If you’ve chosen to get dental implants, you can trust they’re effective. Anyone who’s considered them will know that they’re the gold standard of tooth replacement. Even so, you may have another question: How long does dental implant surgery take? The answer will affect when you start enjoying your new teeth and a higher quality of life. Well, it so happens that your Simpsonville dentist can address your worry. Here’s a primer on dental implant surgery, how long it takes, and what to do to recover.
Remind Me: What’s Dental Implant Surgery?
To learn about dental implant surgery’s timeline, you’ll need to know how it works. That’s why you should review its basics before you do anything else.
Remember that dental implant surgery has several key steps. For starters, the treatment begins by numbing your mouth with a local anesthetic; it makes the placement work painless. The surgery then moves on to making a small incision in your gums. With this incision made, the treating dentist can place your implant and close the cut afterward. They’ll follow up by placing a protective cap over the post.
How Long Does the Surgery Take?
As much as you may wish otherwise, dental implant surgery isn’t a “one-and-done” process. Dentists need a fair amount of time to perform it.
While the exact timing can vary, most dental implant surgeries take 1-2 hours to place one implant. That means treatment takes longer if you get two or more posts. However, the treating dentist can use a CT scanner to speed things up; this device creates digital implants that map placement sites.
The honest truth is that implant surgery is a short phase within the larger treatment. Once it’s done, most patients need a few weeks for their mouths to recover. The implants themselves will then need 3-6 months to fuse with your jaw.
What Can You Do to Recover?
You can’t do much to alter your dental implant surgery’s timeline. That said, you can speed up your recovery from the placement process. Just remember the following tips:
- Be Careful with Your Implant(s) – Once the implants are placed, don’t touch or chew with them for a few weeks. You could apply ice packs to them (to reduce swelling) instead.
- Don’t Overexert Yourself – You should try to rest and keep your head elevated for a day after surgery. In reality, harsh physical activity could delay or undo your healing.
- Eat Soft Foods – To prevent irritation to the implant sites, only eat soft food while you recover.
If you need any further details, consult your dentist about dental implant surgery. They’ll give you the scoop on its timeline, effects, and more!
About the Practice
We at Tylan Creek Family Dentistry are based in Simpsonville, SC. Thanks to many amazing dentists, our practice aims to give each patient a truly dreamy smile. That means we offer preventive, cosmetic, and restorative treatments, as well as emergency dental care if (or when) needed. Our team can even restore your whole smile with quality dental implant surgery! For more details or to book a visit, please reach us on our website or by phone at (864)-962-6671.