Deciding to get dental implant is actually a drastic decision so it pays to know as many details about the entire affair before jumping in. We live in a time where most of us just sit in the chair and let the professionals do their thing but in reality, it is important to arm ourselves with as much information as possible first. Below are some of the things that you need your dental implants dentist to explicitly explain to your before any step forward is taken.

How long the Procedure will take

Many of us assume that it is not important to know how long it will take to get the dental implants placed as long as it gets done. In reality, you have to know how many days you will have to change your eating habits, take time off from work to make your appointments and deal with the headaches or toothaches etcetera.

The only way to know how long the procedure is going to take is to first know the type of dental implants that you are going to need. This can only be done after your consultation with the dental implants dentist. Try and get a free consultation.

The Types of Dental Implants

1. Single Tooth – As the name suggests, this is an implant to replace only one tooth. The dentist will install one titanium implant and then cover it with a crown.
2. Fixed Bridge – This type of implant is for two to four teeth.  Two implants have to be installed and then a bridge has to be placed across the relevant number of teeth.
3. Over Denture – This type resembles the implant known as the All-on-Four with the only difference being that only two implants are installed and not four.  It is also not permanent like the All-on-Four. It is usually for those who hardly have any teeth left.
4. All-on-Four – As previously mentioned, this type will require that the use of 4 titanium dental implants. These implants are on the bottom part of the jawbone. A denture is then installed on the implants. It is the most drastic of all the four types of implants that you can have and thus would require the most time for the entire procedure.

Why the Waiting Period?

The dental implant dentist has to carry out the implantation in two separate sessions. In the first session (consultation not counting), the dentist will install the titanium implants onto the jawbone. This is almost like putting a screw into wood. The dentist then has to give your jaw bone time to heal after the insertion of the titanium implants.  This can take anywhere from 4-10 weeks. You will then have to go in for the final procedure where the dentist will attach the crown that will then be your artificial tooth or teeth. This should not take more than 2 hours and you can go back to eating as you otherwise would immediately.