Dental Implants

Dental Implant Services In Kamloops, BC | Thompson Valley Dental

Placement and Restoration Services

At Thompson Valley Dental, our Kamloops dentists are strong advocates of procedures and policies that preserve the natural teeth. However, sometimes keeping a natural tooth can do more harm than good to the dentition. In order to prevent the negative side effects of extracted teeth, Dr. Bruce Tucker is trained in placing and restoring dental implants at his Kamloops dental practice.

What are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are titanium posts surgically attached to the jaw bone. These posts are the support for several potential prostheses, or restorations, which will replace missing teeth. Unlike dentures or removable bridges, the implants feel natural, function almost as well as the original teeth do, and won’t interfere with the health of the original dentition since there are not any clasps wrapped around neighbouring teeth.

Before Implant Surgery

The first step in receiving a dental implant is to come in for a consultation to determine if you can have the surgery without preliminary treatments.
The main concern is whether your jaw bones are thick and strong enough to properly support the implants. If the bone is too thin or too soft, you may require a bone graft or sinus augmentation to make the upper and lower jaw, respectively, able to support the implants. Without a strong enough bone structure, the implants might be too loose or fall out.

During Implant Surgery

While implant surgery only takes an hour usually, our dentists recommend getting plenty of rest afterwards. For most patients, they can go back to work the day after the implants are placed. Most patients don’t even feel pain from the procedure (although some discomfort is natural the day after the surgery). If pain is an issue following surgery, Dr. Tucker can always prescribe medication to help.

The implants themselves need time to properly integrate into the jawbone, so a temporary denture will protect the site of the implant and allow you to eat as effectively as before.

After Dental Implant Surgery

In order to help the implant site stay clean and healthy, we recommend avoiding bread and other soft, sticky, or seed- and nut-filled foods until you get your implant prostheses. Our Kamloops dentist will also give you a cleaning rinse to use to clean the area when you go to brush your teeth.
Your first post-surgery checkup occurs 10 days after the surgery. We will check to see if the implants are integrating as planned. We will also remove the stitches, since the gums should be healed by then.

The next checkup will occur between three and four months after the surgery. At this point in time, your implants will be fully set in place and the appropriate restoration can be made for you smile. Depending on your needs, implant restoration options at our Kamloops dental practice include crowns for single teeth, bridges for multiple teeth replacement, and implant-supported dentures for full arch teeth replacement.

Contact Us Today!

Dr. Tucker is proud to provide Kamloops, Lillooet, Merrit, and Savona with dental implant treatment options. If you would like to know more about dental implants, contact us today!