How Long Does It Take to Install Dental Implants?

Medically reviewed by Dr. Eugene Bernstein, DDS, Practice Leader, General & Cosmetic Dentistry | 25+ Years Experience | Last Updated: May 2026

Direct answer: The actual implant surgery takes 60 to 90 minutes for a single tooth and 2 to 4 hours for full-arch (All-on-4). The full process from first consultation to final crown takes 4 to 9 months for most patients. The biggest variable is osseointegration, which is the 3 to 6 month period the implant needs to fuse with the jawbone before the final crown is placed. Same-day implant cases (immediate-load) compress this to a single visit but only when bone density and patient health permit.

• Single implant surgery: 60 to 90 minutes in the chair.
• Multiple implants or full arch: 2 to 4 hours.
• Healing (osseointegration): 3 to 6 months.
• Total start-to-final-crown: 4 to 9 months for the typical case, longer if a bone graft is needed.

The Full Dental Implant Timeline (Phase by Phase)

Phase	Time required	What happens
1. Consultation and CT imaging	1 hour, 1 visit	Exam, 3D cone-beam CT scan, treatment plan, discussion of cost and timing
2. Tooth extraction (if needed)	15 to 60 minutes; 0 to 4 months wait before implant	If the tooth is still in place, it is removed first. Healing window: same-day immediate placement is sometimes possible, otherwise 2 to 4 months.
3. Bone graft (if needed)	30 to 60 minutes surgery; 3 to 6 months healing	If jawbone is thin or short, bone is added before the implant can hold. Adds the most time to the process.
4. Implant placement surgery	60 to 90 minutes (single), 2 to 4 hours (multiple)	Titanium implant body inserted into the jawbone under local anesthesia and optional sedation. Stitches placed and healing begins.
5. Osseointegration (healing)	3 to 6 months	The bone fuses to the implant. No visible work happens. A temporary crown or denture may be in place during this window.
6. Abutment placement	30 minutes, 1 visit	The connector piece between the implant and the final crown is attached. Some implant systems include this in the placement surgery.
7. Final crown impression	30 to 60 minutes, 1 visit	Digital scan or physical impression to make the permanent crown.
8. Final crown placement	30 to 45 minutes, 1 visit	The permanent crown is cemented or screwed in. The implant is now fully functional.

Total chair time across all visits is roughly 4 to 6 hours for a single implant. Total elapsed time from first consultation to functional crown is 4 to 9 months for most patients, longer if a bone graft is part of the plan.

How Long Does the Implant Surgery Itself Take?

• Single tooth: 60 to 90 minutes from when you sit in the chair to when you stand up. Local anesthesia, surgical placement, suturing.
• Two to three implants: 90 minutes to 2 hours.
• Full arch (All-on-4 or All-on-6): 2 to 4 hours per arch. Both arches in one visit can run 4 to 6 hours, often with IV sedation.
• Implant + same-day extraction: Add 15 to 30 minutes for the extraction step.
• Implant + bone graft (same surgery): Add 15 to 30 minutes for the graft. Most patients can have a small graft at the time of placement; larger grafts are usually done in a separate visit.

The number that surprises patients most is not how long the surgery takes, it is the 3 to 6 month osseointegration window. The actual implant placement is a routine 60 to 90 minute visit under local anesthesia. The patient drives home the same day. Then the body has to do its work, and we cannot rush that part. The implant has to fuse with the bone before it can carry chewing force. Trying to load it early is the single biggest cause of preventable implant failure.

Dr. Eugene Bernstein, DDS, Practice Leader, Gentle Dental of NJ (NYU College of Dentistry, 25+ years)

Why Does Osseointegration Take 3 to 6 Months?

Osseointegration is the biological process by which living bone grows around and into the textured surface of the titanium implant. It is what makes a dental implant permanent rather than temporary. The 3 to 6 month timeline is biology, not scheduling. The bone has to:

1. Form a clot around the implant in the first 24 to 48 hours after placement.
2. Build new bone matrix at the implant surface during weeks 1 through 4. This is when the implant becomes stable enough that the patient is comfortable, even though it is not strong enough to chew on.
3. Mature and remodel the new bone at the implant interface during months 2 through 4. Bone density increases, mechanical strength rises.
4. Reach full integration at month 4 to 6 in the lower jaw, slightly later in the upper jaw because of differences in bone density.

Patients with denser bone (most lower jaws) integrate faster, often by month 3 to 4. Patients with softer bone (upper jaws, especially upper back molars near the sinus) typically need the full 6 months. Patients with diabetes, smokers, or those on certain medications may need slightly longer.

Same-Day Implants: When Are They Realistic?

Same-day implants (also called immediate-load implants) compress the timeline by attaching a temporary tooth to the implant on the day of surgery, instead of waiting through osseointegration with no visible tooth. They are real, they work, and they are not the right choice for everyone.

• Good candidates: patients with strong bone density, healthy gums, no significant medical conditions affecting healing, and no active grinding or clenching habits. Single front-tooth replacements are the most common scenario where same-day works.
• Not ideal candidates: patients with soft bone, large bone grafts in the same site, uncontrolled diabetes, heavy smokers, severe bruxism (grinding) without a nightguard plan.
• What “same-day” actually means: the implant goes in and a temporary crown goes on the same visit. The patient still cannot chew on that tooth normally for several months while the implant integrates underneath the temporary. The “permanent” crown gets placed after osseointegration.
• All-on-4 same-day: for full-arch cases, same-day placement of 4 implants plus a temporary fixed bridge is well-established and routine. The final permanent bridge usually goes in 3 to 6 months later.

What Slows Down the Implant Timeline?

1. Bone graft. The single biggest time-adder. A small graft at the time of implant placement adds little extra time. A separate large graft (sinus lift or block graft) can add 3 to 6 months before the implant can be placed at all.
2. Tooth extraction wait. If the tooth is still in place and infected, the site has to heal for 2 to 4 months before the implant can go in. Same-day extraction-and-placement is possible in clean cases.
3. Sinus lift. For upper back molars, lifting the sinus floor to make room for the implant adds 4 to 6 months of healing.
4. Diabetes (uncontrolled). Slows healing meaningfully. Most providers want HbA1c under 7 before surgery and add a few extra weeks to the integration window.
5. Smoking. Cuts oxygen to the surgical site, slows bone healing. Most practices ask for at least 2 weeks tobacco-free before surgery and 8 weeks after.
6. Multiple implants in different areas. If implants are placed in stages rather than all at once, each stage extends the total elapsed time.
7. Insurance and pre-authorization. Sometimes adds 2 to 6 weeks to the front of the process while paperwork is reviewed.

What to Expect at Each Visit

• Visit 1, Consultation: 60 minutes. Exam, CT scan, treatment plan, cost estimate. No surgery this visit.
• Visit 2 (if extraction needed), Extraction: 30 to 60 minutes. Heal 2 to 4 months before implant.
• Visit 3 (if graft needed), Bone Graft: 60 to 90 minutes. Heal 3 to 6 months.
• Visit 4, Implant Placement: 60 to 90 minutes. Heal 3 to 6 months for osseointegration.
• Visit 5, Healing Check: 15 minutes, optional, around month 3.
• Visit 6, Abutment and Impression: 60 minutes. Some systems combine this with placement.
• Visit 7, Final Crown: 30 to 45 minutes.
• Visit 8 onwards, Maintenance: Routine 6-month cleanings begin.

For the typical single-implant case without a graft, most patients have 4 to 5 visits over 4 to 6 months. Cases with extractions or grafts often run to 6 to 8 visits over 6 to 9 months.

Is the Timeline the Same for Multiple Implants?

For most patients, yes. The osseointegration window does not depend on how many implants are placed. Multiple implants placed in the same visit heal in parallel, not in sequence. The placement surgery itself takes longer (2 to 4 hours for All-on-4), but the total elapsed time from first surgery to final teeth is similar to a single implant.

The exception is when implants are placed in stages: front teeth first, back teeth 6 months later. Each stage requires its own healing window, so total elapsed time stretches. Most providers prefer to place all planned implants at one surgery when possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a dental implant procedure take?

The actual surgery takes 60 to 90 minutes for a single implant and 2 to 4 hours for full-arch cases (All-on-4 or All-on-6). The full process from first consultation to final crown takes 4 to 9 months for most patients, with osseointegration (3 to 6 months) accounting for most of that time.

How long does the dental implant surgery itself take?

60 to 90 minutes for a single implant under local anesthesia. The patient is in and out the same morning or afternoon and drives themselves home in most cases. IV sedation cases run a bit longer due to the recovery period after sedation.

How long does it take a single dental implant to fully heal?

Soft tissue healing happens within 1 to 2 weeks. Osseointegration (the bone fusing to the implant) takes 3 to 4 months in the lower jaw and 4 to 6 months in the upper jaw. The final crown is placed once osseointegration is confirmed.

Can dental implants be done in one day?

Same-day implants (immediate-load) place the implant and a temporary crown in one visit. The “permanent” crown still requires waiting for osseointegration (3 to 6 months). Same-day works best in patients with strong bone density and healthy gums. All-on-4 full-arch cases are the most common scenario where same-day placement is routine.

How long is a dental implant procedure if I need a bone graft?

A separate bone graft adds 3 to 6 months to the front of the timeline. Total elapsed time from first surgery to final crown becomes 7 to 12 months. A small graft done at the same visit as implant placement adds little extra time.

How long is the dental implant procedure for full mouth (All-on-4)?

The All-on-4 surgery itself takes 2 to 4 hours per arch. Both arches in one day run 4 to 6 hours, often under IV sedation. A temporary fixed bridge is placed the same day. The permanent fixed bridge is placed 3 to 6 months later after osseointegration.

Does it hurt during the implant procedure?

The procedure itself is painless because of local anesthesia. Patients typically feel pressure but not pain during the placement. Post-operative discomfort peaks at 48 to 72 hours and is managed with OTC pain medication. See implant pain relief day-by-day for the full recovery protocol.

How long does the dental implant process take in Newark, NJ specifically?

The biology of osseointegration is the same everywhere. At Gentle Dental of NJ, the typical timeline for a single implant is 4 to 6 months from first consultation to final crown. The variables are bone quality, whether a graft is needed, and patient health factors. We discuss exact timing at the consultation after CT imaging.

For other implant questions, see are dental implants safe, implant pain relief, why no dairy after surgery, and when you can eat normally again.

Visit Gentle Dental of NJ in Newark, NJ

290 Ferry St B2, Newark, NJ 07105 (Ironbound)
(973) 817-8888 | Schedule an Implant Consultation
Serving Newark, Ironbound, East Ferry, Belleville, Kearny, Harrison, North Ironbound, and Downtown Newark. Implants placed by our periodontist Dr. Mark Pakan, DDS (NYU, 25+ years), with restorative crown work by Dr. Bernstein. CT imaging and treatment-plan timing review at every consultation.

Disclaimer

This information is provided for educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional dental advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please schedule a consultation with our team to discuss your individual needs.