The dental implant procedure often takes several months to complete and involves four main steps.
As the first step, Dr. Bari or one of her colleagues surgically places the implant into your jawbone. In the case of an immediate implant, the implant is placed in the socket, or in place of the root, or in the area where the tooth is removed from, as soon as it’s extracted.
The second step is the healing process. Also called osseointegration, this stage requires you to wait for your jaw bone to grow around your implant to hold your implant in place. On average, osseointegration takes several months to complete.
Dr. Bari often recommends a diet of soft, cold foods and warm soup during the healing process and prohibits smoking or drinking of alcoholic beverages during this time.
Once the healing process is complete, you’re fitted for your custom-made crowns, bridges, or dentures. It often takes around two weeks for your replacement teeth to be created in a lab. A temporary crown is placed to help you eat speak and function normally while you wait.
When your permanent crown arrives at KRB Dentistry, one of the dentists ensures it’s the right size, shape, color, and fit for a comfortable and natural-looking result. In this final step, it’s important to tell the dentist if the occlusion or bite is incorrect, so they can ensure you won’t have problems with chewing later.