Surgery

During surgery to place the dental implant, your surgeon makes a cut to open your gum and expose the bone. Then your surgeon drills holes into the bone where the dental implant metal post will be placed. Since the post will serve as the tooth root, it’s implanted deep into the bone.

Waiting for bone growth

Once the surgeon places the metal implant post in your jawbone, osseointegration begins. Osseointegration is the process of forming a connection between the bone and the implant. During this process, the jawbone grows into, and joins with, the surface of the dental implant. This process helps provide a solid base for your new artificial tooth — just as roots do for your natural teeth. The process can take several months.

Placing the abutment

When osseointegration is complete, you may need more surgery to place the abutment — the piece where the crown eventually attaches. Usually, this minor surgery is done in an outpatient setting using medicine that numbs the area that’s worked on.