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Dental Implant Procedures

Dental Implant Procedure Dentist Gympie

How Long is the Treatment for Dental Implants?

A dental implant is a metal tooth root that allows a crown, bridge, or denture to attach onto it. It can be used to replace one or more missing teeth to restore your smile and chewing function.

In general, the time taken from the initial consultation to getting a brand-new tooth is around 4-6 months, however in certain cases it can take up to 12 months. Even though this may be a significant timeframe dental implants are considered the “gold standard” to replace missing teeth and with good reason:

  • Looks and feels like a natural tooth so you can be confident with your smile.
  • The implant does not move around (unlike a denture) so you can chew the foods you want.
  • They last a long time when they are well cared for.
Typically, my patient comes to me with a gap in which a tooth has been missing for a number of years. After the initial consultation and 3D cone-beam x-ray we can proceed onto the placing the dental implant into your jaw bone at the next available appointment. Usually there is some shrinkage of bone which requires bone grafting at the same procedure that the implant is placed. The implant is usually completely covered by gum to allow healing and the stitches are removed 2 weeks later. However, the implant needs to heal for several months to allow the bone to bond with the implant in a process called osseointegration. After a 4-5 months of healing a separate procedure is required to expose the implant and place a cap onto it. Two weeks later a mould is taken so that the crown can be custom made for you. A further two weeks later the crown is ready to be placed onto the implant.
Timeframe (from initial consultation)Procedure
0 monthsInitial consultation, 3D cone-beam x-ray
0 monthsImplant placement and bone graft
0.5 monthsReview and remove stitches
5 monthsExpose implant and place cap
5.5 monthsMoulds
6 monthsCrown placed onto implant
In certain situations the tooth is failing and still present in your mouth and you would like to proceed with a dental implant. In these cases, it may be possible to place the implant in the same procedure as removing the tooth, in which case the total timeframe will not change too much. Other times there is an infection from the tooth which needs to be resolved first. Thus the tooth will need to be removed and allow 2-3 months of healing prior to the implant being placed. This will mean the total treatment time will be around 9 months. Occasionally the infection has eaten away a very large amount of bone such that there is insufficient bone for the implant to be placed. In these cases we will need to rebuild the lost bone with a bone graft first. The graft will need 6 months to heal prior to placing the implant. Thus the total treatment time will be around 12 months. Thus, as you can see each case is different and your dentist will perform a thorough analysis of your mouth and let you know how long your treatment will take.

We completely understand that missing a front tooth can be very distressing, especially if it takes several months to have a replacement tooth. However, you can rest assured that you will not need to have a gap in your smile.

A temporary denture can be constructed and fitted on the day the dental implant is placed, and worn until the crown is placed on the implant so that you never have to smile without your front tooth.

Dental implants are the gold standard in replacing missing teeth because they last a long time and look and function like a real tooth. Whilst it does take several months from the initial consultation until the missing tooth is replaced, it offers many long-term benefits.

River Dental are committed to providing the best possible dental care for you and your entire family.

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