If you have one or more teeth that are too damaged, decayed, or infected to be saved, your dentist may have no recourse other than to recommend extraction. Then, it’s important to replace your recently removed tooth to avoid potential problems, like dental drifting or jawbone degeneration, that often accompany tooth loss.
Many experts consider dental implants the ideal way to rebuild smiles because of their unique position in your jawbone. But you must wait for your mouth to recover sufficiently before proceeding. Continue reading to learn more about how soon you can replace your extracted tooth!
How Long Does Tooth Extraction Recovery Take?
Once your troublesome tooth is removed, you’ll need to follow your dentist’s post-operative instructions carefully to avoid potential complications, like infection, or a painful side effect known as dry socket. It’s normal to feel sore and swollen for several days afterward, but these symptoms often peak after the third day then begin to subside. Then, it can take closer to 3 to 6 months for your jaw to generate enough new bone growth to heal completely.
Then, it’s important to replace your missing tooth sooner rather than later, because without a root in place to stimulate your jaw each time you bite down, it slowly begins to degenerate. Eventually, it can become too frail to support your remaining teeth.
How Do Dental Implants Work?
Dental implants are the only restorations that function more like natural teeth to help maintain your jaw. Unlike dentures and bridges, this service involves placing a support rod, usually made from resilient titanium or zirconia, directly into your jaw. It can take several months to recover from this procedure, because that’s usually about how long it takes for your mouth to generate enough new bone growth to envelop this pole fully in a process called osseointegration. Then, once your gums have healed, your provider can place a customized prosthetic, such as a crown, bridge, or dentures, to restructure your arches.
For this service to be successful, you must have a sufficiently dense jawbone and healthy connective tissues to support your new teeth, so you must wait until you’ve recovered from your extraction procedure to proceed.
When Can I Get a Dental Implant After an Extraction?
Most people can expect to wait at least 10 weeks after their extraction to get dental implants. This gives your connective tissues and jawbone enough time to recover sufficiently before you schedule your oral surgery and have your new teeth placed.
However, only your dentist can provide a timeline estimate based on your unique circumstances. If you have questions about your upcoming procedures, they can provide the most accurate information!
About the Practice
At Dentistry By Canyon Creek, patients of all ages benefit from a team of providers passionate about helping them build beautiful, healthy smiles. Dr. Kyle, Dr. Ben, and Dr. Folks collaborate to offer a complete menu of services under one roof, including extractions and dental implant placement and restoration, to meet your unique needs. They use state-of-the-art technology to improve comfort and accuracy, delivering resilient results that last. You can request an appointment on the website or call (972) 379-8693.