What Are the Steps to Two-stage Dental Implant Surgery?

The one stage surgery means that the day that the implant is placed a healing abutment is placed and sits above the gums.  With two stage surgery, the day of the surgery is performed the implant is completely covered.  Three to six months later another surgery is done two expose the implant and place the healing abutment.  The type of surgery chosen is determined by the amount and quality of bone that you have at the time of surgery.  One stage surgery is great  when there is good initial stabilization of the implant and minimal risk of infection.   

Back 20+ years, all implant surgeries were two stage. The old protocol suggest that an implant should be buried under the gums for 4 to 6 months and then the gums would be opened up to expose the implant and allow the crown to be attached. Over time, many of the implants were exposed on their own over the 4 to 6 months of healing. As such, the dental community realized that since there is no deleterious effects of leaving the implants exposed right at the time of surgery, most science and experience led to surgeons now simply doing a ONE stage procedure where implants are left exposed instead of having to go back and expose the implant in a simple second procedure. The only time a TWO stage process might be necessary today is IF you are having an implant placed with extensive bone and gum grafting to correct some defect around the implant. Covering the implant with the gums will allow for complete bone and soft tissue healing and a more predictable long term result. 

A One stage Dental implant means that the implant and healing abutment are placed at the same time. A two stage dental implant involves placing a cover screw on the implant and closing the gums tissue over it during the healing process. There are pros and cons to both procedures as with anything. The pros to a one stage is that there is no second surgical procedure to uncover it at a later date. This also allows for tissue modeling around the implant to occur earlier.  A one stage procedure requires that the bone the implant was placed in have good enough initial quality and that the implant have primary stability, otherwise the prognosis of integration goes down. The one stage is a very predictable procedure in the right hands.  The surgeon must have enough experience to determine if this is whats best for you.  Seek out the advice of a Board Certified Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon for this.  They will be the most qualified to determine if the surrounding soft and hard tissue makes a single stage procedure right for you