FAQ

How long will my implant take?

An average implant will take about a year to fully complete. As an implant is a custom medical device and involves a highly custom process, depending on your situation, your implant may take less time or more time. Please contact our office if you have any further questions about your specific implant process.

 The General Implant Process

  1. Consultation with your dentist about your specific tooth, bone, and gum health in correlation to your needs and desires.
  2. Any surgical work that needs to be done such as extractions and bone grafts.
  3. Healing time from 3-6 months depending on your specific situation.
  4. Any restorative work that needs to be done such as fillings and crowns on adjacent teeth.
  5. Placement of the implant screw itself, usually with a specialist.
  6. Healing time from 3-6 months depending on your specific situation for surrounding bone to integrate with your implant.
  7. Impression to be sent to the lab to make your custom implant crown and abutment. This usually takes about a month due to the highly custom nature.
  8. Try in and final placement of the implant crown. 

Considerations to Take Into Account

  • How much bone is currently present in the area. Often with infections or chronic periodontal disease, there may not be enough bone immediately to place a stable implant.
  • The health of the adjacent teeth and the spacing of the adjacent teeth. Since the implant would be taking the place of a regular tooth, there needs to be enough space for one to fit. 
  • If there are signs of grinding or clenching causing undue wear on the teeth, implants need to be reasonably protected against excessive forces. Oftentimes, a night guard is recommended after implant restoration to help protect the implant.

What Kind of Whitening should I use?

There are many aspects to take into consideration when finding an effective and comfortable whitening solution.

Some considerations can be:

  • Are your teeth sensitive?
  • How much whitening do you want?
  • How involved of a process are you willing to undergo?
  • How much time do you want to spend?
  • How much money do you want to spend?
  • Are your teeth and gums in a stable and healthy condition?

Possible whitening options are:

  • Whitening Toothpaste (usually the least effective but with the least side effects)
  • Take home premade whitening trays (convenient and cost effective)
  • Take home whitening gels with custom trays (higher effectivity but may cause more sensitivity if not used as directed)
  • In office (most effective but with the highest chance of side effects such as sensitivity)

Do You Still Do Silver Fillings?

Very rarely and only in situations where a silver filling or “amalgam” would have greater benefits than drawbacks. Our office almost exclusively uses white colored fillings called “composite”. With recent advances, composite materials are able to meet and exceed the restorative and esthetic needs in most clinical situations.