For many patients, before they commit to schedule a consultation to learn more about implant dentures, they need to know what to expect of the process. This treatment isn’t as simple as traditional dentures that rest atop your gumline, but they also offer countless benefits that, for many patients, override the longer treatment timeline. Read on to learn more about each step of the process and how long it will take.
Step 1: Schedule a Consultation
To get your journey started and find out whether you’re a good candidate for implant dentures, you’ll need to first schedule a consultation. During your visit, your implant dentist in Tyler will examine your jawbone and facial anatomy and let you know whether any preparatory procedures, like a bone graft or sinus lift, are necessary. If you do need one of these procedures, they will add some additional time onto your journey.
Step 2: Implant Surgery
Your implant surgery will involve placing the dental implants below the gumline and within the jawbone. This will be done by making a small window in your gumline to expose the bone underneath, allowing your dentist to place it. The surgery itself is fairly quickly and can be completed within an hour or two, and if your dentist does the placement themselves, they will likely be able to schedule your surgery sooner than if you were referred out.
Step 3: Healing & Osseointegration
One of the longest, yet most important, parts of this treatment is the healing period after your dental implant surgery. During this period of time, your implants will undergo a process called osseointegration. This is when they’ll fuse with your jawbone, providing your restoration with a strong foundation to attach to. In addition, your gums will heal around your dental implants to help support them and protect the underlying bone. This recovery and osseointegration period can take between three and six months, on average.
Then, after you’ve healed, your dentist will attach small metal connector pieces, called abutments, to the top of your dental implants. Your gums will need to undergo another healing period for about two weeks. After this, an impression will be taken of your mouth to send to a dental laboratory to craft your denture.
Step 4: Placing Your Final Restoration
In some implant denture cases, your dentist may opt to place a special type of healing denture right after your implant placement, but this will be discussed at your consultation. In any case, your permanent denture won’t be secured to your abutments until after both healing periods mentioned in the section above have occurred. Once your denture arrives, your dentist will have you come back in to attach it to your implants and complete your treatment.
Although dental implants have a longer treatment time than traditional implants, they offer a wide array of life-changing benefits, including the ability to eat the foods you want and speak without having to worry about slipping replacement teeth. Many patients feel that these benefits outweigh the longer timeline, but that’s for you and your dentist to decide!
About the Author
Dr. Javier Perez has over 25 years of experience and has completed hundreds of hours of advanced training and education, allowing him to provide start-to-finish dental implant treatment under one roof. He has helped hundreds of patients rebuild their smiles over the decades. To learn more about implant dentures and to schedule a consultation, visit Times Square Family Dental’s website or call 903-534-8110.