Dental Implant Process

Dental Implant Process

The implant process will begin 4-6 months following the extraction and bone graft under normal healing conditions. The first step will be to come in for an implant consultation appointment where we will take a 3-dimensionsal x-ray and intraoral scan of your teeth. With this information we can digitally plan your case and evaluate if you are a good candidate for dental implants.

If you have adequate bone, the next appointment will be to place your implant. A dental implant is a titanium screw that is designed to integrate into your jaw bone to support your future tooth. With the information collected at the consult appointment, we 3-D print a surgical guide to ensure that your implant is placed in the most ideal position. After placement of the implant, we will schedule you for a 2-week post-op appointment to evaluate healing and remove any sutures that were placed. Depending on the location of the implant, patients will need to wait 3-6 months until they can return to the office to get their final crown restoration.

Is it painful to get dental implants?

Though placing an implant does require surgery, the procedure is far less traumatic and causes significantly less post-op pain than having a tooth extracted. During the procedure, you will be profoundly numb with local anesthesia. Following the placement of the implant, some soreness and potential swelling in the area is to be expected. This discomfort can be easily managed with over-the-counter pain medications like Ibuprofen or Tylenol. In almost all cases the discomfort should last no more than 2 weeks.