The Dental Implant Procedure

Dental Implant Procedure - Overview

Most clinicians agree that the first phase is the most critical, and it requires the most attention - it's the investment. This phase is called the pre-implant planning, or treatment planning phase. Phase two is the surgical placement of the titanium implant into the jawbone so that osseointegration can occur. Phase three is the restorative and cosmetic part - placing the prosthetic implant crown over the implant. 

Phase One - Dental Implant Treatment Planning

Phase one is all about what you know - diagnositcs. If the dentist proceeds to phase two without an adequate understanding of the patient, the likelihood of a successful outcome (defined by all stakeholders) is less than ideal. Conversely, when the dentist invests to fully understand the clinical, emotional and financial needs of the patient, good things tend to happen - go figure. As such, a critical piece of this understanding is achieved with a new high tech, 3-D (conebeam) dental implant image. The data gathered from this image facilitates a critical understanding of what can and can't be done. Is there adequate bone or is bone grafting required? Is there adequate space to place an implant or should a mini implant be considered? This high tech 3-D image not only provides invaluable diagnostic data about the case, but is also integrated with an advanced treatment planning software to plan the case. So there you have it... complete diagnostic data - expectation management - 3-D treatment planning - predictible dental implant placements.

Phase Two - Placing The Dental Implant

Phase two is all about what you do with what you know (from phase one) - this is the actual placement. Though not all the time, it's common practice for a primary oral healthare provider to refer the patient to an expert at this point. Whether the expert is an implant dentist or an oral surgeon, the dental implant placemet is typically performed under local anesthesia or sedation. The 3-D rendered treatment plan enables precise surgical guidance of these titanium implants into into the jawbone so that osseointegration takes place. The time required for osseointegration to take place varies from case to case and implant to implant as there are several options to choose from. Options are good! In most cases, this procedure takes less than an hour and the patient will leave with minimal discomfort.

• it's what you do with what you know
• if the general (restorative) dentist is not an implant dentist, you may be referred to a specialist
• placement is performed under anesthesia
• less than an hour
• minor discomfort for a couple of days
• osseointegration begins (the implant fuses to the jawbone)

Phase Three - Restoring The Dental Implant

Phase three is the process of attaching the new teeth (abutments) to the anchored implants that have "fused" to the jawbone. This is performed by the general, or restorative dentist. This part of the process is fairly straight forward though it may require some fine tuning to achieve aesthetic interests. The time required to restore dental implants is typically less then an hour, and just like after the placement, there can be some minor discomfort for a couple of days. The last and final step is to check the teams work - after all, you paid for it. This requires one more 3-D scan. Though rare, I have found instances where I could take immediate corrective action that would have otherwise resulted in a failed implant. It's the last step... it's quick... it's only a couple hundred dollars... and, it offers peace of mind to everyone.

• attaching the artificial tooth prosthetic (abutment), or implant crown
• the general restorative dentist does this part
• achieve desired aesthetics
• less than an hour 
• minor discomfort
• check the teams work
• ask your dentist for a 3-D scan