The dental implant process takes less time, and involves less discomfort, than most patients around Spring Hope, Rocky Mount, and Nashville expect when they first call us. Most single implants run about 4 to 5 months from consultation to final crown, and only a handful of those days involve actually sitting in our chair. Here's the whole road, step by step, with nothing glossed over.
How long does a dental implant take?
Most single dental implants take about 4 to 5 months from consultation to final crown. Most of that time is healing while the implant fuses to your jawbone, usually 3 to 4 months, and you spend only a few hours in the chair in total. An extraction with a bone graft moves you toward 5 months. A separate bone graft or sinus lift adds about 3 to 4 months. All-on-X patients leave with fixed teeth the same day.
| Step | When | Time in the chair |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Consultation and 3D CBCT scan | Day 1 | About 60 minutes |
| 2. Digital planning, plus a printed surgical guide when the case calls for it | Before placement day | None, this part is ours |
| 3. Implant placement (extraction and graft the same visit if needed) | One visit | Under an hour of surgery, booked for about two |
| 4. Healing (osseointegration) | about 3 to 4 months | A quick check |
| 5. Abutment and final crown | After healing | 1 to 2 visits |
| Total for a single implant | About 4 to 5 months | A few hours |
Bridges, All-on-X and grafting cases run on different clocks. See total timelines by case type, or call or text (252) 478-3422 and we will map yours at the $99 consultation.
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Step 1: The $99 Consultation. Scan, Answers, Exact Price (Day 1)
Everything starts with information. Dr. Abboud examines your mouth and takes a 3D CBCT scan, a quick low-dose image that shows your bone height, bone width, nerve positions, and sinuses in three dimensions. This is how implant dentistry avoids surprises: we see everything before anything happens.
You leave this visit with three things: a definitive answer on whether you're a candidate, your treatment plan, and your exact package price in writing. Not an estimate. The number. The $99 fee is credited toward your treatment. About 60 minutes, start to finish.
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Step 2: Digital Planning, Guided or Freehand (Behind the Scenes)
Before your surgical visit, Dr. Abboud plans your implant placement digitally on your scan: the exact position, angle, and depth. For cases that benefit from it, we design and 3D-print a surgical guide in-house on our SprintRay printer, a custom template that fits over your teeth and directs the implant precisely where the plan says. Other cases are placed freehand by design, with the scan still driving every decision. You don't attend this step. It's homework we do so your surgery visit is short and predictable. More on our technology page.
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Step 3: Placement Day (One Visit)
The visit patients dread most, and the one they consistently say was easier than a filling. Your mouth is fully numbed. You feel pressure, not pain. If a tooth needs to come out first, that happens now, along with the bone graft that's already in your package. The implant goes into position, often through the same small opening.
Nervous? We get it, and we offer nitrous and oral sedation for patients who want the visit to feel like background noise. The placement itself usually takes under an hour. We book the visit for closer to two so nothing about your surgery ever feels rushed.
That evening and the next few days: expect some soreness managed with over-the-counter medication, minor swelling, and soft foods for a few days. Most patients are back at work the next day.
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Step 4: The Quiet Months. Osseointegration (About 3 to 4 Months)
Now the biology does the work. Over about 3 months in the lower jaw, or about 4 in the upper, your bone fuses to the implant surface, a process called osseointegration, and it's what makes an implant permanent rather than just placed. There's nothing you need to do except live your life, keep the area clean the way we show you, and come in for a quick check so we can confirm the implant is rock solid before building on it. If you'd like a tooth in the gap during this stretch, especially for a front tooth, ask about a flipper: a light temporary we make in-house as an optional add-on, quoted up front like everything else.
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Step 5: Abutment and Crown (1 to 2 Visits)
Once the implant is fused, we take a digital scan for your crown. If the implant healed under the gum, a short visit uncovers it first; when a healing cap went on at placement, that step is skipped. No goopy impression trays. Our scanner captures everything in minutes. About 2 to 3 weeks later, your custom abutment (the small connector post) and crown come back shade-matched to their neighbors, Dr. Abboud seats and adjusts it, and you walk out with a finished tooth.
Dr. Abboud's Take
"Patients tell me it feels like another tooth, like it's not even there. That's the goal, and the way we get there is planning. Every case is planned on a CBCT, we print a surgical guide from your scan when the case calls for it, and the surgery itself follows current research with the right tools for the job. I keep seven different implant kits in this office because no two situations are the same."
— Dr. Elie Abboud, DDS
Total Timelines by Case Type
| Case | Typical timeline | Chair visits |
|---|---|---|
| Single implant, tooth already out | ~4 to 5 months | 3 to 4 |
| Single implant with extraction + graft | ~4 to 5 months | 3 to 5 |
| Implant bridge (multiple teeth) | ~4 to 5 months | 4 to 5 |
| All-on-X full arch | Fixed teeth same day; final zirconia bridge at about 4 to 5 months | 4 to 6 |
| Standalone bone graft or lateral sinus lift first | adds ~3 months (lower jaw) / ~4 months (upper) before placement | +1 to 2 |
I Can't Take a Lot of Time Off Work. What Am I Actually Committing To With Implants?
Less time off than most people expect. For a single implant, most patients miss one day of work. For a full arch, plan on two to four days if you sit at a desk and about a week if your job is physical. The calendar runs a few months, but almost all of that is healing you do while living your normal life.
Here's what a single implant asks of you. A consult with a 3D scan. A placement visit we book for about two hours, though the surgery itself usually takes under an hour. Then about three months of healing in the lower jaw, or four in the upper, with a quick check along the way. Then a scan and the crown. That's three to four visits when the tooth is already out, three to five when it has to come out first. Most people are back at work the next day. If your job is physical, give yourself an extra day or two.
Full-arch treatment (All-on-X) is a bigger day, and I don't want anyone to underestimate it. It's done with sedation, you need a driver, and most of surgery day is spoken for. You leave with fixed teeth. Swelling peaks around day two or three, which is why I tell people to clear two to four days for a desk job and about a week for heavy work. We see you again within two weeks, and the final bridge goes in once the implants have fused. Four to six visits in all.
Two things decide whether your plan stays short. A tooth that comes out with a bone graft adds healing time, and so does a separate graft or sinus lift. On the other hand, sometimes we can place the implant the same day the tooth comes out, which saves months. Your scan tells us which one you are before you commit to anything.
Tell me your schedule at the consult and I'll build the visits around it. We start at 7:30 every morning and stay open until 5:30 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
— Dr. Elie Abboud, DDS
Caring for Your Implant Afterward
Implants can't get cavities, but the gums around them still need what natural teeth need: brushing twice a day, cleaning between teeth, and regular hygiene visits so we can keep the foundation healthy. Treat it well and a dental implant routinely serves for decades.
Having a full arch done? There is a dedicated All-on-X preparation and recovery guide with a day-by-day timeline, the supplements that matter, and what to stop before surgery.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do dental implants take from start to finish?
Most single implants take about 4 to 5 months from your consultation to the final crown. The longest stretch is healing time you spend living normally. Actual chair time across the whole process is usually just a few hours.
How much time will I need off work?
Most patients take the placement day itself easy and are back at work the next day. Physically demanding jobs may warrant an extra day or two.
Does getting an implant hurt?
The placement is done fully numbed. You feel pressure, not pain. Afterward, most patients describe a few days of soreness handled with over-the-counter medication. It's routinely easier than the extraction that preceded it.
Can I eat normally during the process?
Soft foods for the first few days after placement, then back to a mostly normal diet while the implant heals under the gum. Once the final crown is on, no restrictions at all.
What if I smoke?
Smoking raises the risk of implant problems, and Dr. Abboud walks through exactly what that means at every smoker's consult. No lectures, just the honest picture. It doesn't rule you out: for smokers he adapts the technique, including burying the implant fully under the gum while it heals so it stays protected. Ideally, stay off cigarettes for at least the first couple of days after surgery.
How long after an extraction can I get the implant?
Sometimes the same day. Dr. Abboud offers immediate placement when the scan supports it, which can shave months off the timeline. Otherwise the grafted socket heals for a few months first. Your consult answers this for your specific tooth.
Your $99 Implant Consultation, Credited Toward Treatment
Your consultation includes a full exam, a 3D CBCT scan of your jaw, and your exact package price in writing. The $99 fee is credited in full toward your treatment, so if you move forward, the consultation costs you nothing. We charge for it because implant planning is real diagnostic work, and it keeps the visit focused on people who are serious about fixing their smile.
Call or text (252) 478-3422 to reserve your consultation.
Already Have a Quote From Another Office?
Bring it, along with X-rays from the past year. We'll review your treatment plan and give you an honest evaluation at no charge, including our exact package price for the same treatment. It makes sense to get a second look before you commit to something big.
Making It Affordable
VIP Plan members save 20% on every implant package. See the VIP Membership Plan for details.
Financing is available through Cherry, Sunbit and CareCredit, and we also offer in-house payment plans. Our front desk will walk you through the terms.
We'll help you understand any insurance benefits before your visit.
Spring Hope Family Dentistry guides implant patients through this process from across Nash County and beyond. We regularly welcome patients from Rocky Mount, Nashville, Wilson, Bailey, Middlesex, Elm City, Louisburg, Bunn, Castalia, Franklinton, and Lake Royale, most within a 15 to 25 minute drive of our Spring Hope office.