If you are among the people who have lost their teeth because of an accident, trauma, or any dental extraction where teeth cannot be saved via root canal process, then there is nothing to worry about. You can get your smile and tooth back with the dental implant procedure. During this surgery, tooth roots are replaced with screw-like metal posts, or you can say that the missing or damaged tooth is replaced with an artificial tooth that appears and functions just like the real one. The dental implant procedure also helps to hold bridgework or dentures, where the unavailability of roots of natural teeth prevent dentures or bridgework from fitting well. Dental implant surgery comprises different stages, where the margin of healing time is given between the procedures. This whole process takes many months where patients wait until the healing takes place and the new bone grows.

Step-By-Step Implant Process Initial Consultation First of all, you will visit your dentist for an initial consultation. In this meeting, they are going to conduct a comprehensive examination of your mouth through an X-ray and then impressions of your teeth are taken, especially the area where the tooth is missing. Thereafter, your dentists will have a discussion with you about the treatment plan, describing the stages of the process, the timeframe required for complete healing and the precaution to be taken during the recovery period. At this time, he will also determine whether a bone graft is needed or not. Bone Grafting Bone grafting takes place when your jawbone has not enough thickness or is very soft. It is done before the implant procedure, as the act of chewing pressurizes your bone severely and if it fails to support the dental implant, the whole surgery will be in vain. With a bone graft, a solid base can be created for the implant. The transplanted bone takes time, maybe months, to grow the new bone enough for supporting a dental implant. There are cases where only a minor bone graft is done at the time of the implant procedure. This purely depends on the condition of your jawbone. Ideally, a major bone graft takes four or more months to prepare your jaw for the implant surgery. Implant Placement During the implant procedure, your oral surgeon inserts the metal screw after opening your gums and exposing the bone with a cut. The metal post serves as the root of the tooth and so it is implanted deeply into the jawbone. This procedure takes around one to two hours while during that time, you are under the effect of anesthesia. After this stage, you will proceed to the next stage when your jaw is healed completely, which may take several months.

Placement of the Healing Collar Once the implant is fused properly with the jawbone, the next step is to get a healing collar or a temporary crown. The healing collar is also known as a “healing cap”, which is placed on the top of the implant. It helps in inducing healing of the surroundings of the gum tissue. This collar is removed after a few weeks when healing is complete. Placing the Abutment The next step is the placement of the abutment in which the additional surgery is done. Your gums are reopened, and your surgeon attaches the abutment to the exposed dental implant. The surgeon then closes the gum tissue around the abutment. After two weeks, when the tissue is healed, your surgeon takes an impression of your teeth so that your dental crown fits accurately. Permanent Crown Placement The final stage is the placement of permanent crowns that are screwed in the abutment. They can be cemented as well, however the second option gives a natural appearance since no screw hole is there. There are two types of crowns that you can choose for yourself. First is the removable crown which is formed on a metal frame and can be removed for cleaning purposes. The second option is a fixed crown which is permanent and cannot be removed for cleaning. However, a fixed crown is quite stable and strong compared to a removable crown.