When you’re booked for a tooth extraction, the last thing you want is to walk around with gaps in your mouth. You probably want to get your tooth or teeth replaced and your smile restored as soon as possible. Even if you have only one missing tooth, it not only affects your ability to smile confidently but can also impact your ability to bite, chew and speak clearly. But how long do you have to wait before you can get dental implants at our Surrey practice? That depends on several factors.

1. Reason for Extraction

The reason for your tooth loss is one of the main criteria that determine when we can place your dental implant. If the extracted tooth was infected, it might be necessary to perform a root canal procedure before you can get a dental implant. Signs of gum disease can also delay the process, because you will need treatment such as root planing and scaling and possibly antibiotics before we can be sure your mouth is ready for implants.

2. Tooth Location

If the tooth was a front tooth with small roots, such as an incisor or canine, and was uninfected at the time, you might be able to have the metal post or abutment for your dental implant fitted very soon after tooth extraction. A crown can be added to the post after a few months, once the implant has become integrated into the bone. For back teeth with longer roots, however, you might need to wait a couple of months after extraction to insert the implant.

3. Overall Oral Health

The timing of dental implant placement also depends on the state of your overall oral health. Patients with periodontitis or severe gum disease may experience damage to the soft tissues of their mouths. Unless the condition is treated promptly and effectively, it can destroy the bone that supports your teeth. Bone loss makes dental implants unviable unless you are a candidate for bone augmentation.

4. Bone Stability

Even if you haven’t experienced bone loss, you might find you don’t have strong enough or sufficient bone to support dental implants. In this situation, our Surrey dentists will likely recommend bone augmentation. This means a dental surgeon will graft a section of bone onto your jaw. The transplanted bone comes from either another part of your jaw or body, a synthetic material, or a bone graft from another person.

5. Healing Time

If your dental implant replaces an uninfected front tooth, your overall oral health is good, and your bone is strong enough to support the implant, your healing time will be minimal. For patients who require bone augmentation, a root canal procedure, or treatment for gum disease or soft tissue damage, it can take three to five months before our dentists will be able to place your implants.

We often advise patients who require full mouth dental implants to wait until their mouths heal completely before having the abutments inserted, followed by the artificial teeth.

6. Your Budget

Some health insurers cover dental implants for Surrey patients, which helps offset the costs of the procedure. Depending on how much and the type of insurance you have, it might be necessary to wait until you have the funds available to complete the placement of your implants. Our dentists can help you determine the final total and get pre-approval from your insurance company for the paid portion.

As a leading provider of dental implants in Surrey, BC, our experienced and compassionate team can help to restore your smile. For more information on tooth extraction and replacement, please click here to schedule an appointment with us.