How Long Is the Dental Implant Process?

If you’ve made the decision to get a dental implant to restore your smile after tooth loss, you’re probably very eager to begin the process. A dental implant gives you the benefit of having a permanent tooth replacement that looks and functions just like a natural tooth.

However, getting a dental implant takes patience. Your dentist will work with you over the course of several months to get your dental implant secured. The reason why dental implants take such a long time to complete is that you’re actually establishing a “root” that will anchor your new tooth to your jawbone. Let’s take a look at the timeline for getting a dental implant.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Dental Implant?

The process of getting dental implants can take anywhere from six months to a year. Again, the reason why this isn’t an overnight process is that it’s meant to be a permanent treatment for a missing tooth. The steps that are done in preparation for getting your implant placed help to ensure the success of the implant. The bulk of the time needed for a dental implant is actually healing time for your tissue. Proper healing ensures that the implant will “take” properly. While a dental implant isn’t guaranteed to work on every patient, this procedure does have a success rate of 98 percent. If your implant fails for some reason, we may be able to start again after a short waiting period.

What Are the Steps to Getting a Dental Implant?

The process for getting a dental implant can vary slightly by the patient. If you currently have a tooth that needs to be replaced, the first step is extraction. We will then add any grafting material that is needed to build up the bone structure around the tooth to ensure that there’s enough depth for the replacement tooth. If you already have a gap, we’ll assess the situation to see how grafting material can be used to preserve depth at this point. Here’s a glance at the next steps in the process of getting a dental implant:

1. After using imaging to determine the viability of an implant, we’ll place the implant in your jawbone.
2. We’ll then give the implant time to fuse to your jawbone during a healing process. A healing cap is placed on the implant to protect the tender area.
3. The healing process takes several months. During this time, you will be able to eat and drink normally.
4. Lastly, we’ll attach a custom crown to your fully fused implant.

Patients who have dental implants are always very happy with their decision to take the “long route” to tooth restoration because they can enjoy the freedom of having a permanent, secure tooth that feels just like their own! This is the best option if you want a fix that is both functional and cosmetically superior. If you’re looking for a dentist offering dental implants, it’s time to meet Dr. Stephanie Paswaters and the team at Emerald Dental in Lakewood, Colorado. Practicing dentistry since 1995, Dr. Paswaters specializes in using cutting-edge techniques to offer modern dental implants. To learn more about getting dental implants, call Emerald Dental today!