While the process of getting a dental implant may seem complicated, it is actually fairly simple.  The first thing you and your dental care provider will discuss is the exact type of dental implant that will work best for you.  They will then advise you of the process in detail.

There are two main phases of getting a dental implant.  Your dental care provider may wish to do these in three steps instead depending on your case.

For the initial dental implant surgery you will be under anesthesia.  You can discuss options with your dental care provider and decide if general or local anesthesia is better for your specific case.  After the anesthesia is in effect, your jaw bone will be exposed under your gum tissue.  The dental implant is placed directly into your bone and the gum tissue is stitched over the bone so that it is no longer exposed.  Most people experience little to no discomfort at this stage of the process.  During this phase, your dental care provider may choose to take several x-rays to ensure that the dental implant is placed correctly.  You may experience some pain and swelling after the procedure which is easily treatable.

After the dental implant is placed, it is important to wait adequate time in order to allow the dental implant to fuse with your jaw bone. This is called Osseo-integration and can typically take three to six months.  If you have an event during this time or just prefer not to have a missing tooth then your dental care provider should be able to provide you with a temporary denture.  This phase should not cause discomfort.

When your dental care provider feels that you have adequately healed from the initial dental implant insertion they will connect the abutment.  This simply consists of exposing the top of the implant under your gums with the use of local anesthesia and attaching the small metal post that will hold the crown.  During the healing process of both of these phases it is recommended that you stick to a diet of soft foods.  After this second phase, your gum tissue will take anywhere from a few days to weeks to heal properly around the abutment.

The final step includes connecting the crown.  Your prosthetic tooth will be cemented or screwed into place.  In combination with the previous steps, your new dental implant will look and act just like your natural teeth.

If you are interested in or have questions about dental implants, please call Dr. Levy for a consultation.

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