A gingiva former is inserted temporarily in the implant and sticks up through the mucosa (the gums). The insertion is made with a small surgical procedure, where the mucosa covering the implant is lifted aside.

The gingiva former is normally inserted when the biointegration of the implants in the bone is complete or almost complete.
In situations where the implant can tolerate limited loading, the gingiva former may be inserted instead of the cover screw of the implant at the time of the implant placement. The gingiva former may also be shaped as a temporary abutment that functions as a build-up and can support a temporary plastic crown in the healing process.

It is important to be patient in this part of the implant treatment. The gum around the gingiva former must have time to become fully developed before an impression can be made.

A period of 2-3 months may be necessary before a satisfactory cosmetic result can be achieved.