Did You Wait Too Long for Dental Implants?

Goldilocks knew the value of getting things just right. Talented comedians know how to land the punchline at the perfect moment. Fortunately, when it comes to timing getting dental implants, it’s a little more flexible. There’s not a single moment when you can receive them or a deadline you must meet. However, you may require extra care to get yourself in that ideal position for implants again. Read on to learn about whether you can wait too long for dental implants.

Is It Ever Too Late to Get Dental Implants?

Regardless of your age or when you last had natural teeth, dental implants can be used to restore your smile. However, if your teeth were lost a while ago, your treatment might require a few additional steps to get you there. For instance, you might have untreated gum disease that needs to be addressed, or you may not have sufficient jawbone density, which is rectified with a bone graft. To fully recover and heal from this preliminary procedure, you’ll need to add at least three months to your overall treatment plan. Once these impediments are taken care of, you can qualify for implant treatment.

How Soon After Tooth Loss Can I Get a Dental Implant?

You may be anxious and want to start implant treatment immediately after having a tooth removed. However, the mouth usually needs to heal a little from the extraction procedure before it undergoes implant placement. In these cases, the dentist may wait for a few weeks afterward to place the implant post into the socket.

On the other hand, if the implant placement surgery is postponed for too long, the jawbone may have already started to deteriorate, which means the patient could need a bone graft even just a few months after the tooth has been extracted.

Finding the Goldilocks Timeframe

In an ideal world, you would find the right time to place your implants—not too soon or too late. However, life, with all its unexpected delays and surprise issues, happens! Whether you have a perfect schedule for implants or not, working with your dentist is imperative. They can guide you through the appropriate timeline for your situation and make sure you’re set up for success.

The implant process is adapted to each patient’s individual situation. As a result, any time you’re ready to consider dental implants is the right time. In other words, anyone who wants and needs dental implants can have a Goldilocks moment when their new smile is just right.

About the Practice

Applegate Dental’s dentists proudly handle every step of the dental implant process at our West Seneca office. During your consultation, we can determine whether implants are a good option for replacing your teeth and create a plan and timeline. At that point, you can get a clearer idea of what to expect moving forward. If you would like to make an appointment, you should contact us online or by calling 716-712-5301.