Dental Implant Years After Extraction?
A dental implant is a great treatment option as a replacement for a missing tooth. And it is important to work with the dentist as soon as possible to prevent more complications and additional costs. For some people this is not reasonable or dental care is not accessible at that time. But if you allow months or even years to pass after you lost your tooth before replacing it, what are your options? Do you need to rely on a dental bridge or do you have the option of a dental implant?
The short answer is that time does not determine what your treatment options are when you are looking to replace a missing tooth. The health of your jaw bone, gums, and surrounding teeth will determine the best option for your long-term dental health.
The dental implant procedure typically involved multiple steps completed over months after the extraction. After the dentist removes the tooth, the jaw bone and gums are given time to heal. The traditional dental implant process usually includes months between extraction and the dental implant placement. After the jaw bone and gums heal, then the dentist can evaluate if your gums or bone need a graft to support the implant of if your gums and bone are strong enough as they are. Grafts can help grow additional tissue, but they need healthy tissue upon which to grow.
Once the jawbone and gum tissue are healthy to undergo an invasive procedure, the dentist will insert a titanium or zirconium post into the jaw bone below the gums. The post is made from a biocompatible material which is able to osseointegrate with the jaw bone. In other words, the jaw bone will heal around the inserted post and new bone tissue will grow on the post. Both zirconium and titanium are used in dental and medical surgeries because the body treats the material the same way it would treat tissue it generated itself. After the post is implanted, the dentist will wait for your mouth to heal from the procedure.
The time for your mouth to heal and the jaw bone to secure the implanted post in place varies from person to person. On average, it will take between three and six months to ensure the bone is healing and the body is not rejecting the dental implant. Once the dentist ensures that this step of the process is successful, the dentist can attach a piece on top of the implanted post that will secure the dental crown to the post. Essentially creating a replacement tooth that functions and looks like your other natural teeth.
Based on the typical process for dental implants, the dentist will evaluate your mouth and overall health before moving forward with the implant. If you have allowed years to pass before you replace the tooth you had extracted, the dentist will need to review the strength of your jaw bone and any chronic medical conditions. Often when teeth are not replaced in a timely fashion, you start to lose bone density in the gap.