During your initial exam, Vita Dental will review your medical and dental histories, take X-rays, and create impressions of your teeth and gums so that models can be made. We may order a computed tomography (CT) scan of your mouth as well. This will show us where your sinuses, located above your upper teeth, and nerves are. It allows us to make sure they will not be affected by the implant placement. A CT scan may also be done to determine the jawbone density and to pinpoint the best locations for the implants. If you are not already wearing a complete denture to replace your missing teeth, we will make you one. You will use this temporary denture until the implant-supported denture is placed. 

It will take about four appointments for completion. By making this temporary denture, we can determine the best position for artificial roots/implants and teeth in the final denture. Once the temporary denture is finished, we will use a copy of it as a guide to help direct the implants in the correct positions. 

We will next administer a local anesthetic to numb the immediate area. Then we will create a small incision and proceed to surgically place the titanium post into your jawbone. We will close the site with sutures. 

Vita Dental will usually wait several months allowing the jawbone and the implants to integrate or attach and fuse together. 

Once the implants have become fused with the bone, the second appointment can be scheduled. We will confirm whether the implant is ready for the second procedure by taking an X-ray. This step is even simpler than the first. We will expose the tops of the implant and  then attach an abutment or extension to the titanium post to reach the surface of your gum line. There is more minimal soft tissue healing and then we will make an impression of your gums and the abutments. This is the roadmap for the final denture framework precise locations of the attaching mechanism. 

At this point, if a bar-retained denture has been prescribed for you, then the metal bar is placed on the abutments. You will have the first try-in of your new denture framework to see if it fits properly.

With the final denture now fabricated, we have some small adjustments for either a bar-retained or a ball-retained final implant supported denture. When completed, we will proceed to your final fitting.