Dental Implants - Replacing Missing Teeth

How dental implants are done?

1. Your dentist or specialist will carefully examine your mouth and take x-rays of your head, jaw and teeth to find out if dental implants are right for you.
2. During the first stage of surgery, your dentist or specialist will put a dental implant into your jawbone beneath the gum tissue. The gum tissue is then stitched back into place. As the tissue heals, the implant will bond with the bone and attach to the gum. It can take several months to heal.
3. During the second stage of surgery and once the tissue is all healed, your dentist or specialist will attach a post to the implant. This post is called the abutment and it connects the replacement tooth to the implant. In some cases, the first and second stage of implant surgery may be done in one single stage. In some cases, a second surgical procedure may be required to attach the abutment.
4. An artificial replacement tooth is made and your dentist or specialist attaches it to the abutment. It may take several appointments to properly fit the replacement tooth to the abutment.
5. When replacing several teeth or all of your teeth, a fixed bridge is anchored to your dental implants. A bridge is a dental restoration that replaces one or more missing teeth by spanning an area that has no teeth. The bridge is held firmly in place by your own healthy teeth on each side of the missing one(s), or by dental implant(s).

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