Dental implant surgery can take between 1-2 hours for a single implant. Patients face a waiting game once the surgery is over as the titanium implant rod and the jawbone gradually fuse. Depending on the patient's ability to heal, this process of osseointegration can take between 6 weeks to 3 months or even longer.
The procedure itself takes 1 to 2 hours and the healing time is 3 to 6 months. During this time the titanium alloy (the same material used in joint replacement) implant will heal around and merge with the surrounding bone tissue. No other load bearing medical implant has as rapid healing or recovery times.
When a patient has dental implants put in, there is a short healing period between implant surgery and permanent crown placement. This period, usually lasting anywhere from four to six months, is crucial to the success of the implant.
In most cases, the implants and temporary bridge are fitted in one day – hence the name of the treatment. There are rare occasions when treatment can't be completed in a day, as sometimes bone loss in the jaw means implants can't be supported straight away.
While waiting for implants, temporary crowns may be a good choice. It is usually made of acrylic-based plastic, and the dentist will cement it in place. The crown offers an aesthetically pleasing option. It will appear like a real tooth, though the patient should be cautious about eating hard foods.
With numbed nerves, you can expect not to feel any pain during your dental implant procedure. You may feel pressure at times, but it should not cause you discomfort. For patients who have anxiety with dental procedures, oral sedation is available.
A single dental implant can also be used to replace two adjacent teeth. Once the implant has bonded with the body, your dentist will place a two-unit restoration top of it. One unit will be a crown, and the other unit will be a pontic (an artificial tooth that is attached to the crown).
Clients that wish to have a dental implant placed the same day as a tooth extraction can undergo a procedure known as an “immediate dental implant.” “Immediate loading” is a term to describe a procedure in which a crown or dental bridge is placed to restore the compromised tooth.
Immediate Implant Placement
Under the most ideal circumstances, a dental implant can be placed in the jawbone immediately after a tooth extraction, even during the same appointment. This could be an option for you if you are free of gum disease and have a healthy, dense jawbone.
You will need to abstain from sex or use a back-up method, like a condom, for 7 days after the procedure. This gives the implant time to start working properly. If you were taking a different form of birth control before getting Nexplanon you can continue to take it for the 7 days or as recommended by your doctor.
Patients are commonly sedated during dental implant surgery to protect against pain during this invasive procedure. Most patients are put under conscious sedation while local anesthesia is applied to the area of the mouth that is being worked on.
The surgery takes places in three stages: Placement of the implant. Attaching the abutment. Fitting the crown.
Rest and relax. Limit vigorous physical activity for the first 3 to 4 days after surgery. After 4 days, you may resume activity as tolerated unless otherwise directed. NOTE: If a healing abutment was placed on your implant, it may loosen as it is not a precision fit by design.
Vigorous mouth rinsing or chewing in the areas of the extraction should be avoided. This may cause increased bleeding or the blood clot to dislodge. A liquid or soft diet is recommended for the first 24 hours after dental implant surgery. Avoid sucking through straws and eating hard or crunchy foods and spicy foods.
Patients can be informed that, in general, implant placement surgical experience is less unpleasant compared to tooth extraction with less postsurgical pain and limitation of daily activities. However, some factors can increase the pain intensity and discomfort level on individual bases.
The pain that could be felt in both procedures depends on how well the procedure goes and the body system of the dental patients. People respond to pain differently. While tooth extraction might be very painful for some people, dental implants might be very easy and pain-free for some.
You know that dental implants are recommended after an extraction to prevent bone loss, difficulty chewing, bite issues, and other consequences of tooth loss.
An implant is rarely used to replace multiple teeth on its own, but it can be combined with another to replace up to six teeth. That means an implant on its own can support a max of three artificial teeth.
Replacing four or more teeth
If you have four consecutive missing teeth, we only need to place two implants which can then suspend two false bridge teeth between them.
For instance, a full mouth dental implant procedure — frequently referred to as full mouth crown and bridge implants — may require as many as 12 to 16 dental implants, or six to eight implants for the upper jaw and six to eight implants for the lower jaw.
The pain that patients feel when they get dental implant surgery is actually not from the hole made in the bone or the placement of the implant — the pain usually comes from the soft tissue manipulation that occurs during the process.
When it comes to sleeping position following dental surgery, it is a good idea to make sure to elevate the head. A good angle to achieve while sleeping is 45 degrees. You should sleep in the position for the first 36 to 48 hours following the surgery.
The chances of your mouth rejecting an implant are low, but not impossible. The resulting titanium residue from an implant has the possibility to cause a variety of reactions if you are allergic. The most notable of these being bone loss and hypersensitive reactions.
If you feel comfortable enough after the first day, then you can choose to lay on your side, but continue to keep your body elevated, with your neck still above heart level.