The Dental Implant Osseointegration Timeline – What To Expect After Implant Surgery

Dental implants in Mandeville are an excellent way to restore missing teeth permanently, but the treatment process for an implant is a bit more involved and lengthy compared to other treatments like dental bridges or dentures.

The reason for this is that the dental implant must “osseointegrate” with your jaw bone and bond to it permanently. This process can take 3-6 months or longer. In this blog from the Mandeville Center for Dental Excellence, we’ll explore the osseointegration timeline in detail. 

What Is Dental Implant Osseointegration, And Why Does It Matter?

Osseointegration is the process by which your dental implant bonds and integrates with your jaw bone. This is an absolutely essential part of the dental implant placement process. 

Dental implants are made of titanium, which has the unique ability to bond tightly with your natural jaw bone. Over time, the bone near your implant will grow around it, eventually securing it tightly and locking it in place permanently.

This is why dental implants last so much longer than other types of replacement teeth. For all intents and purposes, the titanium implant will become a part of your body. And if you take proper care of your mouth, your implant will remain in place for the rest of your life.

Understanding The Dental Implant Osseointegration Timeline

Now that we’ve discussed the importance of dental implant osseointegration, let’s talk about the timeline for osseointegration, and what you can expect as you heal and recover.

1. Initial healing – A few days after your implant surgery, your body will begin to adjust to the new implant. The jaw bone that was damaged during the placement of your implant will start to regenerate and repair itself. This is what allows the titanium implant to bond with the jaw bone.
   
   
2. Immature bone growth – As your jaw bone heals and repairs itself over the following weeks and months, immature bone tissue will begin to form around the dental implant, locking it in place. This tissue is strong and healthy, but it’s not as resistant to stress as mature bone tissue.
   
   
3. Mature bone growth – Depending on your case, it may take up to 3-6 months for your new, immature bone tissue to undergo the “bone remodeling” process, in which it’s replaced with durable, strong, and mature bone tissue. This provides the implant with the stability it needs to properly hold up to the biomechanical stresses of chewing, biting, and eating. 
   

The osseointegration process, as mentioned, will take up to 3-6 months or longer. During this process, you will come into the Mandeville Center for Dental Excellence for checkups so that Dr. Schof can ensure your mouth is healing properly. 

Explore The Benefits Of Dental Implants In Mandeville – Come To Our Office Today!

We hope this article has been informative, and has helped you understand the way that dental implants bond to your natural bone tissue. And if you’re interested in replacing your missing teeth in Mandeville with dental implants, Dr. Charles Schof is here to help. 

Dr. Schof is an experienced implant dentist, and we’re always accepting new patients at our office, so give us a call at (985) 626-4401 or contact us online to schedule an appointment, and find out if dental implants in Mandeville are right for you.