Dental implants are a phenomenal tooth restoration option. This is because they offer patients with missing teeth or who need to undergo extractions a permanent and long-lasting solution to restoring their smiles and oral health.
A dental implant near you can restore the missing tooth’s aesthetic and functional properties. This is because a dental implant replaces both the root and crown section of the missing teeth. So not only do they look natural and good, but they also function like a natural tooth would.
The dental implant procedure typically involves a couple of steps executed over several months and within several dental visits. Ideally, this process can take five to nine months and varies from patient to patient.
The procedure duration is influenced by factors such as a patient’s overall health, oral hygiene practices, age, lifestyle choices, and jaw bone density. Let’s take a look at how long the entire procedure takes and the steps it involves.
This is the first step of this procedure. It is a fundamental part of the procedure because this is the point where you will have a chance to ask our dentist in Annapolis any questions or concerns about the procedure.
It also lets our dentist ascertain whether you are a good candidate for dental implants. Factors such as your health history, oral health, and lifestyle choices are among the factors that are examined during this consultation to determine whether the procedure can be carried out and if the outcome will be successful.
After the initial consultation, the next appointment will involve you undergoing a thorough dental examination. This examination is conducted to check on your oral and jaw bone health to establish if they can successfully support the dental implant that will be surgically inserted.
During this examination, you may be asked to get a series of dental X-rays and a 3D- scan to get a detailed and comprehensive look at your gums, surrounding teeth, and jaw bone health and density. These X-rays and scans will enable our dentist near you to structure your customized treatment plan.
It is safe to say that this is the first actual step towards your restored smile. Any dental implant near you will contain three parts; the titanium bit, abutment, and restoration crown. Dental implant surgery involves surgically inserting the titanium bit of the dental implant that acts as the root section of the missing tooth into the jaw bone. This surgery typically takes 1- 2 hours for any dental implant. This is if there are no additional procedures, such as dental extraction.
In some cases, an extraction will be performed beforehand, and you will be given time to recover and for the socket to heal before undergoing this surgical procedure. If you also have to undergo a bone graft to boost the amount of jaw bone tissue that will hold the implant, then you might have to undergo this surgery before being fitted with your dental implant.
After the surgical dental implant procedure, you will be sent home to recover and allow the implant to fuse with the bone through a process known as osseointegration. This process can take 3 to 8 months; the duration may vary from one patient to the next based on their ability to heal and overall health status.
The recovery period may also be longer if you had to undergo an additional surgical procedure, such as bone grafting, before getting the implant.
This is a crucial period within this procedure because it ensures that the implant will be firmly anchored within the bone, thus reducing its chances of failing.
Our dentist will fit the abutment on top of the titanium bit during this step. The stitched-up section is undone, and the abutment is screwed onto the firmly anchored titanium section. This procedure step should take about 20 – 60 minutes per implant. A temporary prosthetic (crown) is placed on top of the abutment to cover the abutment as you heal for about 2 to 3 weeks.
This is the last step within this procedure. Your customized permanent crown replaces the temporary crown previously placed to cover the abutment. This process may take about 60 minutes to complete.
However long this process may be, we guarantee it will be worth your time. Contact us today at Guard Your Smile Dentistry for your dental implant procedure.