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Dental implants represent one of the most common treatment options for patients with missing teeth. Benefits of dental implants include:
- Replacing missing teeth with false teeth that look and function like healthy teeth.
- Longevity, as research from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services indicates dental implants often last 15 years or longer when patients care for them properly.
- Convenience, given that caring for dental implants typically involves the same basic steps that caring for natural teeth involves.
These are all reasons to discuss dental implants with your dentist when considering how to replace your missing teeth. They’ll evaluate such factors as the strength of your jawbone to determine if you’re a good candidate for dental implants.
A dentist can also answer your questions about how long the dental implant treatment process may last. For example, perhaps you’d like to know whether you can receive dental implants in as little as one day.
Short answer: No. As this overview explains, dental implant treatment can be somewhat lengthy when compared to other options. That said, because dental implants can last for a long time, patients often find the relatively lengthy treatment process is worth the long-term benefits.
Dental Implants in a Single Day? Why This Isn’t An Option
Advances in dental technology have made it possible to offer certain restorative and cosmetic dentistry treatments to patients much more efficiently than may have been possible until recently. For example, a dentist may offer same day crowns for such purposes as:
- Treating damaged teeth.
- Providing support for dental bridges.
- Completing dental implants.
That last point is not meant to suggest that same day crowns make it possible for a patient to receive dental implants in a single day. Although the process of covering a full implant with a crown might only take a day, the entire implant treatment process takes months.
Understanding the Dental Implant Treatment Process
The process of receiving dental implants usually involves the following steps:
- An initial assessment of your needs and health. Your dentist will account for all relevant factors to decide if dental implant treatment is right for you. For example, because a patient’s jawbone provides support for a dental implant, it must be sufficiently strong. If a patient’s jawbone is weak, their dentist might decide they aren’t a good candidate for dental implants, or they might suggest a patient undergo bone grafting to strengthen their jawbone before moving forward with treatment.
- Inserting the actual implant into a patient’s mouth. The implant itself is a titanium rod that replaces a tooth’s root. Over the course of three to six months, the rod should fuse with a patient’s jawbone.
- Installing the abutment and dental crown. A dentist will complete this final step once the titanium implant post has thoroughly fused with a patient’s bone.
Even though the treatment process is essentially complete after a dentist has installed an abutment and crown, a patient who has received dental implants will still usually need to see their dentist for one or more follow-up visits. A dentist will want to periodically monitor an implant to ensure a patient experiences ideal results.
Dental Implant Treatment Isn’t a One-Day Procedure
Factors such as your body’s healing time will influence how long the overall dental implant treatment process takes. Regardless, you can never get dental implants in as little as a single day.
That doesn’t mean you should reject this treatment option if your dentist recommends it. While receiving a dental implant can take several months, remember, when compared to other replacement teeth, dental implants can stay in good shape for a long time.
Chang Dental Group provides the highest quality dental care in a warm and gentle environment to Natick, MA, and its surrounding areas. Their Services include Dental Implants, Family Dentistry, Restorative Dentistry, and more.
