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If you’ve lost some or all of your natural teeth and are looking for reliable replacements, you might benefit from implant dentures. This treatment combines the strength and stability of dental implants with the versatility of dentures to rebuild your arches.
However, because these restorations involve oral surgery, it’s essential that you’re well informed before proceeding. It’s natural to have questions about what to expect, like how long it takes. Continue reading to learn more about the different steps involved and their anticipated timelines.
Step #1: Consultation & Preparation
Your dentist will need to update your medical history and examine your mouth to ensure you’re healthy enough to safely undergo the procedure. This consultation is the perfect time to bring up any questions or concerns you may have about your current oral condition or anticipated treatments, like how long the process takes from start to finish.
Your provider will also check your jawbone density to verify that it’s thick enough to support four to eight implants to anchor a complete set of dentures. If it’s not, don’t lose hope! Sometimes, additional procedures are required to prepare your mouth before you can proceed.
For instance, you might need to have a few remaining teeth removed to make room for your replacements, or you might need an additional bone graft to strengthen your jaw to continue. After these preparatory procedures, it takes three to six months for your mouth to heal sufficiently.
Step #2: Implant Procedure
For this surgery, your dentist begins by numbing the area with a local anesthetic and/or providing sedation, so you feel comfortable throughout your appointment. Then, they’ll create small incisions in your gums to place the titanium support rods that will eventually serve as the foundation for your dentures.
Then, it can take another three to six or more months to recover because your jaw must generate enough new bone growth to fuse with the metal in a process called osseointegration. Once your gum tissues have healed, your provider will schedule the final stage of your implant process.
Step #3: Second Surgery
Before your dentist can place your custom-fitted dentures on your implants, they must complete a second, more minor procedure to expose the tops of the metal poles. Then, a cap is placed on each one to guide healing. You’ll need to wear these for about 10 to 14 days, then your provider will replace them with metal abutments that connect with your dentures. They’ll also make impressions of your mouth to begin creating your new dentures, taking your implant placement into account.
Step #4: Insertion
Once your dentist receives your customized dentures from the laboratory, they’ll schedule a final appointment to secure them into place. This involves trying them on to ensure they fit correctly, then they’re permanently secured in place with a bar or ball attachments that fasten to the implants.
You’ll leave this visit with a beautifully restored smile you can be proud of!
About the Practice
Patients at All Smiles Leesburg benefit from several dentists with decades of combined experience helping people of all ages build and maintain beautiful, healthy smiles. They work together to offer a complete array of services at one convenient location, including dental implants. They combine a compassionate approach with state-of-the-art technology to provide each step of the implant process in the office, including oral surgery. Then, they can provide lifelike dentures made just for you to rebuild your grin. If you need to replace missing teeth, you can request an appointment on the website or by calling (703) 777-4443.