Route map Replace line · S5 to S7
Dental implants
When a tooth can’t be kept, an implant is a new root in the jaw. We plan it on a 3D scan, place it, and hand you back to your dentist for the tooth on top.
- S1 Exam and pocket charting
- S5 Extraction and socket graft
- S6 Implant placement
- S7 Crown by your dentist
- Save line, S2 to S4
Who an implant suits
- Good general health, or conditions that are well controlled
- Healthy gums: gum disease is treated first
- Enough jawbone, or bone we can build with a graft
- Someone ready to keep up daily cleaning and maintenance visits
- Smokers: possible, but healing is slower and less predictable
The 3D scan and the exam at your consult decide. A photo or an x-ray alone can’t.
S5 · Replace · getting ready
Extraction and socket graft
- What it is
- When a tooth can’t be kept, we take it out as gently as we can and fill the socket with graft material, which may help limit the bone shrinking that follows an extraction.
- Who it’s for
- A tooth cracked below the gumline, too loose to keep, or with too little bone left to save.
- How it goes
- One visit with local anesthetic, sedation if you’d like it. A temporary tooth can fill the gap if it shows when you smile.
- After
- The socket heals for a few months before an implant, depending on the site and the scan.
S6 · Replace · the new root
Implant placement
- What it is
- A titanium post placed in the jaw as a new root. We plan its exact position on a 3D (CBCT) scan, around the nerve, the sinus and the bone you have.
- Who it’s for
- Good general and gum health, and enough bone to hold the implant, or bone we can build up first.
- How it goes
- One visit, often about an hour for a single implant. Then the bone bonds to the post (osseointegration), which can take up to several months.
- After
- Soft foods at first. Some cases can have a temporary tooth the same day; we tell you at the consult whether yours can.
S7 · Replace · the new tooth
Crown by your dentist
- What it is
- Once the implant has bonded to the bone, your own dentist makes the crown or bridge that goes on top. We send them the plan, the scan and the implant details.
- Who it’s for
- Everyone on this route. You keep your dentist; we’re the stop in between.
- How it goes
- Usually two short visits at your dentist’s office: a scan or impression, then the crown.
- After
- Brush and clean between like a natural tooth, and keep your maintenance visits. Implants need gum care too.
Then the loop: maintenance for the implant and your gums.
S6 · Planning
Why the 3D scan
Flat x-rays show height, not width. A cone beam CT scan shows the bone in three dimensions, so the implant’s angle, length and distance from the nerve and the sinus are planned before surgery, not found during it.
- 1One tooth One implant and one crown. The teeth beside it aren’t filed down for a bridge.
- 2+Several teeth Implants can hold a bridge, so three missing teeth may need only two posts.
- ArchA full arch Several implants hold a full set of teeth on one jaw, fixed or snap-in.
- Implant angle
- Bone height
- Bone width
- Planned clearance
- Nerve canal
Three questions we hear on this line
Q1Why save a tooth if an implant lasts?
A natural tooth sits in a thin ligament that cushions each bite and senses pressure. An implant is fused straight to the bone and has no ligament. Implants are a good replacement, but we only take that route when the tooth can’t be kept.
Q2How long does an implant take, start to finish?
It depends on whether a graft is needed. The bone needs time to bond to the implant, which can take up to several months, and some cases can have a temporary tooth the same day. Your plan gives you the timeline before you start.
Q3Will I still see my regular dentist?
Yes. Your dentist keeps your cleanings, fillings and crowns, including the crown on an implant. Many patients alternate maintenance visits between us and their dentist.