Implantation refers to the process of inserting an implant into the body or an implant anchor into an implant base.

Here you can see how an implant is inserted into the upper jaw, after a puncher is used on the mucuous membrane and the bone is prepared.

In practice, we differentiate between one-time and two-time implantation. One-time means that the setting of the implant and prosthetic treatment (fixing the tooth) are all performed in one session. If pressure is out on the tooth and implant through chewing, this is called immediate load. If the tooth is outside of the chewing area, this is called immediate care.

In a two-time procedure, the implant is inserted, after which the bone is allowed to heal before prosthetic treatment is performed. A distinction is made between open healing and closed healing. Open means that a healing cap which promotes gum formation is inserted immediately following the implant, as can be seen here in the lower jaw. In this case, four implants have been set, the wound closed, and healing caps stick out of the mouth.

Closed healing, on the other hand, means that the wound is sewn up tightly after the operation, as can be seen in this video – nothing sticks out of the mouth. The drawback to closed healing is that after healing, the implants have to be cut open again, in order to provide access to the implants (a procedure called exposure) – the healing caps are applied for about a week before the final denture is inserted.

Nowadays, improvements in materials make it possible to perform all necessary steps in one operation, if a second session is necessary, open healing is usually used to avoid a second operation.