Previously, we spoke about the basics of dental implant placement and subsequent dental restorations on top of the implant(s). Today, I will elaborate on the timing of each of the procedures.
When a patient presents to our office as a candidate for dental implants to replace missing teeth, we evaluate the area(s) and educate the patient about the process. We also provide options as there can be multiple other means to replace a tooth or in some cases many teeth. There are also situations where we replace an entire arch. That is, all of the top and/or bottom teeth.
Please visit our website for concise patient videos about the process and other available options.
http://www.karlarakeliandmd.com/traditional-crowns–bridges.html
As an example, let us suppose a patient is missing a molar. We want to replace it with a dental implant restoration, because the patient has lost significant chewing ability.
We refer the patient to one of our local implant surgeons. They can be either an oral surgeon or a periodontist (gum specialist).
Once the the implant is placed, we have to ensure that the the bone and gum surrounding the implant is healthy (integrated). This integration process may take 3-6 months.
In our example, a molar (back tooth) is missing, so we don’t usually need a temporary appliance. But if a front tooth is missing, the patient typically requires something to wear for the interim.
Once the surgeon has verified the health of the implant, we, as the restorative dentist, can proceed to the final crown.
This where it starts to get really cool.
We have a digital scanner made by 3M that takes a series of digital images of the implant, the adjacent teeth, and the other jaw. We upload those images to our dental laboratory, and they fabricate a custom abutment and crown. The custom abutment is a post that is screwed into the implant, and the crown is the cap that the patient is able to now chew with. And voila, the process is complete.
Please call our office at 978.373.0901 for more information and mention this blog post for a complementary consultation.
