How Long to Wait For Dental Implants After Extraction?

The dental implant replicates the role of the tooth root to ensure that your crown, bridge or denture looks and feels like a natural tooth. The force of your bite is absorbed by the jawbone, rather than by your gums or your surrounding teeth. This can help to maintain a youthful face shape, as you are less likely to suffer from loss of bone density in the jaw.

Overall, dental implants offer a superior restoration choice, and it’s one that many patients will turn to after an extraction. However, it’s common for patients to wonder how long after an extraction they will need to wait before they can explore restoration options.

In this guide, we’ll explore what factors will influence when you can have dental implants after an extraction.

Can I have implants immediately after an extraction?

This all depends on your situation, your oral health, and the reason for your extraction. Some dentists are happy to place a dental implant directly into the extraction site, as this gives a head start on the treatment plan.

However, there are some situations where you might want to wait before placing the implant. It’s generally better to allow the extraction site to heal first, particularly if you have had an infection or failed root canal treatment.

Some patients prefer to wait, as this will give them time to decide if this is the right treatment plan for them. It can also be more comfortable to wait until your extraction site has fully healed before you start implant treatment.

How long does an extraction take to heal?

You’ll likely feel the gum close above the extraction site around 7-10 days after the procedure to remove the tooth. Larger gaps could take up to three weeks to close. However, the jawbone will take longer to fully heal. It is usually around 3 months before you can start to think about the next stages in your dental implant treatment.

Some people take longer to heal, and this can indicate that your dental implant treatment will also take longer.

Can I have a bone graft after an extraction?

It would be far more common for your dentist to use the extraction site to place a bone graft. This can speed up the healing process and ensure that you have sufficient jaw bone density to make space for the implant.

Bone grafting can also reduce the risk that your jaw bone will shrink following the extraction of a very large tooth such as a molar with three roots. When the jaw shrinks, this can leave the roots of surrounding teeth exposed and this can make them more vulnerable to decay.

How long should I wait after an extraction to have dental implants?

Speak to your dentist if you would like to think about dental implants immediately after your extraction. If you are removing otherwise healthy teeth to make space for a denture, this might be more viable than it would to place an implant immediately after removing a damaged or decaying tooth.

Every patient is different, and healing times will also vary. In general, it’s best to wait until the extraction site has completely healed before placing dental implants, and this will ensure the area is clean and the surrounding tissue is healthy. This will help to provide the best possible support for your dental implant restoration.