How Long Do Dental Implants Take?

Are you interested in replacing a missing tooth and not sure what exactly your options are or which option is best for you? Thanks to all of the tooth replacement options that exist this is a common experience people have. Dental implants valpo are one of the most common tooth replacement alternatives. Below you can find some information on dental implants including how long you can expect the multiple steps of the dental implant process to take.

The dental implant process

Getting dental implants is an investment of your money and your time. There are multiple steps to getting a dental implant that usually occur over several visits to the dentist. It is important you are prepared for the overall time commitment that is involved in the process.

Step 1: Dental Exam

Prior to committing to the procedure, your dentist will want to complete a comprehensive exam to check the health of your mouth and specifically your jawbone. The bone has to be healthy and strong enough to support the implant, so it is essential for your dentist to confirm your jawbone is in good health. The exam will also help your dentist develop your customized implant treatment plan.

Step 2: Implant Surgery

After your exam your dentist will schedule your first surgery and the real first step of the implant procedure. This surgery is relatively quick and involves your dentist installing a metal post, which acts as the root of the implant, in your jaw bone below the gum line. This surgery usually takes about 1-2 hours for each implant. After your metal post is implanted the next step of the process does not occur for several weeks. These several weeks are a mandatory healing period. This time period between your implant surgery and the fitting of the artificial crown is critical to the success of the implant. This window allows time for the jawbone to heal around the implant and secure it in place. How long this healing period takes really depends on you and how quickly your gums and bones heal. How long this period is really depends on the judgement of your dentist, but usually varies somewhere between 4-12 week.

Step 3: Abutment & Crown Fitting

After your implant is secure and your gums and bone are healed the final step of your implant can be completed. Fitting the abutment and crown to the implant post is the last step and the least invasive part of the procedure. The abutment that is placed on the post is a small cushion like shock absorber that sits between the implant and the permanent crown. During this step it is necessary to expose the gums so that the crown can be fitted to the implant. On top of the abutment the new artificial crown is fitted. The crown is usually custom ordered to match the shading and the look of your natural teeth.

For the entire dental implant process to be completed you should plan for the process to take about 3-9 months in total. While this may seem like a big chunk of time, you should consider that the payoff is a permanent tooth that will last forever.

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