Dental Implant Procedure

Dental implants are a great alternative for people who need to replace their natural teeth.  They have evolved a great deal since they were first invented in the early 1960s.  Today this is a safe, highly effective procedure and the end result are comfortable dental implants.

Most of the time dental implants are completed in 2 steps.  First, there needs to be a complete examination of both the mouth and your teeth by a periodontist (a gum disease specialist) or an oral surgeon who will also take a detailed medical history.  During this time your dentist will also take X-rays and a CT scan so that he has a good idea of your bone density and the shape of your jaw.  He will then be able to decide upon an implant procedure, which depends upon such things as your dental health and the number of teeth that are involved.  There are numerous techniques that can be used here.  The quickest method only takes 1 day but can only be done if you have healthy gums and good bones.  This is because, otherwise, you will have to have new bone grown and this is a very complex procedure that can take up to half a year or longer to do.  There are also times wherein the bone can be stimulated to grow, but this will still take some time and thus create a lengthy process.  Another complication that can cause this to become a much lengthier process occurs whenever your bone structure is not in good condition.  Herein you will need to have a custom fit plate placed between your jaw and gum.

More often than now, your dental implant procedure will need to be done in stages. This is mainly because once a titanium implant is installed into your jawbone it will need to fuse.  Usually this will take between 3 and 6 months to occur.  Once this stage is complete, an abutment (a type of post) is put into the implant.  You will then have to have the casts removed from your teeth so that a crown can be made that matches your existing tooth.  This will then be adhered to the abutment.

Most of the time the entire dental implant procedure can be performed in your dentist’s office.  Your dentist will simply give you a slight sedation before making a small incision in your gums where the dental implant is to be placed.  The implant is then placed into your exposed jawbone.  A cover screw is then put in so that your gum will not close up on this area and so that other debris will not enter into the surgical area.  Your wound will then be closed and allowed to heal.  Usually this will take about 3 months for placements in the lower jaw to heal.  However, if you have dental implants placed in your upper jaw, these will take around 6 months to heal.  Once the healing is complete, your dental implant will be uncovered in a second surgical procedure, which is when your teeth are put in.

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