Immediate Dental Implants vs Delayed Dental Implant Placement

Do you have a tooth that is missing because it was knocked out or fell out? Or, are you having a tooth extracted due to a breakage or poor hygiene? If so, you’ll want to consider different replacement options to ensure your ongoing oral health. One excellent option for the replacement of one or more teeth is dental implants.

What Dental Implants Are

In order to see if dental implants are right for you, it’s important to understand just what dental implants are. Put simply, implants are dental appliances that generally involve the placement of a titanium rod in the jawbone, which holds a false tooth in place via an abutment. There are also other implant options, such as frames for multiple teeth.

Why You Should Consider Dental Implants

Because there are different replacement options, you may be wondering why you may want to choose implants over options such as dental bridges. Implants are extremely durable and secure, making them the longest lasting replacement option (on average). This strength and durability also allows patients to bite down and chew much like they did before their tooth was knocked out, fell out or needed to be pulled.

Because teeth begin to migrate over time if there is no tooth or teeth to hold them in place, implants are important to keep the surrounding teeth in place. This will help to avoid migrating, the impacting of healthy teeth and crowding.

Especially because of tooth migration, many patients that do not have a tooth replaced put themselves at a higher risk for gum disease, decay and infections. This is often because it can become difficult to properly brush and floss once the teeth have begun to migrate.

Finally, implants help to ensure the integrity of the jawbone, which will experience deterioration of a tooth is removed and not replaced.

Immediate or Delayed Implants?

Some dental practices now offer the option of having an immediate implant placed. This is a great option for certain patients, as it allows for the patient to leave the dentist’s office with a new tooth in a single visit. While this is ideal for some patients, it is not right for all patients.

The most common form of implants is delayed implants. These implants require multiple procedures and surgeries that allow the dentist to place the titanium rod that holds the tooth in place, then allow the bone tissue to heal before the abutment and false tooth are placed.

Whether you are a candidate for immediate implants will depend on a variety of factors. Even if you aren’t a candidate for immediate implants, though, you still may be a candidate for delayed implants.

Are Implants Right for Me?

Before you decide on whether you want immediate or delayed implants, you first need to visit a cosmetic dentist for a consultation to see if implants are an option for your replacement needs. If they determine that you are a candidate, you can discuss the different implant options.

If you're curious about whether Dental Implants are right for you, learn more specifically about our dental implant process at Downtown Dental Excellence in Cleveland, TX today. We're available and ready to answer any and all questions about dental implants and optimal oral health.

Just interested in learning more about dental implants? Read here for information what dental implants actually are and how they work.