I’ve heard the procedure can take several months to complete. Is that true?
Dental implant surgery is performed in several stages, with the entire process lasting anywhere from 3 to 9 months. Much of this time includes time off for healing and the growth of new jaw bone.
• The first surgery involves the placement of the dental implant cylinder into the jawbone. A rest period of a few months follows.
• The next surgery involves the placement of the abutment and the new artificial tooth that is commonly three months after the first surgery.
• Some individuals will require a bone graft surgery prior to having dental implant surgery. This is common in individuals who have a jawbone that is too soft or is not thick enough to sustain the implant. During a bone graft, a piece of bone is taken from a different part of the jaw or another part of the body and is transplanted to the jawbone or synthetic commercially available bone grafting material is chosen.