Implants

May of our patients report they’d been told by other dentists that they are not candidates for dental implants. These days, it’s fairly rare to be a patient who cannot have implants. One limiting factor is loss of bone that will support the implant, but with advances in technology and understanding we can now do bone grafting as a routine aspect of tooth replacement.

The answer varies depending on the patient’s individual scenario. We can provide a more qualified answer during the initial consultation. Bone healing takes roughly 3-6 months depending on a number of factors: age, gender, size of tooth, if infection was present, health history, etc.

From the day an implant is placed to the day a tooth can be attached is usually around 4 months. There are plenty of instances where a tooth or arch full of teeth is attached to implants the very same day the implants are placed. For individual teeth this is more common in the anterior portion of the mouth where the biting forces are weaker and it is safer for the implant. If a tooth needs to be extracted prior to implant placement, that bone often needs to heal for 3-4 months before it is strong enough to support an implant. In these cases, the full timeline in many patients who need a tooth extracted is 8-10 months. Again, this varies greatly depending on the scenario. CT scans, intraoral exams, and bite assessments allow us to develop a timeline specific to each patient during their consultation.

For any patient who has not had an implant before, pain is usually heavy on their mind. Fear not! It’s truly a daily experience for us to hear how easy the process was or how shocked someone is with the lack of discomfort and swelling.

Bone itself has very little feeling. Gums have feeling, but discomfort in these areas is very easily controlled with mild medication. The same often holds true for implant surgeries, especially when they are CT guided which is the preferred method at City South Dental.

When able to work in a small space, the discomfort is essentially limited to the tiny area of gums around where the new implant is, which is very easy to manage.

With the help of IV sedation to make your visit a stress-free experience, we are able to give medication that help make the first 48 hours extra easy. The best part is your body produces that medication naturally, so no one is allergic to it and it’s very safe! We strive to make every procedure as comfortable as possible.