If you’re thinking about getting dental implants in Glastonbury, you may be a bit intimidated by the idea of oral surgery and healing during your treatment. And while it does take a while to get dental implants, the recovery process is nothing to worry about. In this blog from PS Dental, we’ll break down the entire dental implant healing timeline, and what you can expect as you recover.
Explaining The Entire Implant Healing Process – Start To Finish
Every patient is different. Not everyone needs the same surgeries to get implants, and everyone heals at different rates. But generally speaking, there are five steps to the implant placement and healing process:
- Tooth extraction – If you’re replacing an unhealthy tooth and that tooth is still in your mouth, Dr. Sinha will need to extract it. He may also smooth out your jaw during the tooth extraction. This is known as “alveoloplasty.” It will take about 1-2 weeks for your mouth to feel normal, but you may have to wait up to 2-3 months for the area to fully heal.
- Bone grafts – A bone graft may be needed if your jaw bone is too weak to hold an implant on its own. In this procedure, Dr. Sinha will open up the jaw and place some bone powder or granules in the jaw bone. Over time, natural bone will heal around this external bone material, strengthening your jaw sufficiently for an implant. Similar to an extraction, your mouth will feel normal after 1-2 weeks but it could take 3+ months for the new bone to grow around your grafted tissue.
- Implant placement surgery – Once your tooth has been removed and you've gotten a bone graft, you can get your implant placement surgery. Dr. Sinha will open up the gums and jaw, place a small metal implant in the surgical area, then send you home to recover. Again, you’ll follow his instructions and your mouth will feel normal after 1-2 weeks.
However, this is only the beginning of the healing process. It will take 3-6 months for the implant to “osseointegrate.” This is the process where the jaw bone heals around the metal implant, locking it into place permanently and ensuring it provides a stable platform for your implant restoration.
- Abutment placement – Once your implant has fully healed, you’ll come back for abutment placement. This is a really minor surgery. Dr. Sinha will cut back some gum tissue to expose your implant and place an abutment. The abutment is a small piece of metal that connects the implant to your implant restoration, such as a dental crown. Most patients heal in 1-2 weeks.
- Final implant restoration placement – After abutment placement, you’ll come in for one last appointment, and Dr. Sinha will place your implant restoration, such as a dental crown. This is a non-surgical process, so there’s no healing or recovery time. You’ll be sent home to start enjoying your new smile right away.
How Long Does The Entire Process Take?
If you have a strong jaw, don’t require any pre-treatment surgery, and take great care of your mouth as you heal and recover, it will usually take somewhere between 3-6 months to heal and get
However, it can take much longer if you need tooth extraction and bone grafts, or if you don’t take proper care of your mouth after treatment. Your treatment could take up to 12 months or longer, in these cases.
Schedule A Consultation Today – Get Dental Implants In Glastonbury, CT
Every patient is different. It may take one person 5 months to heal, while another may need 8 or 9. The best way to find out is to work with Dr. Sinha at PS Dental. After your oral exam and implant consultation, he’ll provide you with a personalized treatment timeline and estimate.
So don’t wait. If you think dental implants may be right for you, please contact PS Dental online or give us a call at (860) 266-1828. Dr. Sinha is always accepting new patients, and we’d be glad to meet you and discuss your eligibility for dental implants in Glastonbury, CT.
