Implant Center · Gangnam · Cheongdam · Bucheon
A flapless implant is placed through a small gum opening without lifting a flap to expose the bone directly. The opening still needs to heal. This approach requires healthy bone with sufficient volume and assessment by an oral examination and 3D CT; it does not automatically mean fewer stages or a shorter complete treatment.
Find the situation closest to yours. An oral examination and 3D CT help the clinician assess whether a small-opening approach is suitable.
This page is not a diagnosis. The method and stages are planned after an oral examination and 3D CT, and may be revised according to clinical findings.
If a severely damaged tooth needs extraction, planning begins before it is removed. An oral examination and 3D CT help assess the bone, and the site is reassessed to decide the placement approach.
A short stay does not determine whether flapless placement is suitable. The small opening still heals, bone integration still takes time, and surgical stages and later visits are planned after assessment.
Loose teeth make it difficult to chew food. The scan checks the bone around those teeth before any method is recommended.
You are concerned about toothache, inflammation, or surgical discomfort. No procedure can promise zero pain, and sensitivity varies by patient; anesthesia is used during the procedure.
The fixture, abutment and crown have different roles. Flapless describes the access for placement; surgical stages and the final tooth are planned separately.
Only a small opening the size of the fixture is made, and the fixture is placed at the planned depth and angle through it.
The abutment connects the fixture to the crown. Whether a later surgical stage is needed is assessed separately from the flapless access method.
The clinician assesses healing and implant stability before connecting the final prosthesis. ISQ measurements can support that assessment; a reading alone does not decide the timing.
Flapless placement requires suitable gums and sufficient healthy bone. If these conditions are not met, the clinician may recommend a conventional flap or bone grafting after assessment.
| Treatment approach | Flapless A small opening without lifting a gum flap. | Conventional flap The gum is opened so the bone is in view. | Placement with bone grafting Grafting may be simultaneous with placement or performed in a separate earlier stage. |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Placement through a small opening the size of the fixture | Placement after the gum is opened as a flap | Bone rebuilt before or during placement |
| Chosen when | The jawbone is healthy and has sufficient volume | The bone must be seen directly during surgery | Bone height or width is insufficient, or resorption is significant |
| Surgical wound | A small opening that still heals; sutures may not be needed. | An incision that is stitched and heals | Depends on how much bone is rebuilt |
| Before the final tooth | Gum healing and bone integration are assessed; ISQ is one part of the stability review. | Gum healing and bone integration are assessed before the final prosthesis. | Graft healing and bone integration are reviewed according to the simultaneous or staged placement plan. |
A small opening without lifting a gum flap.
The gum is opened so the bone is in view.
Grafting may be simultaneous with placement or performed in a separate earlier stage.
Four steps describe the care pathway. Assessment guides the initial plan, which may be reviewed as treatment progresses.
Visit 1 · exam
The oral examination and 3D CT help assess the site, including bone height, thickness and density. If flapless placement is unsuitable, other approaches are considered.
Surgery · access
For a suitable case, a small opening is made at the planned site without lifting a gum flap. The opening still needs to heal; sutures are assessed individually.
Surgery · placement
The fixture is placed through the small opening at the planned depth and angle. This access method alone does not determine whether a later surgical stage is needed.
After integration
The small opening heals and the implant integrates with the bone. The clinician reviews healing and stability, including ISQ measurements, before planning the final prosthesis.
If bone support is insufficient, the clinician may recommend bone grafting or a conventional flap after assessment instead of proceeding with an unsuitable flapless approach.
The overall timeline depends on bone integration. Visits are planned after diagnosis and reviewed as healing progresses.
Bone and access planning come before surgery. Stability is also checked after placement to help plan the final prosthesis.
3D CT imaging evaluates all three at the planned site.
Together with the oral examination, the scan supports the assessment of whether flapless placement is suitable.
Where the small opening is made, and how wide it is.
A limited opening reduces the access area, but still needs healing. The clinician decides whether sutures are needed.
The path the fixture follows from the opening into the bone.
Depth and angle are planned before surgery and reassessed if clinical findings require a change.
An ISQ measurement of implant stability.
The clinician considers the reading together with healing and other clinical findings when planning the final prosthesis.
Your scan helps plan the position, depth and angle. Clinical findings before or during surgery can require reassessment and a change of approach.
Right after surgery
Postoperative discomfort may be less than with flap surgery, but pain, swelling and bleeding can still occur.
No procedure can promise zero pain, and sensitivity varies by patient.
First weeks
Avoiding a raised flap does not remove wound healing or guarantee a shorter complete course of treatment.
The overall timeline still depends on how quickly the implant integrates with your bone.
Before the final tooth
Implant stability is measured with ISQ equipment after the fixture is placed.
The clinician combines the measurement with the healing assessment and other clinical findings to plan the prosthesis.
An implant may loosen if the jawbone cannot support it. Flapless placement is considered only after assessing sufficient healthy bone; suitability does not mean an absence of risk.
Insufficient bone height or width, severe gum disease or significant bone resorption can make flapless placement unsuitable. An oral examination and 3D CT help the clinician consider bone grafting or a conventional flap.
Up to 5 years. Check-up guidance and a warranty certificate. Conditions apply.
Periodontics
Board-certified specialist in Periodontics (Ministry of Health and Welfare, Korea)
View qualifications: Dr. Song Sang-jin
Integrated Dentistry
Board-certified specialist in Integrated Dentistry (Ministry of Health and Welfare, Korea)
View qualifications: Dr. Choi Soo-youngInsufficient bone height or width, severe gum disease or significant bone resorption can make this approach unsuitable. Healthy bone is needed to support the implant. An oral examination and 3D CT help the clinician assess alternatives, including bone grafting or a conventional flap.
No procedure can promise zero pain, and sensitivity varies. Anesthesia is used during treatment. Postoperative discomfort may be less than with flap surgery, but pain, swelling and bleeding can still occur.
Not necessarily. Flapless describes a small-opening access without lifting a gum flap. The opening still heals and the implant still needs bone integration. The number of surgical stages and timing of the final prosthesis are assessed separately.
Sutures may not be needed for the small opening, but this depends on the clinical situation. The opening remains a wound that needs to heal.
The clinician reviews healing, implant stability and other clinical findings. ISQ measurements support that review; a number alone does not confirm bone integration or automatically decide when the final prosthesis is connected.
If bone support is insufficient, the clinician reviews options such as bone grafting or a conventional flap with you. The plan follows the oral examination, 3D CT and clinical assessment.