment for patients that are missing one or more teeth or who are going to lose their teeth. The look, feel, and functionality of dental implants are the closest thing you can get to your natural teeth. However, having dental implants placed is a surgery that you should take very seriously. It s imperative that you do your due diligence and ask your doctor the following 10 questions to ensure you are putting yourself in the best possible situation for a successful outcome. 2
Top 10 Questions You Should Ask Your Dentist Before Getting Dental Implants 1 Does the doctor use surgical stents or guides? Proper implant placement has become less of a prosthetic dilemma with the use of surgical stents. Surgical stents provide communication between the surgeon and restoring dentist, so that the implant is placed at the ideal prosthetic position and angulation. The last problem you want to have is for the implant to be placed, then when you go to get the crown put on the position is incorrect... 2 Does your doctor use 3D X-ray imaging and updated computer technology to ensure that the implant is being placed in the correct location with sufficient bone? It is a luxury to have a doctor that utilizes 3D imaging to aid in implant placement. Cone Beam technology helps the clinician know exactly where to place the implant and if there is sufficient bone. It literally takes all guessing out of the equation. 3
3 & 4 & 5 6 7 8 How long has the doctor been placing dental implants? How may implants has the doctor placed in their career? Most patients would prefer to work with a clinician that is highly skilled with years of practice before having them place your dental implants. Make sure you ask them questions about training, experience, and numbers of implants. What is the doctor s 5 and 10 year success rates? The success rate of dental implants is extremely high in most cases. However, doctors that do not have as much experience or use the latest technology can often have much lower success ratios for their patients. Please ask them for the success rate for 5 and 10 years post op. When is the doctor planning on loading the implants and why? Some doctors will load the implants the same day, some load them progressively, and some load them after 4-6 months... There are reasons for each of these and each can be appropriate depending on your situations. So ask your doctor when they are planning to load the implants and why. How many surgeries will be required? You should know ahead of time how many surgeries this will require and in many cases it may be advantageous to get a second opinion. Does the doctor utilize sedation? IV conscious sedation or oral sedation can make the surgery much more comfortable for you. Ask if they have this service available. Top 10 Questions You Should Ask Your Dentist Before Getting Dental Implants 4
Top 10 Questions You Should Ask Your Dentist Before Getting Dental Implants 9 Are they restoring the implant? Sometimes the doctor that places the implant will restore them as well. Ask if this is possible and if not ask who will be doing the restoration... The restoration is just as important as the placement of the implant in regards to long-term stability. 10 If your doctor is not restoring the implant, who is and what is their success rate? If your doctor is placing the implant but not restoring ask them about the experience of the doctor doing the restoration. Have they attended any advanced courses? What is their success ratio? 5
If you re considering having a dental implant placed to replace one or more missing teeth, be certain you have chosen a dentist that is dedicated to making sure you receive the best dental care possible. At Dr. Davis office, we believe it is our responsibility to ensure that we are up to date on the latest technology and systems to ensure that your dental implants are not only aesthetically beautiful but also functional and healthy. Dr. Davis has placed thousands of dental implants and is proud of his success rates. We are certain that you will find your experience at our practice a pleasurable one and will strive to not only reach your expectations but to exceed them! We would be pleased to schedule a consultation appointment for you to discuss dental implants. Please call our office 239.649.7766 to speak with a knowledgeable member of our staff today! 4933 Tamiami Trail North, Suite 100 Naples, FL 34103 239.649.7766 www.naplesperiodontist.com