Many people wonder what dental implants are and what dental implants can do for them.  I want to explain briefly what dental implants are and how the procedure is done.

Dental implants are simply root shaped titanium screws that are placed in the jaw bone to act as roots for artificial crowns.  Dental implants are sometimes used as anchors for orthodontic braces and dentures. 

The two phases of dental implant treatment are the surgical phase and the prosthetic phase.

The surgical phase involves surgically preparing the jaw bone and inserting a dental implant.  Before the dental implant is placed, the surgeon works closely with the dentist in determing where and which type of dental implant will be placed.  If the implant is placed in the wrong place or at a wrong angle, the implant may become useless and sometimes a problem because a dental implant in the wrong place is like having a crooked tooth.  But dental implants can not be moved easily with braces.  Thus careful planning is crucial to the success of the dental implant treatment.

The surgery to place a single dental implant usually takes about 30 minutes or so depending on the experience of the surgeon and the access to the surgical area.  It takes more time and effort to place a dental implant where the visual and physical access is limited.  The process is usually done under local anasthesia (just like any other dental procedures) and post operative discomfort is usually minimal. 

Once the dental implant is integrated to the bone, or bone heals tightly around the implant, the prosthetic phase can begin.  It usually takes about 2-3 months for the lower jaw bone and 5-6 months for the upper jaw bone to heal tightly around the implants.  Once an impression of the implant is taken, a crown can be made in a dental lab, custom fitting to each each case.  The crown can either be screwed or cemented on the implant.

When extensive bone graft is required to place an implant, the treatment time is prolonged.  Bone grafting is another topic to be discussed later.