Many people ask us what the process is for getting a 3 on 6. They are concerned at how long the visits will take, the total time before completion, and are concerned that they might have to leave our office without teeth! Let’s look at the actual process.
The total time from consultation to final teeth will generally be 3-4 months.
The first visit to our office will be for the consultation. The consultation usually takes around 30 minutes. This visit is important, because it gives us the opportunity to look at your unique situation and explain what we can do for you individually. At the consultation we take a 3D scan of your mouth and bone. This allows us to see if you have enough bone to be a candidate for the 3 on 6. It will also be the scan that we use to later plan your surgery and the placement of your implants for greatest longevity. All Smile Systems certified dental offices are equipped with a 3D CT scanner to make sure we are getting your implants in the right place every time.
Also at the consultation, your treatment plan will be created and explained to you. You will have the opportunity to ask the doctor any questions, and explain any concerns. After your visit with the doctor, the office manager will review payment options including financing. If you know at this first visit that you want treatment, the office may be able to take impressions of your mouth to create your temporary denture, as well as schedule the date for your implant surgery.
During your implant surgery, the doctor will take care of any tooth extractions, bone grafting, and then place the implants using a surgical guide. The surgery can take anywhere from 2-3 hours for a single arch, and 3-5 hours for both arches. We recommend you take the next day off of work to recover from this surgery. Some people will want more. Most people are able to manage the pain from this surgery with Tylenol and ibuprofen and doesn’t typically last more than 1-2 days after the surgery.
There are many options for anesthesia during the procedure, but regardless of the option you choose, you shouldn’t feel any pain during the procedure. The options range from a local anesthetic being administered and you being wide awake, all the way to being completely asleep during the procedure. Options and costs associated with this will vary by office.
Once the surgery is complete, the hard part is over! Everything else from this point forward is painless. You will leave the office with temporary bridges. They will look beautiful and natural. It might be a little awkward getting used to having teeth again!
We usually allow around 3 months for the implants to heal, which means you should only eat soft foods during this time.
After your implants are healed your final restorations will be placed. They’ll look pretty similar to the temps, except for any changes you or the doctor may have requested. At this point the restoration of your smile is complete. We hope to see you again every 6 months for a standard cleaning. The restorations should never have to be removed, and with good care and cleaning can last a lifetime.