Implant placement
An implant replaces the root of a missing tooth. Dr. Cartwright places it in the jaw. Your own dentist makes and fits the crown on top, so you may go between two offices. This page is for adults whose jaw has finished growing.
What happens
Placement is one visit. Healing and the crown take months, and both vary.
- 01
Step 1: Scan and plan
A 3D scan shows the bone and the nerves. Dr. Cartwright and your dentist agree on where the implant goes.
- 02
Step 2: Placement
The implant is placed in one visit, with a local anesthetic and the sedation level you chose. If a tooth must come out first, that can be the same visit.
- 03
Step 3: Healing
The bone grows around the implant. This often takes a few months, and it varies from person to person.
- 04
Step 4: The crown
Your dentist makes and fits the crown. We send a report so the two offices have the same plan.
Planning
A model first, then the plan
Dr. Cartwright shows you on a jaw model where the implant goes and what the bone needs, before any surgery is scheduled. Your sedation is planned too, and the person who gives it is in the room before the surgery starts.
A scan and a model, not a guess
The surgeon and the anesthesia partner both present
Your dentist's plan in front of us
Comfort, choices and care
Comfort
The area is numbed, and you can add nitrous oxide, oral sedation, IV sedation or general anesthesia. A simple single implant is often done with local anesthetic and nitrous oxide; Dr. Cartwright recommends a level for your case.
Sedation levelsIf you wait
A gap can let neighboring teeth shift and can change the way you chew. A bridge or a denture are other options, and your dentist can go through them. If you wait a long time, the bone can thin, and a graft may be needed first.
Risks and after-care
Swelling, soreness and bruising are expected for several days. Risks include infection, an implant that doesn't join the bone, and in the lower jaw, nerve bruising, which she goes through with you. Call us for a fever, swelling that grows or bleeding that won't stop.
How it's billed
The surgery and the sedation are separate lines in your written estimate. Your dentist bills the crown. Some plans cover part of the surgery, and we check before the visit.
How fees work
Questions about implants
Do I need a bone graft?
Sometimes. The scan shows how much bone there is, and Dr. Cartwright says before the visit whether a graft is part of the plan.
Who makes the crown?
Your dentist. We place the implant and send a report; your dentist fits the crown when it has healed.
Is an implant right for everyone?
No. Health conditions, smoking and gum disease can affect whether one is a good choice. She goes through yours at the consultation.
Planned with your dentist
Bring your dentist's name. We ask for the records, and send them a report after your visit.