Basic Procedures
Standard dental cleanings for patients with regular dental hygiene can take from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the speed and skill of their dentist. Silver or amalgam dental fillings can take 20 minutes to an hour to finish, and the time mostly depends on the extent and severity of the cavity.
Teeth Whitening
The time required for teeth whitening procedures changes depending on the type of procedure you decide to undergo. If your teeth whitening procedure is performed by a dentist, your teeth can be brightened by 10 shades in only an hour, especially if they use lasers to increase the power of the bleaching agent. Bleaching your teeth at home, however, can take from 2-4 weeks of treatment. Both methods may require follow-up procedures in 6-12 months.
Extractions and Root Canals
Simple dental extractions usually take about an hour for the initial procedure. Your gums will heal in about two weeks and the bone beneath them will take about 3-4 months. Wisdom teeth are a bit different, and can take 20 minutes to an hour to remove, depending on how developed or compacted the teeth are and how many are being taken out at once.
Root Canals can be taken care of in a single visit that usually lasts about an hour and a half. Teeth with multiple roots, however, may take longer and be completed over multiple visits to a surgeon.
Implants, Crowns, and Bridges
Dental implants can take one to two surgical procedures to complete; the type and purpose of the implants will determine the number of procedures. They can be spaced out from 6-8 months to give the jaw time to heal around the titanium roots. This also gives the dentist or lab time to create the prosthetic that goes on top of the implant.
This is also relevant to dental crowns. Unless dentists have milling machines in their office, crowns often require two separate appointments, one to form the impression for the crown and one to put the finished crown in place. Both appointments take 20-30 minutes and are usually two weeks apart.
Dental bridges are also two-visit procedures, and each visit lasts about an hour to an hour and a half. The dentist shapes the anchor teeth during the first appointment and places the bridge in the second.
Your dentist is the best person to ask about the length of more specific procedures, so don’t be afraid to ask questions! They’ll be happy to answer them for you!
