Dental Implant Placement Overview

The surgical procedure to place an implant takes 30 to 40 minutes for one implant and only 2 to 3 hours for multiple implants. The number of appointments and time required, vary from patient to patient. The surgeon will bring great precision and attention to the details of your case.

Before Dental Implants Surgery

Prior to surgery, you may receive antibiotics.  For greater comfort, anesthesia or laughing gas can be used. A local anesthetic will also be administered to numb the area where the dental implant will be placed.

When you are comfortable, the surgeon makes a small incision in the gum tissue to reveal the bone.  Special instruments are used to create a space for the titanium implant to be gently inserted.

1. Normal

2. Tooth Loss

3. Healed Bone

4. Implant Placed

5. Healing

6. Implant Restored

The Healing Phase

Now the healing begins. The length of time varies from person to person, depending upon the quality and quantity of bone. In some cases, dental implants may be restored immediately after they are placed. The surgeon will advise you on follow-up care and timing. After the initial phase of healing, the surgeon places an abutment (support post) or a healing cap onto the implant during a brief follow-up visit. This allows gum tissue to mature and provides access to the implant.

Occasionally, impressions are made at the time the implant is placed. This enables the crown to be ready when the dental implants have healed. How long your mouth needs to heal is determined by a variety of factors. Follow-up care (one or two appointments) is usually needed to ensure that your mouth is healing well and to determine when you are ready for the restorative phase of your treatment.

Whether it’s one tooth or all of your teeth that are being replaced, your dentist will complete the restoration by fitting the replacement tooth (crown) or denture to the dental implant(s).