Stages of Routine Dental Implant Surgery

Stages of Routine Dental Implant Surgery

Patients are assessed for the suitability of dental implants and this involves clinical examination followed by the appropriate x-rays and/or CT scans.

A significant amount of dental and surgical planning is done prior to the placing of a dental implant. Impression of the teeth and jaws are taken and together with the X-rays and scans special surgical stents are made to guide the accurate positioning of the dental implants so as to get the best outcomes.

During the planning stage it is determined whether there is sufficient bone in the jaw to allow for dental implant placement.

Implant placement is usually followed by a period of healing lasting from 3 to 6 months. Often the implants are completely hidden beneath the gums, however one-stage procedures where the implant is visible from the time of placement are also occasionally used in selected cases. Stitches are normally removed 7 to 10 days after the implant placement.

Several visits may be needed over the next few weeks to adjust temporary teeth or dentures and to monitor healing.

Once the implants have healed for the required time, they are uncovered if necessary and made ready to connect the teeth. Sometimes the time allowed for implants to integrate may be increased or decreased to suit the local bone conditions and the overall quality of healing.

In some cases the first teeth fitted to your implants are not the final ones, but temporary restorations of the intended design. This stage can be used to assess the implants, control early loading and in areas where aesthetics are more critical, also gives the gums time to mature around each implant before final teeth are fitted.

Final teeth are commonly fitted between 6 and 9 months after the implants were first placed. The way that the teeth fit together is carefully adjusted so that they do not interfere with each other.

Regular examination and hygiene appointments are then all that is required to maintain the health of the mouth, teeth and implants.