Overview of Implant Placement
The Dental Implant Surgical Procedure
The procedure to place a dental implant takes 30 to 60 minutes for one implant and only 2 to 3 hours for multiple implants. The number of appointments and time required varies from patient to patient. Dr. Collins will bring great precision and attention to the details of your case.
For greater comfort, intravenous sedation may be used for your surgery. This is discussed with you at your consultation appointment. A local anesthetic will be also administered to numb the area where the dental implant will be placed.
When you are sedated, Dr. Collins makes a small incision in the gum tissue to reveal the bone, creates space using special instruments, and gently inserts the titanium implant.
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1. Normal

2. Tooth Loss

3. Healed Bone

4. Implant Placed

5. Healing

6. Implant Restored
Healing after Dental Implant Surgery
Now the healing begins. The length of time varies from person to person, depending upon the quality and quantity of bone. In some cases, implants may be restored with a temporary crown or bridge immediately after they are placed. Dr. Collins will advise you on follow-up care and timing.
How long your mouth needs to heal is determined by a variety of factors. Follow-up care (typically one to three appointments) is usually needed to ensure that your mouth is healing well and to determine when you are ready for the restorative phase of your treatment.
It may be beneficial to perform a soft tissue graft to obtain stronger, more easily cleaned and natural appearing gum tissue in the area around the implant. This process involves moving a small amount of gum tissue from one part of your mouth to the area around the implant. Most often, it is a brief and relatively comfortable procedure.
Whether it’s one tooth or all of your teeth that are being replaced, your general dentist will complete the restoration by fitting the replacement tooth (crown) to the dental implant.
Dental Implants Presentation
To provide you with a better understanding of dental implants, we have provided the following multimedia presentation. Many common questions pertaining to dental implants are discussed.
When are dental implants placed?
Often, an implant may be placed immediately after extraction of a tooth. This may involve a little more risk, but it simplifies the process—you won’t have to wait for another appointment to place the implant. Occasionally, implants must be placed several months after extraction. When infection or other problems with the bone are present, immediate implant placement is not the best treatment.
If your tooth has been missing for some time, the adjacent support bone is likely to grow thinner and shrink. This occurs because the root of the natural tooth has to be present to stimulate the bone. As much as one-third of your jaw’s thickness can be lost in the year following tooth extraction. If you are missing enough bone, you may benefit from having additional bone grafted into the area. This ensures the implant will be adequately supported when it is placed in the jaw.