PROCEDURE

To determine if you are an appropriate candidate for a dental implant, the dentist or dental specialist will:

• The dentist will carefully examine your mouth and take x-rays of your head, jaw, and teeth.
• A dental implant will be embedded into your jawbone beneath the gum tissue.  The gum is stitched back into place. 
• Over the next several months, the surgical area will heal and the implant will bond to the bone and tissue.
• After the tissue is healed, an abutment will be attached to the implant.  An abutment is a post that will connect the replacement tooth to the implant.  Depending on the circumstances, sometimes the abutment and implant surgery can be completed at the same time.
• An artificial, replacement tooth is manufactured and the dentist will attach the new tooth to the abutment.  It may take several appointments to properly fit the replacement tooth.
• If several teeth are being replace, or possibly all teeth, a bridge is anchored to the implants.  This bridge will span the area that has no teeth and is held firmly in place by the dental implants.