Getting Dental Implants: What to Expect, Step by Step

Thinking about dental implants but not sure what the road actually looks like? Here’s the whole journey, step by step, in our own words — from your first free visit to the day you leave with your final smile. Each step comes with a short video from our implant team.

Step 1 — The Free Consultation

The easiest way to come in and see us is to use our online scheduler. After you sign up for a free consultation, you’ll pick the date and time of your choosing. When you come in, you’ll be met by one of our dental assistants, who will get you in for a 3D cone beam X-ray — at no charge to you.

You’ll be seated in one of our dental chairs, and one of our dentists will ask you questions about your needs. It’s really important for us to know what’s bothering you — if it’s one tooth or a number of teeth, we’ll focus on that area. We’ll look at your X-rays, look in your mouth, and create a plan that’s custom for you, based on your interests and your needs. Then you’ll meet with one of our treatment coordinators, who will walk through insurance questions, financing options, payment plans, and scheduling.

Our goal: by the end of that first visit, you have a very clear picture of what’s going to be accomplished, the timeline, and the costs.

Step 2 — Records and the Virtual Surgery

Your next step is to come in and have your initial records made. With dental implant treatment, it’s really important that we get all the details right, so we take digital scans of your mouth — intraoral scans, no goopy impressions.

Then we perform a virtual surgery: all your information is compiled on the computer, and we use a special program to plan exactly where each implant will go. It’s a safe and really effective way of getting great results every time. Many of our patients also choose sedation — if that’s you, we’ll sign the consent forms and go through everything ahead of time so there’s nothing to think about on surgery day. Everything is sent to our laboratory and custom-produced before your visit — so you can come in, have the work done, and leave with teeth the same day.

Step 3 — Implant Day

Some patients are nervous — that’s natural. We’ve done this hundreds, if not thousands, of times. You’ll have a seat, we’ll place a topical gel before any injections, and we’ll make sure you’re completely numb. Here’s the one thing we can promise: we will not work on you if you’re feeling any pain at all. After you’re numb, leave it to us — we’ll get you through as quickly and efficiently as we can, and you’ll come out the other side with a set of teeth.

Step 4 — Healing and Your Smile Design Visit

Now you’re in the healing phase. The gums swell a little, then settle, and the implants need time to heal into the bone. If you need little adjustments or a refit along the way, all of that is included in our process. After about three months of healing, we take final records at what we call your smile design visit — come in with an idea of where you want to go, and we’ll help guide you. Together we pick the right color, shape, size, and position, so your new teeth don’t just function well — they look amazing.

Step 5 — Your Final Smile

Today’s the day. We’ll have everything laid out, we may use a little anesthetic to prepare the gums, then we remove the temporary appliance and place your final set of teeth. We’ll hand you a mirror — and we’ll both smile together.

Ready for step 1? Book your free implant consultation. Questions about pricing? Here’s how implant pricing actually works.