The fist step towards getting a dental implant is to visit a Periodontist in your area. Call his or her office and schedule an initial consultation.

The general order for getting an implant is as follows: removal of tooth (if it's still there!), filling of the vacated hole, drilling a pilot hole for the post, osseointegration, and installation of a crown onto the implant post. The entire process can be quite lengthy, depending on how quickly your jawbone adapts to the implant screw. A properly installed implant from start to finish can take 9 months up to 1.5 years!

Drilling the pilot hole for the implant screw doesn't take long at all - maybe an hour at most. Once the pilot hole is drilled, your Periodontist will install the implant screw.

The next step after the implant screw is installed is called "osseointegration". During this process, your bone will grow around the implant screw and permanently anchor it into place. Success rate for osseointegration is pretty high, usually around 90% for lower jaw implants, and 95% for upper jaw implants.

Recoving from implant surgery is not difficult, it just takes time. The longest part of the process is when your jaw bone needs to grow around the implant screw. This can take up to six months. During that time, there isn't any pain - it's just a matter of waiting for your body to accept the implant screw and permanently anchor it into position.

When it is finally time to install the crown, that's also a relatively quick process, maybe an hour at the most. Once the crown is installed, your new implant is ready for full time chewing!