A Closer Look at the Dental Implant Timeline
Dental implants offer a wide range of benefits, making them a popular choice for replacing missing teeth. For most patients, dental implant treatment can take up to six months from the initial consultation to the placement of their final restoration. For patients who need preparatory treatments such as bone grafting, the dental implant timeline will be longer.
At Bell Dental in Lake Jackson, TX, our dentists can evaluate your smile, design a custom treatment plan, and let you know how many months it will take to reach your desired results with dental implants.
Step 1: Consultation
Your first, comprehensive consultation will be with one of our doctors. Dr. Brian K. Bell or Dr. Justin J. Crocker will evaluate the overall wellness of your teeth, gums, and jawbone to determine if dental implants are right for you.
You will receive a tailored treatment plan that will address your goals. By the time you leave, you should have a general idea of what your dental implant timeline looks like.
Step 2: Prerequisite Surgeries
Prerequisite surgeries will be based on whether your jaw bone is in good shape or your gum health needs improvement.
For implants to be successful, they need healthy, sufficient bone tissue in your jaw that can integrate with the implants. If your jaw has shrunk after tooth loss, bone grafting may be necessary to restore sufficient bone density before implant placement.
Step 3: Implant Surgery
Before surgery, we will apply local anesthesia to numb the treatment area. The implant dentist will make an incision in the gum tissue to reveal the bone beneath. Next, the dental implants are placed in the bone tissue and the gums will be sutured around them.
You will not have a dental restoration attached to your implant until your implant is fully healed. If your implant is visible when you smile, your dentist may suggest a temporary restoration.
Step 4: Osseointegration
After the implant placement, your jawbone will need to heal before the final prosthetic is placed. This healing period usually takes four to six months. During this time, your jawbone tissue will grow around the implant, securing it into place. This is known as osseointegration. After osseointegration, the dentist can place abutments.
Step 5: Abutment Placement
An abutment is the connector piece between the dental implant and the dental restoration. Once your implant has successfully fused with the bone tissue, your doctor will attach the abutment during a second minor surgery in our Lake Jackson, TX, office.
Your dentist will numb the area before the procedure. Then, they will gently reopen your gum tissue to uncover the dental implant. An abutment will be attached to the post.
Afterward, your gums must heal prior to placing the final prosthetic.
Step 6: Prosthetic Attachment
In your final appointment, your crown, bridge, or denture will be attached to the abutment(s). The restoration cannot be placed unless the jaw bone and gum tissue are fully healed.
Learn More about the Dental Implant Timeline
Your dental implant timeline could take about six months from start to finish, or longer if prerequisite procedures are required. The only way to learn how long your implant treatment will take is to talk with the dentist in person. Call (979) 297-1201 or message Bell Dental online to schedule your consultation.
