The Dental Implant process is basically a three phase process, which can be different for each person. Typically the entire process takes from 5 to 8 months. As you will see, this is a little different for people getting full mouth dentures. The process can be faster for those getting a whole new set of teeth!
In general, there are three steps involved in the dental implant procedures. First, the implant itself is placed into the jawbone. Next, the abutment is added to the implant, which is where the artificial tooth will be connected. Finally, the prosthetic tooth, or crown, is placed onto the abutment.
Phase 2: Abutment
The abutment typically known as a connector is placed on top of the dental implant to hold and support the crown/bridge/denture restoration. At the appointment, the gum tissue is opened to expose the implant and attach the abutment to the implant.
The pain that patients feel when they get dental implant surgery is actually not from the hole made in the bone or the placement of the implant — the pain usually comes from the soft tissue manipulation that occurs during the process.
Waiting to get a procedure done puts you and your teeth at more risk. Our teeth are always moving to adjust to space it has and the longer you wait, the worse your teeth positions will be. Postponing implant surgery is also something to avoid at all costs.
Two stage procedure
The two stage dental implant procedure is where you have two surgeries which allow for a higher success rate. The first stage of dental implant surgery is when we place the implant into the jaw bone and allow the dental implant 2-3 months to osseointegrate or fuse together.
Two Dental Implants
Your dentist can place one implant at each end of the gap. The implants will support crowns, and the crowns will support 1 – 3 pontics between them. Thus, in total, two dental implants can replace up to five teeth.
With numbed nerves, you can expect not to feel any pain during your dental implant procedure. You may feel pressure at times, but it should not cause you discomfort. For patients who have anxiety with dental procedures, oral sedation is available.
STITCHES: After the implant is placed in the bone, it is covered with gum to allow healing. Dissolvable stitches are generally placed. If you have black stitches placed, they should be removed in 7 to 10 days.
Most patients begin to experience significant improvements in their gums within a week of surgery, and their gums will be completely healed within 2 weeks of their treatment.
You will be able to eat normally about a week after your dental implant surgery, and a return to a regular diet should be gentle and easy. It will also be gradual during the first 12 hours after the procedure.
No matter how long your teeth have been missing, whether it's 20 months or 20 years, you can still consider getting dental implants. Even older bridges where the supporting teeth are giving out can be replaced with a fixed implant option on a case-by-case basis.
Patients can be informed that, in general, implant placement surgical experience is less unpleasant compared to tooth extraction with less postsurgical pain and limitation of daily activities. However, some factors can increase the pain intensity and discomfort level on individual bases.
Can I have all my teeth pulled and get implants? Yes, it is possible to get a whole new set of teeth. This is often the route chosen by those who have been dealing with dental distress for years. Permanent dental implants are made with metals like titanium or zirconia.
In most cases, modern dental implants are primarily made from titanium, a non-magnetic metal. So, titanium dental implants should rarely trigger metal detectors.
An implant is rarely used to replace multiple teeth on its own, but it can be combined with another to replace up to six teeth. That means an implant on its own can support a max of three artificial teeth.
It is advisable to have at least 1.0mm of bone around the implant. Therefore, an advisable bone width is 5.5mm to comfortably accommodate a 3.5mm implant, unless ridge splitting or grafting techniques are employed to widen the site.
Titanium dental implants are the most common type of dental currently used. They have a long track history of success. Currently, they are the most versatile solution for restoring teeth as well. Their metal substructures and components allow for restoration of many challenging cases.
About 2 weeks after surgery, your implant should be completely healed. You should feel little-to-no tenderness near the implant, and no pain or discomfort, and it will be time to get your stitches out, or they will dissolve on their own if self-dissolving stitches are used.
According to the International Congress of Oral Implantologists it is rare that your body will reject your dental implants. However, this does not mean that your dental implant will not fail. A successful dental implant is one that is placed in healthy bone and is properly cared for after the surgery takes place.
The chances of your mouth rejecting an implant are low, but not impossible. The resulting titanium residue from an implant has the possibility to cause a variety of reactions if you are allergic. The most notable of these being bone loss and hypersensitive reactions.
In most cases, the discomfort will peak within about 3-5 days after your treatment, and then begin to subside relatively quickly. By the end of your first week post-surgery, you should be feeling little, if any, discomfort and pain.