To understand how dental implants work, it’s helpful to know the three parts of the dental implant procedure.
- Implant body: The titanium post that is inserted into your jawbone.
- Abutment: This device connects the crown to the implant body.
- Crown: The final restoration is a crown that is placed on the abutment and looks and performs like a natural, beautiful tooth.
The implant procedure is a sequence of three steps starting with evaluation and ending with the final, naturally beautiful, full restoration.
Step One: Evaluation
The first step in the implant procedure is an evaluation of your overall health and the dental implant area. All evaluations include a mandatory CT scan. During the scan, Dr. Saleh will examine the conditions of the bone, gums, and adjacent teeth, to assure a successful implant restoration.
Step Two: Surgery
Dental implant placement surgery begins with a drilling sequence and ends with the placement of the implant body. The entire process takes no longer than 10-15 minutes and is typically completed while under local anesthesia.
In the vast majority of situations, you can have your tooth removed and the implant body placed at the same time. In fact, this is the most preferred method by experienced clinicians and above all, the best way to preserve the bone in your jaw.
You may never have to go without a tooth when you undergo implant placement. In our experience, fixed, bonded, temporary restorations, or immediately loaded implants, offer the best alternative to removable flippers or dentures.
Patients often ask: Do dental implants hurt?
The vast majority of patients report that healing from dental implant procedure is much easier than healing from a tooth extraction. This is consistent with scientific research that reports little discomfort after a dental implant procedure.
Step Three: Final Restoration
Depending on how many teeth are missing, the final restoration can be a crown or a bridge. After the implant is placed, there is a waiting period of four to six months before the final restoration can be completed. This period of time is needed to allow the bone to adhere to the implant through a process called implant osseointegration. Generally, osseointegration of dental implants takes around four to six months depending on your bone density and overall health.
Because we are passionate about this area of dentistry, our clinical results and level of expertise are second-to-none. We offer the best dental implant services in Portland, Lake Oswego & Bellevue areas. We encourage you to take a moment to view before-and-after images in our smile gallery, which demonstrate the natural beauty and precision of our dental implants.
Please take advantage of our free implant consultation, which includes a complimentary 3D scan used to evaluate your bone and plan the best possible implant procedure.