After deciding to take the leap and get dental implants, many patients want to know what they should do to prepare for their big day when the implants will be placed.  Dr. Erpenbach believes that preparation and aftercare can play a big role in the success of your implant placement and your satisfaction with the results.

A few weeks prior to implant placement, we will take your medical history, ask about any medical conditions or illnesses that might affect the surgery and its outcome.  You may be prescribed antibiotics to clear any infections you may have prior to the procedure to help prevent the spread of bacteria into the bloodstream.

We recommend that if your dental habits were not stellar before, that you take extra care to make sure you are brushing and flossing after every meal.  A dental hygienist will perform a tooth cleaning and examine your teeth and gums to make sure that there are no signs of gum disease.

Gum disease can leave pockets of extra tissue between the gums and teeth where bacteria can get trapped and cause peri implantitis, an inflammation of the gum tissue around the implant that can cause failure for the implant to bond with the jawbone.

Once your implants have been placed, they require the same care as regular teeth.  Regular brushing and flossing should continue as usual.  There may be tenderness at first, but this will go away in a week or two and you can resume eating as usual.