How Long Does It Take to Get Implant Crowns?

If a person’s natural tooth needs to be removed due to dental decay, injury or some other cause, implant crowns can be used to restore functioning to the mouth. When made from porcelain, implants can even be made to match the surrounding teeth of the mouth for a natural, attractive appearance. In most cases, getting implants takes several months to complete. This includes the process of having crowns made and placed on the patient’s teeth, which can take approximately two weeks.

When can implant crowns be placed on the teeth?

Most often, patients receive implants over the course of several appointments and surgeries. The placement of crowns is the last step in this process. For traditional implants, crown placement cannot be performed until after an artificial root has been placed in the jawbone. The implant needs enough time to heal and fuse to the bone, which can take several months. An abutment is then placed onto the gums, which is used to attach a permanent crown.

One-day implants

Depending on the dental practice, some patients may be a candidate for one-day dental implants. This procedure shortens the process by placing both the implant and the crown on the same day. While being able to leave the office within a day with a complete implant is a benefit of one-day implants, this choice does not come without risks. There is a greater likelihood for implant failure, which happens when the screw does not fuse with the bone completely. If this happens, the procedure will need to be repeated.

How are implant crowns made?

If getting a ceramic crown, it can take two weeks or more for it to be made. This process takes time because the dental laboratory responsible for making the crown needs to create an implant that fits the space and matches the rest of the mouth. Over the course of one or more appointments, the dentist will make impressions of the teeth or use special technology to make a 3D image of the tooth. The lab will also need to color-match the implant to make sure it is the same shade of white as surrounding teeth.

Patients typically wear a temporary crown until the permanent one is completed. When finished, the dentist will remove this temporary crown. The dentist will need to test the permanent crown and ensure it fits as it should. It is possible it may need to be sent back to the lab for adjustments. After placement, ceramic crowns can last 15 years or more with proper care.

Conclusion

Depending on whether a patient gets one-day or traditional implants, it can take as little as a day to get implant crowns or several months while the implant heals. Crowns made in a dental lab can take up to two weeks to create, so patients often have to wait before getting a permanent crown. Fortunately, temporary bridges or crowns can be placed on the mouth during this waiting period so patients do not have to go without teeth.

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