Immediate implant placement is a cutting-edge dental practice that significantly reduces treatment time. Typically, completing traditional dental implants can take anywhere from 8 to 12 months, which can be quite a lengthy process.
Here’s what the traditional dental implant process typically involves:
Treatment Assessment
During this initial stage, your dentist will evaluate the condition of your mouth. If any inflammation in the gums or issues with the root are detected, a treatment period may be necessary before proceeding with dental implant placement. Depending on the severity of the condition, this treatment period may require 2-3 weeks of healing.
Bone Grafting
If your bone density is insufficient, a bone graft may be needed. However, if you’d like to skip this step, you can consider All-On-4 dental implants. Bone grafting typically involves a healing period of 3-4 months.
Implant Surgery
The implant surgery is when your dentist drills through the gum and inserts the dental implant. This step alone necessitates a healing period of 3 months.
Crown Placement
For crown placement, you have the option of immediate crowns crafted using the CEREC high-tech method or the traditional method, which typically takes 3 weeks to design and create your crowns.
How Do Immediate Implants Work?
The concept of immediate implants is to bypass the treatment period and proceed directly with the surgery. For example, if you have gum inflammation or an infected root, your dentist will address these issues and then promptly commence with the implant surgery.
To minimize waiting time for a crown, you can opt for the immediate placement of a crown. With CEREC, you not only receive a temporary crown but also a customized, color-matched ceramic crown that functions and looks just like natural teeth.
Pros & Cons of Immediate Implants
Immediate dental implants offer clear advantages. They provide you with a beautiful smile in a short timeframe, saving you months of treatment and multiple dental visits. The crown is tailored to your dental measurements using CEREC technology.
The potential drawbacks of immediate implants relate more to potential risks. Usually, patients wait until the implant fuses with the bone before placing the crown. If fusion is not successful, you may incur the cost of repeat surgery. However, these risks are generally quite low.
Are Immediate Implants Safe?
Numerous studies by reputable publishers indicate that there isn’t a significant difference between delayed and immediate implants. In fact, immediate implants offer additional benefits by shortening the overall treatment time. They are a safe and efficient option.