The unknown creates anxiety. When considering full-arch dental implants, not knowing what to expect can paralyze your decision. Let’s eliminate that uncertainty by walking through exactly what happens from your first consultation to your final smile at Renaissance Dental Implant Center in Metairie.
Your Initial Consultation (Day 1)
Your journey begins with comprehensive evaluation. During this visit, you’ll receive:
3D CBCT Imaging: This advanced scan shows your bone structure, nerve positions, and sinus anatomy in complete detail. Unlike flat X-rays, CBCT reveals whether you have adequate bone or need specialized techniques.
Intraoral Scanning: Digital impressions capture your current situation without messy traditional molds. This technology feeds directly into your treatment planning software.
Personalized Treatment Planning: Dr. Ehab Moussa Guirges reviews your imaging, discusses your goals, and explains your options. You’ll learn whether you’re a candidate for immediate teeth, which type of restoration suits your needs (FP1, FP2, or FP3), and what specialized techniques might be necessary.
Financial Consultation: You’ll understand your investment and explore financing through CareCredit or Sunbit. No surprises later.
You leave knowing exactly what’s possible, how long it takes, and what it costs.
Pre-Surgery Preparation (1-2 Weeks Before)
Once you schedule your surgery, preparation begins:
Medical Clearance: Depending on your health history, you might need clearance from your physician. This ensures your safety during sedation.
Medication Instructions: You’ll receive prescriptions for antibiotics and pain management to have ready before surgery day.
Final Planning: Using photogrammetry and digital planning, your surgical guide is created. This ensures precise implant placement exactly where planned.
Surgery Day: Your Transformation
You arrive at Renaissance Dental Implant Center’s Level 1 facility for your procedure. Here’s your day:
Morning Arrival: You check in, meet your anesthesia team, and get comfortable. IV sedation or general anesthesia begins. You drift off to sleep.
During Surgery: While you rest comfortably:
- Failing teeth are removed if present
- Your jawbone is prepared using the surgical guide
- Four to six implants per arch are precisely placed
- Any necessary bone or gum grafting happens now
- Your fixed temporary teeth are attached to the implants
Recovery: You wake up in recovery with your new teeth already in place. A responsible adult drives you home with detailed post-operative instructions.
The entire process typically takes 3-4 hours per arch. You sleep through it all.
Your First Week: Initial Healing
Days 1-3: Expect swelling and mild discomfort managed with prescribed medications. You’ll follow a soft food diet. Most patients report less pain than expected, often comparing it to tooth extraction recovery.
Days 4-7: Swelling decreases. You transition off prescription pain medication. Soft foods continue, but you’re learning to eat with your new teeth.
One-Week Follow-Up: You return for suture removal and a healing check. Any necessary adjustments to your temporary teeth happen now.
Months 2-4: Osseointegration
Your implants fuse with your bone during this critical period. Your temporary teeth let you function normally while this happens.
Diet Progression: You gradually advance from soft foods to normal eating. By month two, most foods are back on the menu, though you’ll avoid extremely hard items.
Maintenance Visits: You’ll have periodic checks to ensure proper healing and hygiene. These quick visits confirm everything progresses as planned.
Living Normally: You work, socialize, and smile confidently. Your fixed temporary teeth look and feel natural. Most people won’t know you’re in treatment.
Month 4-6: Final Restoration Planning
Healing Confirmation: 3D imaging confirms complete implant integration. Your bone has fully accepted the implants.
Final Impressions: Using intraoral scanning, precise measurements capture your healed tissue and implant positions. No traditional impression material needed.
Shade Selection: You choose the color and characterization of your final teeth. This is your opportunity to design your ideal smile.
Try-In Appointment: You preview your new teeth before they’re finalized. Any desired adjustments happen before final processing.
Final Delivery: Your Permanent Smile
Removal of Temporaries: Your temporary teeth are removed, and implants are checked one final time.
Placement of Final Restoration: Your permanent teeth are secured. These are stronger, more aesthetic, and designed to last decades.
Bite Adjustment: Fine-tuning ensures perfect comfort and function. Every contact point is verified and adjusted.
Home Care Training: You learn to maintain your new teeth. Special brushes and water flossers keep your investment healthy.
Long-Term Maintenance: Protecting Your Investment
Your new teeth need professional maintenance:
Quarterly Cleanings (First Year): More frequent initially to ensure optimal healing and hygiene.
Bi-Annual Maintenance: After year one, twice-yearly professional cleanings and checks.
Annual Imaging: Periodic X-rays monitor bone levels and implant stability.
Your implants are designed to last your lifetime with proper care.
Common Concerns Addressed
“Will I really have teeth the whole time?” Yes. You never leave without fixed teeth. Your temporary teeth stay in throughout healing.
“How much work will I miss?” Most patients take 3-5 days off for initial recovery. Many return to work within a week.
“What if something goes wrong?” The on-site lab at Renaissance Dental Implant Center means rapid adjustments if needed. You’re never far from solutions.
Starting Your Timeline
Your full-arch transformation typically spans 4-6 months from surgery to final teeth. But remember: you have fixed teeth from day one. The wait is for your permanent restoration, not for functional teeth.
