The placement process consists of the following steps:
A local anesthetic will be administered to numb the areas where the implant(s) will be placed.
Using special instruments, a space (socket) is created in the bone into which the implant will be placed.
The titanium implant is then inserted into the socket.
After the implant is placed, the area will need to heal for two to six months. Follow-up care (one to four appointments) is usually needed to ensure that your mouth is healing well and to determine when you are ready for the restorative phase of your treatment.
Occasionally, teeth can be made to attach to your implants immediately after placing them.
At the end of the healing period (two to six months) the implant is checked for stability and a tissue guiding post (healing abutment) is placed.
This sets the stage for the restorative team to create the crown part of your implant.
If indicated, you will be given medication such as antibiotics prior to the surgery.
If you desire, intravenous sedation medications can be administered, as we are certified in administrating them.
When Are Implants Placed?
Approximately three months after a tooth is removed, an implant can be placed where the missing tooth was located. Once a tooth is removed, if your socket walls of bone are intact and fairly thick, your body will grow new bone to replace or refill the empty socket. Your socket will usually be completely filled in with bone by the time you are ready for placement of your implant (about three months later). Occasionally, it is possible to take out the tooth and place the implant at the same time. There are times when this is appropriate and other times (when infection or other problems with the bone are present) when immediate implant placement is not the best treatment.
If your tooth has been missing for some time, the adjacent bone is likely to grow thinner because the root of the tooth itself has stimulated the bone. Once the tooth root is removed, the bone loses this stimulation and starts to disappear. As much as one third of your jaw’s thickness can be lost in the year following tooth extraction. If you are missing quite a bit of bone, you may need to have additional bone grafted into the area so that the implant will be supported adequately when it is placed.
How Are Dental Implants Placed?
The office procedure to place a dental implant takes about an hour for one implant and slightly longer for multiple implants.
Do I Have Enough Bone?
If after tooth extraction the walls of the socket are thick enough, they will usually fill with bone in three months. However, if the walls of your socket are thin (such as in your upper and lower front teeth), then this type of healing will not be as predictable and often result in bone loss. Socket fillers can be utilized to prevent loss of bone in these areas. This step will maintain the width or volume of bone you will need for implant placement.
The jawbone undergoes atrophy following tooth loss.
If your tooth was removed many years ago, then your bony ridge may be extremely thin and you may not have enough bone left for implant placement. In this case, a bone graft can be placed next to the thin bone and allowed to heal for three to nine months. After the graft has fused to your pre-existing bone, the ridge will be re-entered and the implant placed. Usually bone grafting is a relatively comfortable procedure. Many different bone-grafting materials are available, including your own bone.
Bone can be grafted to widen a narrow jawbone.
You also may need bone grafting if the sinus cavities in your upper jaw are very large or very low and extend into the tooth-bearing areas. This often occurs when teeth in the back of a person’s upper jaw have been removed many years before, and the amount of bone available for implant placement is thus limited. This condition requires what is called a "sinus grafting procedure." It is performed in the office with local anesthesia. During this procedure, the membrane that lines the sinus will be located and elevated. Bone will then be added to restore the bone height and ensure that dental implants of an adequate length can be placed. This procedure sometimes can be performed at the time of implant placement.
Approximately three months after a tooth is removed, an implant can be placed where the missing tooth was located. Once a tooth is removed, if your socket walls of bone are intact and fairly thick, your body will grow new bone to replace or refill the empty socket. Your socket will usually be completely filled in with bone by the time you are ready for placement of your implant (about three months later). Occasionally, it is possible to take out the tooth and place the implant at the same time. There are times when this is appropriate and other times (when infection or other problems with the bone are present) when immediate implant placement is not the best treatment.
The office procedure to place a dental implant takes about an hour for one implant and slightly longer for multiple implants.
