The placement of the dental implant is a surgical procedure that is carried out on people who have one or more missing tooth/teeth. It involves placing a screw-like structure inside your jaw bones where the tooth is absent. For the procedure to take place, you need to have a sufficient amount of bone in your jaws, along with healthy neighboring teeth and strong gums to hold the implant.
This procedure is not very complex and can be compared to normal dental extractions. It involves a number of comprehensive examinations and consultations before your dentist starts the treatment.
- At the first visit, your dentist will take a number of X-rays and CT scans of your mouth to know the condition of your jaw bone, neighboring teeth, and tissues.
- If the bone is sufficient to hold implants, the procedure can start at the earliest convenience. However, if the jaw appears to be deficient in healthy bones, bone grafting needs to be carried out prior to implant surgery.
- The implant that is mostly made of titanium is surgically placed in the jawbone to fill the space that is left vacant by your missing tooth.
- The implant in the lower jaw takes four to five months to fuse with the bone. While that in the upper jaw takes six to seven months.
- Once the implant is permanently fused in the jaw bone, a healing cap/collar is placed on the head of the implant. This helps the gums to heal correctly. This takes 10 to 14 days, after which it is removed.
- An abutment is a metal connector or bridge that is used to connect implants with artificial temporary crowns. Once the collar is removed, abutments are placed on the head of the implants.
- After six weeks or so, permanent crowns that look exactly like your natural teeth replace temporary crowns.
