How Is A Dental Implant Done?

There are many scary rumours of how dental implants are done, what the process is like, and what one can expect when getting dental implants. These rumours are massively over exaggerated, but really, dental implantation is an invasive oral surgical procedure, and will have some scary bits. Here is a rundown of what happens at one of these appointments!

The surgery itself

After having decided on getting the implants, having had an x-ray and possibly a CT scan of the area, the dentist will now be ready to insert the dental implant. This is a procedure that takes anywhere from half an hour to 90 minutes. During this procedure, the dentist will peel back the gums, cut a small hole into the jawbone and fill it with the dental implant, which will then be covered with the gums and sewn up. This surgical site will be quite sore and swollen for up to 72 hours afterwards. There may be some residual bleeding, but it should be relatively little.
 

Aftercare

The most important aspect of aftercare is to make sure the blood clot does not leave the surgical site and is covering it. Make sure you rinse the area gently, and do not scrub it. Eat on the other side of your face, and make sure you avoid the foods that are listed. Once the blood clot is absorbed, everything can go back to normal.
 

Healing time

The healing time after this procedure is anywhere from three to six months, that is when the dental implant has bonded with the bone tissues, and can be loaded. This is an important part of the healing process, and needs to be taken seriously.
 

Phase two

After the healing time is up, you will have an uncovering, meaning the gums will be taken off of the top of the dental implant. An abutment will be put in, and then in a few weeks the final crown will be put on the dental implant. After this, you can use your new tooth the way you did the original one.