Why should it take that long? A full denture is obtained very quickly? The answer is that the very primar advantage of the implants lies in the firmness with which it is fixed to the jaw. The conventional denture simply sits on the gums, and therefore, can easily slip out. The implant becomes a part of your body just like a natural tooth, or may be even more firmly. Now if you were, God forbid, to break your arm, the bone would take weeks to heal. Your jaw bone is similar. In fact, the case of the metal implant in the jaw bone is even more difficult. While in a cracked bone, the two pieces to join back are natural complements of each other, in the case of an implant an integration process must take place between the bone and a foreign metallic object, the implant. It can take from three to six months. (please see the chapter on osseointegration). It is natural for an implant in the upper jaw to take a little longer due to the softer bone. The lower jaw bone is denser which usually speeds up the integration process.
What time frame to expect and how many visits will be needed, can only be decided after a detailed examination which will include 3-D imaging of the the jaw bones, and tests of bone quality. The implantologist will also need to discuss your own desires and the budget priorities, including your insurance plans.
