How Soon Can You Get a Dental Implant After Tooth Extraction?

After having a tooth extracted, most folks want it replaced as soon as possible. Filling in the newly formed smile gap with a dental implant can’t happen soon enough. However, the truth is that you must wait to get a dental implant after a tooth extraction treatment. Your mouth needs to heal from the prior removal work first, ensuring it’s ready for the future implant post. Read on to learn more about these facts from your local Edison dentist.

You’ll Need to Wait a While

After a tooth extraction, most patients must wait ten weeks to get a dental implant. Still, your own wait time will depend on the specifics of your case.

The main factor affecting the wait is your mouth’s health. If you have strong gum and jaw tissue, you may be able to get implants before the ten-week mark. Your wait could also run longer than ten weeks if your gums and jaw are in bad shape. Given these possibilities, you’ll need (and want) to get a precise estimate from your dental practice.

Why Wait to Get a Dental Implant?

Your mouth isn’t stable enough to support dental implants right after tooth extraction. If placement surgery is done too soon, it’ll cause you to suffer implant failure.

Don’t forget that tooth extractions cut into your gums and forcefully remove teeth. Since they involve such steps, your mouth can’t immediately heal from them; it’ll need time to recover. Getting placement surgery regardless would further harm the gums, depriving your implant of the support it needs to stay put. You could then suffer from implant failure, a gum infection, or worse.

Waiting Has its Benefits

If there’s a bright side to the situation, it’s that the wait for dental implants is worthwhile. The placed prosthetics let you enjoy benefits like:

• Lifelike Looks – Thanks to their porcelain surfaces, dental implants blend seamlessly with your smile. They also fuse with your jaw over time, ensuring they won’t slip or fall like dentures might.
• A Youthful Face – An untreated smile gap will lead to further tooth loss and facial collapse. That said, a dental implant can prevent those effects and keep your face firmer and younger-looking.
• Long-Lasting Results – Dental implants are the longest-lasting tooth replacements on offer. An average one can work for 15-20 years, while a well-maintained post can reach a lifespan of 30 years or more.

Waiting to get a dental implant after tooth extraction won’t hurt. In fact, doing so will help your restored smile succeed!

About the Practice

Signature Smiles at Edison is based in Edison, NJ. Led by Dr. Hiren Shah, our practice is proud to offer comprehensive dental care under one roof. Patients can see us for preventive, cosmetic, and even restorative treatments, all tailored to their unique cases and smiles. With that said, rest assured that we’ll cure whatever is ailing your teeth and gums! For more details or to book a visit, please contact us on our website or by phone at (908)-834-8448.