How Long Does A Dental Implant Procedure Take?

What is a dental implant?

A dental implant is an orthodontic anchor that provides support for a restorative dental prosthesis like a crown, denture or bridge. It can also provide support to a facial prosthesis made to restore the structure of the face. An implant can also be referred to as a fixture or an endosseous implant. It is a surgical piece placed on the edge of the jaw. Basically, these are posts that are placed in the patients jaw so that teeth can be replaced onto them.

In dentistry today, a dental implant is placed in a process known as osseointegration. This is the process where materials such as titanium are used to form a bond with the bone, and that ensures the implant remains in place permanently. Osseointegration is a process that takes time to occur and one of the reasons the procedure of placing a dental implant is done in phases.

Things you should know before going for the procedure

Once you have settled on a dental implant as the dental fix for your problem, it is important to familiarise yourself with a few aspects that play into the success of the whole process and also prepare you for it. Here are a few things you should know before you go for a dental implant.

Clear your day on the day of the procedure

A dental implant does not have a fixed recovery time; the dentist can’t tell you how long it will take for you. People heal differently, and you can’t tell how long it will take for any one individual. This only means that you may have to forego your appointments for the day, not cancel a whole week.

Every surgery is unique

A lot of people think that their family traits matter a lot when it comes to medical issues, but it doesn’t have to be true for every type of procedure. This means that your brother’s dental procedure has no bearing on what outcome you should expect in your own. All that matters is the condition affecting the patient and what needs to be done to correct it. The rest is purely up to your dental care practitioner.

Your jaw bone won’t heal in a day

The first thing you need to know about the procedure is that it is not a one-step affair and will take some time before the whole process is finished. In this period, you will have to be prepared for a lot of waiting and watching so that nothing goes wrong. If you might have been thinking of the procedure as a one-day affair, you should ready yourself because it takes a bit longer.

Any trigger oral health problems have to be dealt with first

Implantation cannot be done if there is an underlying issue that remains unsolved. Problems such as gum disease and tooth decay should be dealt with first before anything else can be done. Such issues can worsen problems after implantation.

If you are a smoker, you will have to put it on hold for a while

A dental implant takes some time to anchor to the bone, and during this time, smokers are advised not to smoke. Cigarette smoke hurts the process of osseointergration which is how the bone and the implant bind together. Smoking through this period largely reduces the chances of successful osseointergration.

You’ll have to make a stop at the pharmacy

After the first phase of the procedure is done, the dentist will prescribe some antibiotics to help prevent infection.

Have a stock of soft foods in the fridge

After a dental implant procedure is done, patients typically have to stick to a soft-food diet for about a week or maybe longer. This is usually so that the implant can have time to settle and for the patient to get used to it, too. It is very important to observe this and allow the implant time to heal. This also means that you will have to stay away from sugary foods since too much sugar can hinder the healing process. Soups and green smoothies are some of the best soft foods you can eat at this time.