Dental implant treatments offer a permanent solution to replacing missing teeth. If you have several missing teeth, your dentist may recommend you consider a full mouth dental implant treatment. With the many steps involved in the treatment process, a full mouth implant treatment may require an investment of time. One of the most critical steps in the treatment process is the healing period after the dental implants are installed. One of the most common questions patients ask is “what is the recovery time for dental implants?” Below is more information on the dental implant recovery period.
The Dental Implant Treatment Process
Getting a treatment with dental implants involves the investment of your money and your time. There are multiple steps to getting dental implants that will occur over several visits. The entire process takes about 3-9 months from start to finish. While this may seem like a long time, the payoff is permanent replacement teeth that will last for years, if not forever. While the steps of the implant treatment are fairly simple and quick, the reason why the entire process takes a few months is because of the necessary healing time between steps.
Implant Healing Time
Once the dental implants have been surgically placed in the jawbone, it is a critical to wait a few weeks to a few months until the next step. This waiting period is essential to allow time for the jawbone to fuse to the implant, ensuring the implant remains secure in the jaw. This fusing process, called osseointegration, is what makes dental implants so unique. The length of this healing period depends on the patient and how quickly their gums and bones heal. The dentist will make the decision on how long to wait until scheduling the next visit, usually between 3 to 6 months.
Factors that Impact Dental Implant Healing
The healing time required for a successful dental implant treatment is a complex process that can vary greatly from person to person. Here are a few factors that can influence the healing time:
Medications: Placing a dental implant is a small surgical procedure that has a very short recovery time. In general, patients have their sutures (stitches) removed at around 14 days after surgery and then can go on with their lives. However, any factors that impact the healing of the gums, such as medication use, diet, or medical conditions may slow down the healing process.
Osseointegration: The dental implant is placed in the jawbone to act as the root of the new tooth. When this happens, osseointegration begins to occur. Osseointegration refers to the process of integration between living bone and the artificial implant. Unfortunately, this process cannot be sped up. In general, the process takes several months to be completed. Once osseointegration has finished the next step of the treatment can occur.
Quick Dental Implant Recovery
While the healing period and overall treatment process can be long, the immediate recovery from dental implant treatment is quick. In fact, most patients are ready to go to work the next day if not the same day. Additionally, any pain experienced is fairly manageable with over the counter medications.