Although your dentist usually tries to protect and preserve your teeth, sometimes they’re too far gone to save. If you have an overly decayed or damaged tooth that can’t be repaired, they may have to extract it to maintain your oral health. Even if you know it’s for the best, having a tooth pulled can detract from your daily quality of life. Gaps in your grin can leave you feeling self-conscious about your ability to eat, speak, or smile.
Thankfully, your dentist can replace your missing pearly white with a dental implant, which many providers consider to be the ideal restoration. However, it’s important to wait a while after your removal before undergoing another procedure. This period allows for optimal healing and ensures the success of your prosthetics.
Continue reading to learn more about how long you must wait after your extraction to have an implant placed!
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are artificial teeth that consist of 3 main parts which are:
- The implant. A small pole, usually made of titanium, is surgically placed in your jaw where your tooth used to be.
- An abutment. A small attachment is placed on the rod in your jaw and will eventually anchor your final restoration.
- A dental crown. Typically made of durable porcelain, this tooth-shaped cap covers the titanium support to rebuild your grin.
How Long Must I Wait After an Extraction to Get a Dental Implant?
The length of time between the two procedures can vary based on your unique circumstances. Below are more detailed timelines that you can anticipate.
Immediate Implant Placement
If you have healthy gum tissue and your jawbone is strong enough to support a dental implant, then there’s a possibility that you can receive one immediately after your tooth is removed. This often happens if your tooth is dislodged due to physical trauma or injury. Then, it takes 3 to 6 months for your bone to fuse with your artificial tooth in a process called osseointegration.
Early Implant Placement
Also known as immediate-delayed implant placement, this happens if you’ve sustained damage to your gums or had an infected tooth that was removed. Your mouth needs time to heal before your next procedure, or the incision site can become infected and cause implant failure.
Unfortunately, your body begins absorbing jawbone mass within the first three months from when your tooth is removed. Without a root in place to stimulate it when you bite down, it stops producing new bone growth. This can weaken your jaw to the point that it can’t sustain an artificial tooth, so your provider will perform the placement before the full three-month period.
Delayed Implant Placement
If you didn’t realize you had an injured tooth or waited before having it extracted, your jawbone might already be too thin to support your restoration. In these cases, a bone graft can often bulk it up enough to proceed. This will take an extra 3 to 6 months to heal before you can have your dental implant placed.
After they extract your injured tooth, your dentist will let you know what to anticipate from recovery before you can return to have it replaced!
About the Practice
At Coombs, Ross & Sourlis Family Dentistry of Rock Hill, you and your family benefit from the expertise of a team of dentists who strive to improve patients’ lives by enhancing their oral health. With decades of combined experience, there’s no case too complex for them to handle. They have state-of-the-art equipment onsite to perform everything from preventative care to extractions to rebuilding your smile in the office. They also provide oral conscious sedation for more in-depth procedures so that you don’t feel any discomfort. If you need to have a tooth removed and replaced, you can request an appointment on the website or by calling (803) 592-6201.