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How Dental Implants Work

Here is what happens at each stage, from your first 3D scan in our Roselle office to the visit when your new teeth are attached.

Request an Implant Evaluation Call (630) 592-8109
Dentist and patient reviewing a 3D scan of the teeth and jaw together on a monitor during an implant consultation
The process

Six Stages, Planned Before the First One Starts

Every stage below is set out in your treatment plan, so you know the order of visits before you agree to anything.

  1. Evaluation and 3D imaging

    Your first visit is the Dental Implant Evaluation & 3D Imaging Assessment. Dr. Llanes examines your teeth and gums, goes over your health history and takes a 3D CBCT scan on our Carestream CS 8100 3D. The scan shows the bone at each site from every angle, along with the nerve and sinus an implant has to stay clear of. Our iTero Element 5D Lite scanner records your teeth digitally, which replaces most putty impressions.

  2. Your plan and itemized estimate

    You get a plan that covers how many implants you need, whether any site needs grafting first and what will be attached to the implants. It comes with an itemized estimate, so the cost is clear before you commit. Self-pay patients get upfront cash pricing, and CareCredit can spread the cost into monthly payments.

  3. Preparing the site

    If a tooth has to come out, the extraction is planned with the implant in mind. Where the bone is too thin to hold a post, Dr. Llanes rebuilds it with bone grafting here in our office. Some grafts heal on their own first, and others are placed at the same visit as the implant.

  4. Placing the implant

    The area is numbed with local anesthesia, and the titanium post goes in where the scan showed it should. If dental visits make you anxious, a mild oral relaxation medication taken beforehand can help you stay relaxed. For a full arch treated with All-on-4, temporary teeth can often be attached the same day.

  5. Healing

    Over the next few months the bone grows snugly around the post, a process called osseointegration, and that bond is what lets an implant carry a tooth.

  6. Your final teeth

    Once the implant is stable, a connector called an abutment is attached and your custom crown, bridge or full-arch teeth are fitted to it. A follow-up visit checks your bite and the gums around the implant.

Watch

See an Implant From Root to Crown

This short animation follows a single implant through placement, healing and the final crown. Three parts work together once treatment is finished:

  • The implant, a titanium post that takes the place of the tooth root in your jawbone.
  • The abutment, a small connector that joins the post to the tooth above the gum.
  • The restoration, which is a crown for one tooth, a bridge for several, or a full arch of teeth.
Aftercare

Looking After Your Implant

  • For the first few days, eat soft foods and chew on the other side.
  • A cold compress and over-the-counter pain relief usually handle any soreness or swelling.
  • Brush twice a day and clean around the implant every day. A water flosser helps under an implant bridge or full arch.
  • Keep your regular cleanings and checkups, where we check the gums and bone around the implant.
  • If you clench or grind, wear the night guard Dr. Llanes recommends.
Timing

How Long It Takes

Most of the time between placement and your final teeth is healing, usually a few months. A bone graft adds its own healing time, and a case that starts with an extraction may need a little longer.

Your plan lists each stage in order, so you can see which visits come first and what each one involves. If anything changes along the way, such as a site that needs more healing, Dr. Llanes explains why before the next step.

Am I a candidate?

Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on your treatment. For a full arch, All-on-4 treatment can include same-day temporary teeth, and an immediate denture goes in on the day your teeth are removed. If you are replacing a single tooth or a few teeth, Dr. Llanes will talk through your options for the healing months at your evaluation.

A standard dental X-ray is a flat picture. Our CBCT scan builds a three-dimensional view of your jaw, so Dr. Llanes can measure the height and width of the bone at each site and see exactly where the nerve and sinus sit. That is how the implant's size, angle and position are chosen before the procedure, rather than during it.

Sometimes. A small graft can often be placed at the same visit as the implant. A larger graft may need to heal first, and then the implant goes in at a later visit. Grafting at the implant site is done here in our office. If your case calls for a larger graft, Dr. Llanes will explain whether it can be done here or should be referred.

Start With an Implant Evaluation

The first step is a visit with Dr. Llanes, a 3D scan and an itemized estimate. From there you decide whether to go ahead.

Request an Implant Evaluation Call (630) 592-8109

Dental implant care at Modern Essence Dentistry is provided by general dentists. Our dentists do not hold a license in the dental specialties of oral and maxillofacial surgery, periodontics or prosthodontics.