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700 Independence Circle Suite 1A Virginia Beach, VA 23455

Dental Implant Process – Virginia Beach, VA

How Implants Integrate Naturally and Effectively

It’s no secret that dental implants are a complex process with many steps and long healing periods. But the time and money you invest are sure to provide a reliable and natural tooth replacement that lasts for many years. With the expertise from Dr. Amrish Patel, you can rest knowing that your implant treatment is in good hands. He’ll go over each phase of your treatment and dedicate as much time as possible to planning your surgery, ensuring a successful and long-lasting tooth replacement. Contact our dental office today to get started!

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

Animation of implant supported dental crown

Before you can start treatment for dental implants, our dental office needs to confirm that you are eligible for treatment. In order for implants to effectively bond with your jaw, you must have sufficient bone volume. If your bone has significantly deteriorated as a result of long-term tooth loss, then a bone graft may be needed to expand the width and volume of your current bone tissue. Additionally, you’ll need to have healthy gum tissue in order to prevent implant failure. That means no patient should be using tobacco products, either before, during or after their implant treatment.

Once we’ve determined your eligibility for dental implants, we’ll discuss the number of implants you’d need to replace teeth as well as the type of restoration we’ll use to rebuild your smile.

Dental Implant Surgery

An older man examining an X-ray

The surgery itself can be performed in a single appointment thanks to the amount of planning that is performed prior to treatment. To make you as comfortable as possible, we’ll numb all areas around your mouth and provide sedation dentistry if needed. During the surgery, we will open up your gum tissue, place the implant, then seal the tissue so the titanium post can begin to heal inside of the jaw. Depending on the location of the implant, the healing process can take anywhere from four to six months to complete.

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment

A closeup of a mouth housing a dental implant

Osseointegration is the process in which the implant post integrates with existing bone tissue. Thanks to titanium’s biocompatibility, the implant will naturally adhere to the organic structures inside your jaw. This creates the long-lasting bond necessary for implants to be successful.

After the integration phase is complete, you’ll come back to our dental office to have a permanent abutment placed so that the surrounding gum tissue can heal around the prosthetic root. This healing process takes a couple of weeks. We will also take an impression of your jaw with the abutment attached so that a permanent restoration can be made.

Placement of Dental Implant Restorations

A series of implant-retained restorations

It doesn’t matter if you’re replacing one tooth, multiple teeth via an implant-retained bridge or an entire arch via an implant-retained denture. A custom-made restoration can be made to work specifically with any number of dental implants. During the second healing phase, our dental office will design a restoration that not only looks natural in your jaw but keeps your bite even. Maintaining proper occlusion is essential to long-term oral health, especially when creating restorations designed to lasts for multiple decades.