Dental implants in Ontario
Know who does what, and who pays, before you start.
Implant treatment in Ontario can involve your dentist, an imaging centre, sometimes a second office, and your insurer. These guides explain each step, the rules that apply to it, and what to ask.
Written for anyone in Ontario, whichever dentist you see. Nothing to sign up for.
The Ontario pathway
From first visit to finished tooth
Tap a step to see who you see, what happens and who usually pays.
Step 1
A dental exam
Most people start with the dentist they already see. The dentist reviews your health history, examines the gap or the failing tooth, and takes ordinary X-rays.
- Who you see
- Your own dentist, or any general dentist
- Who usually pays
- Usually private dental insurance or out of pocket.
Step 2
Talking through the options
An implant is one way to replace a tooth. A bridge, a removable denture, or leaving the gap for now are others, and each has trade-offs worth hearing before you choose.
- Who you see
- Your dentist
- Who usually pays
- Usually part of the exam or consultation visit. Ask the office whether it bills the discussion separately.
Step 3
A referral, if needed
Some general dentists place implants themselves; others refer you to another office for the surgery and then make the crown afterwards. The referral letter and your records travel between offices.
- Who you see
- A dentist or dental specialist who places implants
- Who usually pays
- The office you're referred to sets its own fees and gives its own estimate. Check your plan for coverage of a second consultation.
Step 4
3D imaging (CBCT)
Implant planning usually includes a cone beam CT scan, which shows bone width and where nerves and sinuses sit. The images are sent to your dentist, who goes over them with you at a later visit.
- Who you see
- A dental imaging centre, or an office with its own scanner
- Who usually pays
- An imaging centre may bill you directly, separately from your dentist. Private plans differ on whether they cover CBCT, so ask before you book.
- How long
- The scan itself takes well under a minute.
Step 5
A written plan and estimate
You get the proposed stages and an itemized estimate, with a procedure code and fee on each line. If you have dental insurance, the office can send it to your insurer for a pre-determination.
- Who you see
- The dentist planning your treatment
- Who usually pays
- No treatment is paid for yet. A pre-determination shows what your plan expects to pay, though it isn't a promise of payment.
Step 6
Preparatory work, if needed
A failing tooth may need to come out first, thin bone may need a graft, and active gum disease is treated before implant surgery. Not everyone needs this stage.
- Who you see
- Your dentist or the office doing the surgery
- Who usually pays
- Private insurance, if your plan includes it, or out of pocket.
- How long
- Grafted sites usually need several months to heal before an implant goes in.
Step 7
Implant surgery
The implant is placed in the bone, usually under local anaesthetic. If you'd like sedation, Ontario's dental regulator sets rules on who can provide each level and where.
- Who you see
- The dentist or specialist placing the implant
- Who usually pays
- Private insurance, if your plan includes implants, or out of pocket.
- How long
- Usually one surgical visit per stage.
Step 8
Healing
The bone grows onto the implant's surface. In selected cases a temporary tooth goes on at or soon after surgery, but the final tooth still comes after healing.
- Who you see
- You, at home, with short check-ups
- Who usually pays
- Ask whether follow-up visits are included in the surgical fee or billed separately.
- How long
- Commonly about two to six months before the final tooth.
Step 9
The final tooth, and looking after it
An abutment connects the implant to the crown, bridge or denture, which is fitted and adjusted to your bite. After that, regular cleanings and check-ups look after the gum and bone around the implant.
- Who you see
- The restoring dentist, working with a dental laboratory
- Who usually pays
- Private insurance, if your plan includes it, or out of pocket.
- How long
- Two or more visits for the final restoration, then ongoing check-ups.
General information about how care is commonly organised in Ontario. Your own steps depend on your dentist and your situation.
Five practical guides
Start with the question you have today
Guide 1 · The pathway
The Ontario care pathway
Eight stops from your first phone call to looking after the finished tooth, and who handles each one.
Guide 2 · Costs
Costs and insurance
What sets the fee, what the ODA fee guide is for, how dental plans pay, and what to ask about financing.
Guide 3 · Referrals
Imaging & referrals
Who orders the scan, who reads it, how results and records move between offices, and when a specialist gets involved.
Guide 4 · Sedation
Sedation & anaesthesia
The four levels, the authorizations and permits each one needs, and the questions to ask before you're sedated.
Guide 5 · Choosing a provider
Choosing a dentist
Checking the RCDSO register, general dentists versus specialists, and the questions that tell you how a provider works.
Published by
Smile Studio Dental
Smile Studio Dental is a dental office at 8500 Leslie St in Markham. We publish OntarioDentalImplants.ca so people can understand dental implants before they sit in the chair, wherever they choose to be treated.