Implants After An Extraction: How Fast Can It Happen?
Dental implants are a major upgrade from the old choices. Nothing else provides dental patients with the look, feel, and dependability of natural teeth like dental implants. Unfortunately, the dental implant procedure can have some concerned over the time needed for the process to be complete. If you have to have a tooth extracted before the implant can be done, you may have even greater concerns. To find out what might happen if you must have a tooth extracted before you get your implant, read on.
Dental Implants Can Take Time
With traditional implants, it can take several months for the entire process to be complete. That might mean you are dealing with a removable denture (or flipper) for months on end. First, the tooth is extracted and the gums are allowed to heal. Then the implants are surgically inserted and you must once again wait for the gums to heal before the crown (the visible part of the tooth) is finally applied. Part of this process is due to the need for the titanium implant that is inserted into your jawbone to bond with your bones and become part of your mouth. This feature is what makes implants so long-lasting and secure.
Your Bones Can Impact Your Case
While not every dental patient can qualify for implants, many do. One of the main issues with dental implants, in general, is that some people don't have healthy bones in the jaw area. Medication, medical conditions, radiation and chemotherapy, aging, and other maladies can weaken the bone structure and make it more difficult for an implant to take hold permanently. Even if your bones are weak, there are fixes, but all of them do require more time. Bones grafts and sinus lifts can be performed on an outpatient basis and, once you've healed, implants can be performed.
Immediate Dental Implants Are Different
If your bones are strong enough, you can have your implants faster than you ever thought possible, even if you must have a tooth extracted first. Here is how, step-by-step, the immediate implant process works:
- Sedation is provided using IV or oral means.
- Impressions are taken of the damaged tooth, if possible.
- The tooth is removed as gently as possible to avoid damaging the gums and bones.
- The gum is gently incised and the metal implant is inserted.
- If the implant is stable and anchored to strong bones, the top part of the implant, the crown, is then attached to the implant using dental cement.
Beyond a follow-up visit, your implant process can be over in a matter of an hour or so and your gums will continue to heal for several weeks. To find out more about this type of immediate implant, speak to your dentist.