Dental Implant Procedure

Dental implants are a tooth replacement option that many people choose because it’s permanent and implants look and function like natural teeth. If you’re considering dental implants, it makes sense to understand what will happen during the procedure so you can be prepared for everything that goes with it. Here’s how the procedure works when you visit Suncoast Dental for dental implants on the Sunshine Coast.

Before getting dental implants, your dentist will look at your teeth, take imprints and x-rays and make sure you’re a good candidate for the procedure. Your implants are created individually so they fit seamlessly into your mouth. You might just get one implant or you may need to replace several teeth so you’ll get more than one. If you need to have bone grafts to complete the implant, you may have to wait several months for the next step in the procedure. If not, you’ll probably proceed in just a couple of weeks.

Placing the Implant

The actual placement of the implant is a surgical procedure, which requires the surgeon to open up your gums and expose the bone. Next, a hole is drilled into the bone and the implant is screwed into place. You will still have a space where the tooth is missing during this step, though if necessary, the dentist will place a temporary denture in the space while you wait for the final crown. Once the implant is placed, you will have to wait for the bone to grow around it, which will normally take three months.

Adding the Abutment

Once the bone growth is complete, the next step is placing the healing abutment, which is the part of the implant where the crown will eventually be attached. This is done as an outpatient procedure with local anaesthesia. The gum is reopened and the healing abutment is attached to the implant. This will need to heal for two weeks before completing the procedure.

Placing the Crown

The final step in the procedure is to place the crown. The healing abutment is removed and impressions taken for the permanent crown. The healing abutment is replaced and a further appointment is made in a week to for the fitting of the permanent crown.