Dental Treatments: how much do they take?
When you start planning a vacation, organizing the schedule is important to enjoy the most out of your trip.
A dental vacation is no different. Sani Dental Group is a dental clinic where you can experience one-of-a-kind dental work at any of our destinations.
We want to give you an idea of the duration of dental treatments depending on the procedure and the patient's needs.
Let's start listing the most common procedures sought by dental tourists in Mexico.
Keep in mind that everyone has different needs when it comes to dental treatment. The times for each procedure may vary depending on the patient and the complexity of the dental work.
When it comes to dental work in Mexico, these are the treatments most commonly requested by patients:
- Dental Implants
- Dental Crowns
- Extractions
- Veneers
How long does each treatment last? From arrival at the clinic to the end of the procedure.
Dental Implants
Dental implants in Mexico are the best solution to restore missing teeth.
It is a surgical treatment that requires at least two visits, separated by at least four months. This is so that the implant(s) fuse naturally with the jaw bone. This process is called osseointegration.
With the help of Dr. Luis Alberto, the oral surgeon of our clinic in Playa del Carmen, he talked to us in general about the process of dental implants.
The First Stage (first visit):
30 mins. to 40 min
With the help of our diagnostics doctor, there is a pre-evaluation before starting the dental treatment. A CT scan & Panoramic X-Ray is done for the dental surgeon to know the measurements of the bone structure and choose the right implant.
After meeting the requirements for the procedure, the surgery process is set.
At this appointment, the oral surgeon begins by removing the remains of the destroyed tooth, when necessary, to place the implant and close the wound for healing.
Once the affected tooth has been extracted, the doctor separates the gum from the bone to begin drilling and inserting the implant.
After inserting the implant into the jaw bone, a temporary healing abutment is placed. Then, two or three stitches are given to close the wound.
The recovery of the first stage lets the jawbone grow around the implant to secure it naturally in its place. The healing process lasts three to six months.
In some cases, it is possible to place the implant right after an extraction.
Second Stage (second visit):
30 mins. to 40 mins
Once the root implant is firmly bonded to the bone, the second phase begins.
The dental surgeon uncovers the implant to the real abutment, which acts as the anchor for the artificial tooth (crown). The creation and placement of the artificial tooth, or crown, is performed by a restorative dentist.
The doctor takes a mold of your bite to send this to a dental lab which will fashion the replacement tooth to meet your specifications.
The final placement of the tooth requires only a short, simple appointment.
The timing of this procedure may vary for each patient. Some patients have specific needs, such as bone grafts, IV sedation, and other specifications that may alter the duration of the treatment.
The cost of dental implants is another major reason why tourists decide to fly to Mexico and get a full mouth restoration with high quality of dental care.
Dental Crowns
3 days to 6 days
Dental crowns are very popular in cosmetic dentistry.
This cap-like tooth is shaped to cover a prepared tooth that has been damaged or broken by improving its appearance and strengthening it.
There are different reasons to get a dental crown, and each one takes a different amount of time. Usually, crowns are very easy, painless, and a quick procedure. From 20 to 40 minutes per crown.
A dental crown is needed for the following situations:
- To protect a weak tooth from decay
- To restore a broken or worn down tooth
- To cover and support a tooth with a large filling when there is not a lot of teeth left
- To hold a dental bridge
- Improve appearance on broken/ discolored teeth
- Cover a dental implant
- Cosmetic purposes
Take into account that when getting crowns after a root canal, this is a previous process that lasts up to 1 hour per tooth.
Whichever is the reason for the use of a dental crown, dentists in Mexico know that this treatment is a great alternative (when possible) for cosmetic dentistry and a noninvasive way to do it.
Each crown is fashioned based on your expectations and the dentist's recommendations.
Getting the right Crown size, shape, shade is an individual process:
(2 to 3 days)
(this also depends on the number of crowns required)
A mold of your bite is taken to know the proper size of each crown. This is the most time-consuming in the dental lab, as it depends on the material of the crown.
For example, porcelain fused to metal crowns are usually ready in 2 to 3 days depending on the patient's specific condition.
Extractions
Take into count that there are two types of extractions:
Simple extraction (30 to 40 minutes)
A simple extraction is when a tooth can be seen in the mouth for extraction. First, the tooth is loosened until it is completely removed with forceps.
Surgical extraction (40 minutes at least)
A surgical procedure for tooth extraction is needed when the tooth or teeth have not erupted in the mouth or if it broke in the gum line.
The dental surgeon makes a small incision into the gum to remove the damaged wisdom or broken tooth. Whether it’s a simple or surgical extraction, the principles of tooth extraction are essentially the same.
Starts with numbing the tooth and finishing with the extraction.
Extractions are usually pretty fast and take 40 minutes to 1 hour (per tooth).
If the patient needs intravenous sedation before starting the procedure, 25 minutes of preparation by the anesthesiologist and the patient's response to the medication are added.
If the tooth being extracted is too damaged, it may take longer for the dentist to get the pieces out.
Dental Veneers
Like crowns, veneers are also a popular treatment to modify and even restore dental damages.
Dental veneers are thin sheets to cover the necessary or affected tooth.
In the last few years, porcelain veneers have gained much popularity due to the aesthetic solutions and improvements they offer.
- Repair minor tooth imperfections
- Straighten and lengthen teeth
- Conceal stained or discolored fillings
- Stain-proof, natural in appearance, and highly resilient.
- Simple, non-invasive, and custom-shaped
Dr. David from our clinic in Playa del Carmen gave us a brief explanation of the process of dental veneers.
The tooth or teeth are prepared, some enamel is removed from the sides, and front of the tooth, making room for the veneer to fit in and look adequate.
After an impression (mold) is made from that same tooth, this is when the patient is explained about the shade, size, and shape of the veneer to make their decision.
The impression (mold) is worked in a dental lab, custom-made to fit perfectly with your treated tooth.
This process usually takes two to three days, depending on the condition of the tooth or the number of teeth being treated.
In the meantime, the dentist provides the patient with a temporary veneer to wear. This whole process is done to the each of the teeth being treated (1 hour per tooth)
In the next visit, the veneer is placed to check if the fit is adequate. This whole process depends on the number of veneers needed. Usually, the whole process, from the first consultation to final placement takes around 1 week.
Over the years, dental tourism has been growing rapidly. Each year Mexicos dental offices gain more trust from thousands of patients seeking dental treatments at a reasonable price.
In Sani Dental Group, we are proud to be a clinic that offers great care and solutions to our patients. We know your time is valuable, which is why we put out best to make each moment of your dental vacation a great experience.
We love to see patients come in with a smile when arriving at our clinics and leaving back home with a bigger and improved smile.
If you are planning on visiting Mexico for dental care, choose wisely. Sani Dental Group has been restoring and improving more than 10,000 new smiles since 1985. Making us the #1 Dental Clinic in Mexico.
Make an appointment with us by calling (928) 257-1307 or clicking here.
Disclaimer: Open dentist to help you with your dental needs. We are taking additional special measures following CDC recommendations to ensure your health and safety.