If you’ve researched dental implants, you might have read about the 6-months healing period that usually comes with it. But overall, how long does it take to go through a dental implant process from start to finish?
Fox Point Dental Studio has created this timeline to help you visualize the dental implant process better.
A Step-by-Step View of Getting a Dental Implant
First, it’s important to note that getting a dental implant is not always such a straightforward procedure. Before being scheduled for surgery, your oral health will be inspected to first determine if you are a good candidate for this procedure, and then address any other dental issues.
Assuming this is not the case, this is a usual way dental implants surgery unfold:
- Preparation: Consulting with the dentist, and creating a treatment plan. This can require about 1-2 appointments, depending on your specific case.
- Surgery: The dentist makes an incision and places the metal screw-like root where the natural tooth used to be. This is a rather simple procedure and doesn’t take longer than a couple of hours in most cases. You will not feel any pain or discomfort, but you may feel a bit of pressure.
- Healing: This process can take as long as 6 months because the bone and tissues have to heal around the metal implant. During this time, you may need to see the surgeon for a follow-up or two to make sure you are healing properly.
- Impressions: After you’ve healed, the dentist will place the abutment and take a mold of your mouth to send it to the lab to create the dental crown. These crowns are made to match you perfectly, and can take a few weeks until they are finished.
- Test and Improvements: The crown will first be placed to the abutment to see if it is the right size, shape and if it matches your tooth color. In some cases, it may need to be sent back to the lab for a few changes, which can extend the timeline by another few weeks.
- Installation: Once the crown is ready, it can permanently be attached to the abutment, and the procedure is complete.
What Can Prolong Your Dental Implant Process?
While this is a standard timeline for dental implant surgeries, in some cases patients might experience a longer treatment period because of certain factors:
- Extra procedures such as extractions or bone grafting, will require their own time to heal.
- Health conditions that can delay healing.
- Lifestyle factors that extend the healing timeline (smoking, improper diet, etc.)
- Improper oral hygiene or not following the post-op recommendations, etc.
At Fox Point Dental Studio, we help our patients have all the information about dental implants to ensure a speedy recovery. If you want to learn whether you’re a good candidate, schedule an appointment with Dr. Major or Dr. Krenzke today!
-p-500.png)
