Your Patient Journey: Plan, Treat, Protect, Care.

All dental implant procedures generally follow the same series of standard steps. First, your dental professional will first assess your situation. This step includes taking your patient history, completing a dental examination, and discussing and deciding on a treatment plan option. Because each patient is different, total treatment time will depend on your specific replacement needs, your medical and dental history, your jaw bone condition, and the technique and materials that have been chosen.

The next step is the surgical insertion of the implant, which is commonly done under local anesthesia. After your implant surgery, you will need some time to heal and have any sutures removed before moving onto the next phase of treatment. A temporary prosthetic may be placed on the implant at time of surgery for the healing stage, which usually lasts between a couple of weeks and a few months. Ideally during this time, the bone around the implant grows and joins with the implant surface – a process called osseointegration. Good oral hygiene is vital in the healing stage of the treatment. Once healed, this artificial root acts as a base for fixing individual crowns, multi-tooth bridges, or an entire arch replacement.

Once sufficient healing has occurred, your dental professional will take an impression of the implant site that will be sent to a lab to produce the crown (or bridge if multiple teeth are being replaced) that is custom fit to your mouth. Once the fabrication is complete, the final step is for your dentist to install the crown or bridge.

Keep in mind that everyone is different, and treatment recommendations and healing times may differ from patient to patient.