Depending on your dentist, the facilities being used, and your individual circumstances, there can be a number of different recovery periods as you move toward completing the dental implant process. While single implant procedures are the easiest, it's important to clarify expectations for patients getting partial or full-arch prostheses. By their very nature, such extensive procedures ask that patients put a great deal of trust in the dentists and oral surgeons involved, so it's important to move forward with your eyes open. 

Recovery Between Procedures

One of the most important things to ask about as you begin considering dental implants has to do with the methodology involved. Some implant dentists choose to stagger procedures, completing a few at a time, rather than all of them at once. This means that extractions, bone grafting, sinus augmentation, implant placement and fitting your permanent prosthesis may take place at different times, sometimes weeks or months apart.

There are valid arguments behind a staggered recovery process, as it ensures that your body can fully recover from each stage in the procedure. However, it can be a long and grueling experience if you're not prepared for it. Luckily, in most cases, a temporary prosthesis can be used following extraction, to ensure you're still able to eat properly while you heal.

Certain Delays

While some procedures can be completed in conjunction with one another, some delays are certain. These unavoidable delays must be observed to ensure that the procedure is a success and that the remaining steps in the implant process can go forward. If your implant specialist determines that you need one or more of these you can count on spending several weeks recovering before your next procedure can take place.

Bone grafts and sinus augmentation are necessary to ensure that your new implants can safely and securely anchor, without either failing or fracturing your jaw. Once completed, bone grafts need to integrate with your natural bone, and sinus augmentation needs to fully heal. You should also anticipate a period of recovery following any extractions though some implant specialists find that the bonding process is more successful if implants are placed immediately after a tooth is removed.

In all, recovery times for dental implants can vary based on the number of steps in the process. You should be prepared for two to three periods of healing while you undergo various procedures. To get an accurate understanding of what steps are in store for you, sit down for a consultation with a dentist (such as one from Oral Surgery Center) who specializes in implant procedures.