Getting dental implants requires rather intensive dental surgery, so it's understandable if you're feeling a little concerned or scared at the idea of getting them. The good news is that the process of getting dental implants can potentially be painless. Here's what you should know about the procedure of getting dental implants and what steps your dentist will take to prevent you from hurting.

The Procedure

There are a lot of steps in getting dental implants, including extracting any remaining teeth in order to replace them.

Once the teeth that are going to be replaced have been removed (or come out on their own), your dentist will create surgical incisions to insert the dental implant titanium peg that supports the artificial dental crown that sits on top. This is the main part of the procedure that people worry about, as it's the only time that your dentist will have to surgically operate on you.

Numbing

It's important to know that this procedure could be quite painful if you didn't receive any anesthetic. However, that's never the case. Your dentist will take steps that you don't feel any pain, starting with a topical numbing gel. This will allow them to use Novocaine or another pain injection without hurting you with the needle. Once the numbing agent is injected, you shouldn't be able to feel anything at all, ensuring that the surgery will be painless.

Healing Time

Going home doesn't mean that you have to start hurting. There is some healing time required with dental implants, as the body closes up the gums around the implant. This could be a sensitive and painful time, but once again, your dentist will come through for you.

In order to prevent pain, your dentist will prescribe medication to you to take at regular intervals to keep the pain at bay. It's important to follow the directions for this medication explicitly. Taking it when the bottle says to will ensure that your pain won't start to come back. Even if you think you aren't in any kind of pain, if you still have pills left, take them as directed.

With these steps, your dentist will ensure that you have a painless experience on your road to getting new, awesome dental implants. If you're now convinced that dental implants are right for you, then it's time to get in touch with a dentist to set up an appointment. Don't delay any longer and get the long-lasting tooth replacements that you deserve.