Overview of Implant Placement

The Dental Implant Surgical Procedure

The procedure to place a dental implant takes 60 to 90 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.

Obtaining an implant is a collaborative process between myself and your general dentist. The surgical is stage, is my part and the reconstructive stage is the part of your general dentist.

The surgical procedure is performed to place a titanium implant in the empty tooth socket. Once you are ready for implant placement, you will be given antibiotics a week or so prior to the surgical appointment so as to reduce chances of any infection developing. In order to assure your comfort during the surgery, a couple of options will be discussed prior to the appointment. You will either take medication 1-2 hours prior to the surgery that would relax you or you might opt to administer nitrous oxide (laughing gas).

To begin the surgery, a local anesthetic will be administered to the area and then a small incision is made in the gum tissue to gain access to the bone where the implant is to be place. A portion of the implant is then drilled into the bone, leaving behind the bottom portion on which the crown will later be placed by your general dentist. The bottom portion will be covered with some gum tissue for better healing. After 2-3 months, once it has been determined that the implant has set, I will perform an uncovering procedure to unveil the bottom portion of the implant and prepare the area to be restored by your general dentist.

Healing after Dental Implant Surgery

Now the healing begins. The length of time varies from person to person, depending upon the quality and quantity of bone. 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 dental implant during a brief follow-up visit. This allows gum tissue to mature and provides access to the implant.

It may be beneficial to perform a soft tissue graft to obtain stronger, more easily cleaned and natural appearing gum tissue in the area around the implant. This process involves moving a small amount of gum tissue from one part of your mouth to the area around the implant. Most often, it is a brief and relatively comfortable procedure.

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) to the dental implant.

When are dental implants placed?

Implants are often placed several months after extraction. At times, an implant may be placed immediately after extraction of a tooth. This may involve a little more risk, but it simplifies the process—you won’t have to wait for another appointment to place the implant. When infection or other problems with the bone are present, immediate implant placement is not the best treatment.

If your tooth has been missing for some time, the adjacent support bone is likely to grow thinner and shrink. This occurs because the root of the natural tooth has to be present to stimulate the bone. As much as one third of your jaw’s thickness can be lost in the year following tooth extraction. If you are missing enough bone, you may benefit from having additional bone grafted into the area. This ensures the implant will be adequately supported when it is placed in the jaw.

How many implants do I need?

Most frequently, one implant per missing tooth is placed. Because many of the larger teeth in the back of your jaws have two or three roots, the most common approach is to replace missing back teeth with larger implants.