The dental implant process will require multiple visits, oral surgery, and months to complete. This process takes longer than getting traditional restorations. However, dental implant-supported restorations offer many more benefits and will last much longer.
Dr. Drew Shulman, a Northeast Philadelphia dentist, offers dental implants for patients looking for the best long-term solution for missing teeth. This is the number one recommended tooth replacement solution available today. To get an idea of what to expect, below are all the steps in the dental implant process.
The Dental Implant Process
Implant Consultation
The first step in the process is to meet with Dr. Shulman for a consultation. Here he will do a comprehensive oral health exam, takes x-rays, and might take impressions of your teeth. Then, he will create a detailed treatment plan to outline your specific case. Each treatment plan is specific to the patient, so none are alike.
Treatment planning is the most important step in the entire process. The dentist must do accurate and precise planning to ensure predictable results. He will determine the number of implants you need, the size of each, and where they will go. Dr. Shulman will review the rest of the process with you and give you an idea of length of time it will take you to get your new teeth.
Teeth Extractions or Bone Grafting
After treatment planning, Dr. Shulman will move to preparation. He will provide treatments to prepare your mouth for the surgical procedure. For example, Dr. Shulman will address damage to your natural tooth or lack of enough bone to support the implants first. He may preform a bone graft for bone loss, periodontal disease treatment, or extract remaining teeth.
Your mouth will need to be in good oral health before we can preform dental implant surgery to be a candidate for dental implants. If you do not need additional procedures, we will move on to the teeth implant placement phase.
Dental Implants Placement
Your dentist will surgically place the implant posts in their location along the jaw during this appointment. The implant posts will secure a dental restoration and replace the tooth root. We will sedate you and numb the area around the surgical site for your comfort. It takes about an hour to place a single implant, and takes longer if you are getting multiple implants.
After the dental implant procedure, you will need time to heal. The implants will fuse with the surrounding jaw bone during osseointegration. Healing time will vary from patient to patient, but usually takes from three to six months. Depending on the location of your missing teeth, the dentist may place a temporary dental restoration.
Placing the Abutment
Once osseointegration is complete, a second surgery will take place. Here, the dentist will uncover each implant and attach a small connector piece called an abutment to the implant post. In some cases, they will immediately connect the abutment to the dental implant post during the implant placement.
We will take additional impressions after your gums heal. The lad technician will use the new impressions to fabricate your final dental restorations.
Placement of the Dental Restoration
Dr. Shulman will secure your replacement teeth during the final placement appointment at our Northeast Philadelphia dental office. If you had only one missing tooth, he will attach the custom dental crown to the single implant. He will attach a dental bridge to the two or more implants if you had several consecutive missing teeth. If you were missing most or all of your natural teeth, he will attach a new implant denture.
To learn more about our dental implant services, see: