How Long Do Dental Implants Take?
Dental implants in bismarck nd treatment is one of the most popular options for people who want to replace one or more missing teeth, but every dental implant treatment is different, so it’s hard to determine how long one person’s dental implants might take. Some dental implants can have prosthetic teeth attached to them the same day they’re implanted, but this isn’t an option for every patient. All dental implant treatments start with an initial consultation and an extensive evaluation, so you can learn more about the timeframe for your custom procedure when you meet with your implant dentist and implant dental team.
After your initial consultation, you’ll see your implant dentist for an oral examination that will include x-rays or other digital images to provide the dentist with precise guidelines for a treatment plan. This treatment plan will be designed to meet the patient’s clinical and dental needs as well as their budget and will take into consideration any risk factors that may exist. If you require bone graft surgery to rebuild the bone before implants can be safely placed, this procedure will need to factor into planning time, and following bone grafts, the bone must be completely healed before dental implants can be placed, which adds to the overall timeline for the treatment. If no auxiliary procedures are necessary to prepare the jaw for implants, or once the bone graft has healed, the next step in the procedure is securing a small titanium cylinder into the jawbone. The actual dental implant surgery takes one or two hours per implant, and temporary crowns can usually be fitted on the same day.
Following the implant placement, there may be some mild swelling or bruising, but this is usually minimal and brief. There’s some very important healing going on beneath the gums and inside the jaw, however. As the bone heals following implant placement, it fuses with the implant post and creates a potent, permanent foundation for a dental crown. This process is called osseointegration, and the timeline for osseointegration is largely dependent on the health and healing capacity of the patient. In some cases, the bone has fully healed after only six weeks or so, while in other cases, it can take several months for the bone to heal completely to the implant. Your dentist will evaluate your bone during follow-up visits to assess the progression of healing and keep track of the condition of the bone.
Once the bone has sufficiently healed and merged with the implant, the dentist will expose the top of the implant by making small incisions in the gums and pulling back the tissue. Then, they will attach a connector called an abutment to the top of the implant, finally cementing the dental crown into place on the abutment, which absorbs shock and securely holds the dental crown.
The timeline for a traditional dental implant treatment could be as short as three months or as long as a year, not including any prerequisite treatments that may be necessary to prepare the jaw or the oral cavity. Generally, patients with healthier teeth and gums and who are in good overall health have shorter healing times and a shorter overall duration of treatment, though only your dentist can estimate what to expect for your own healing. Despite prolonged healing times, most patients believe that dental implants are a worthwhile investment into their smile and their overall well-being.