If you’re considering dental implants after a tooth extraction, you may be wondering how soon you can have the procedure done. In this article, we’ll answer that question and provide some tips for making the best decision for your oral health.
Dental implants can help to delay or prevent the side effects of a missing tooth, and getting an implant soon after a tooth extraction can preserve bone in the space and reduce the time required to replace the missing tooth. However, there are some important factors to consider when deciding how soon to get a dental implant after tooth extraction. Keep reading to learn more about the options available and how to make the right choice for your needs.
Immediate Dental Implants on the Day of Extraction
If you qualify for same-day dental implants immediately after a tooth extraction, the implant placement happens during the same appointment as when you have the tooth extracted. This approach helps prevent bone loss around the space where your natural tooth root stood. It also saves you an extra trip to our Murrieta office.
An immediate implant procedure may be recommended as long as you have a healthy jawbone, dense bone quality, and the tooth or gum tissue is not diseased. For example, if you have periodontal disease or gross tooth decay that affects the entire tooth, getting an immediate dental implant is not a good idea. This is because the implant might not integrate properly with the unhealthy tissue and could lead to complications.
Even if you get a dental implant on the same day as your tooth extraction, you will still need to allow the bone to fuse or integrate with the implant surface. Our implant dentist Dr. Thang Do will want to protect the site with a temporary healing abutment or prosthesis that fits with your surrounding teeth. After the implants successfully bond with your bone structure, an abutment and fixed restoration (such as a crown or bridge) can be installed.
A same-day surgery such as this may prevent the need for a bone graft altogether. Or the graft can be placed at the same time as the implant installation. In either scenario, the implant will still need to integrate for at least a few months before the permanent tooth (restoration) can be attached on top of it.
Early Implant Placement (Shortly After Tooth Extraction)
As an early tooth replacement option, dental implants provide space maintenance to delay bone loss, minimize the need for a bone graft, and maintain proper spacing in your adjacent teeth.
Normally, early dental implants are installed within a month of tooth loss or removal. This ensures sufficient bone structure before the natural bone resorption process (where the bone shrinks back after tooth loss.)
If you need a graft to strengthen the bone before implant placement, Dr. Do will perform augmentation as part of your extraction appointment. Then after your healing process, the immediate placement of the implant is performed. This approach prevents the implant from moving because of a lack of bone support around it.
If you have active gum disease or abscessed teeth, or a dental emergency, your personalized treatment plan may require some recovery time for your mouth to heal after removing the diseased tooth. In that case, the best tooth-replacement option is a slightly delayed, early implant placement within the next 30 days. This timely process allows enough time for your gums and mouth to heal after oral surgery but minimizes the risk of bone resorption at your extraction site.
Dr. Do will need to review your health status and ensure you have enough healthy jawbone (after having a tooth extracted) to ensure you qualify to receive dental implants.
Early placement only adds about one month to your total treatment timeframe. Although it may seem significant, this extra precaution will ensure the best long-term outcome for your smile.
Delayed Dental Implant Placement
Jawbone growth is reduced any time teeth are removed or fall out on their own. Ideally, a healthy smile has enough bone support to surround the roots of natural teeth. But bone loss is a reality for anyone with missing or extracted teeth. The longer you wait for a permanent solution, the more complex your smile reconstruction becomes.
In instances of delayed dental implant placement, it may be months or years after tooth loss naturally occurs. During your comprehensive evaluation, Dr. Do will evaluate whether enough there is enough bone for a successful dental implant process. If not, our implant specialist will need to perform bone grafting in the empty space to strengthen the jaw. This minor oral surgery adds to the total length of time required.
Unlike bridges (which are completed within a couple of weeks,) Dr. Do may want to see you over the course of several months to ensure the best structural and aesthetic appearance.
If you’ve had major oral surgery, a tooth replaced with a partial, or gone years with missing teeth, there is still an implant treatment option for you. But installing the dental implants may require more time than an immediate dental implant procedure. We just need to make sure the foundation and bone integrity at each installation site is strong and healthy enough beforehand.
As a side note, delayed placement is sometimes reserved for more experienced dentists and surgeons. The extra steps required may prevent you from replacing missing teeth in a family or general office setting due to the additional resources required.
Why Your Implant Timeline is Important
Dental implants mimic the look and function of an anatomical tooth with a natural-looking crown or bridge on top of them. But like your tooth position, dental implants require the structural support of bone to hold them in place. Your immediate delayed implant placement choice is dependent upon the recommendations of your dentist or oral surgeon. For some people, the process is quicker than for others.
This procedure should never be rushed. Hasty implant installation could result in failed integration and jeopardy of your fixed restoration. Finding an experienced provider like our Murrieta dental implant clinic will ensure you select the best tooth-replacement option and outcome for better oral health.
Visit Our Murrieta Implant Dentist
Are dental implants worth the time and monetary investment? Absolutely. Whether you’re getting same-day dental implants or need to delay your oral surgery because of your oral health condition, there are several factors to consider. Dr. Do (our Murrieta implant dentist) can guide you through the process.
Call our office today for a no-obligation dental implant consultation.
