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How Long Does Getting Dental Implants Take?

Although dental implants can last a lifetime, getting implanted teeth won’t take much time out of your busy life.

Worst case, you’ll likely only need three or four appointments. But for many patients, it’s possible to complete the procedure in a single day.

How long does it take to get dental implants

The Dental Implant Process

The first step to getting implanted teeth is an oral surgeon consultation. Although most patients are good candidates for this procedure, you will need an assessment from an experienced surgeon. But this should take less than half an hour.

Next, you’ll schedule an appointment for the first stage of the dental implant process. During this appointment, the oral surgeon places the artificial tooth roots and temporary crowns. Each can require up to an hour, but you’ll be under anesthesia and the time will go by quickly.

From that point, the new tooth roots need time to fuse with the jawbone and provide a solid foundation for the implanted teeth. This can take anywhere from three to six months. Once the healing is complete, you’ll come back to the oral surgeon’s office for permanent crowns.

Pre-Prosthetic Surgery May Delay the Dental Implant Process

Before all that can happen, however, you may need to come in for pre-prosthetic surgery.

Some patients need procedures to prepare the mouth and jaw for the placement of implanted teeth. Depending upon your case, your oral surgeon may recommend pre-prosthetic surgery to remove excess bone in the jaw or reshape the jawbone. Or you may require a bone graft to restore jawbone density.

If you need any of these procedures, the timeline for getting implanted teeth will be slightly longer.

Teeth-in-a-Day Dental Implants Are an Option for Some Patients

If you’re getting implanted teeth immediately after tooth loss or tooth extraction, you may be a candidate for teeth-in-a-day implants.

This innovative procedure lets you walk out of the oral surgeon’s office with a beautiful, fully functional smile after a single appointment — and the magic happens in only an hour.

One month later, you’ll return to the oral surgeon for permanent crowns. This shouldn’t take any longer than the placement of the implanted teeth, and it may even take much less time.

In order to be a candidate for teeth-in-a-day implants, however, you must have a strong, healthy jawbone. If you have bone loss in the jaw, you’ll need pre-prosthetic surgery.

Are you interested in learning more about dental implants? If you live in the greater Salt Lake City area, schedule a consultation at Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery of Utah. With over 10 years of experience placing implanted teeth, Dr. Partridge and Dr. Maxfield are the go-to experts for tooth restoration in northern Utah.

With locations in Cottonwood Heights, South Jordan, and Tooele, visiting Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery of Utah is both easy and convenient. To get started with the dental implant process, contact us today.

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