Unfortunately, many dentists advertise something they can’t promise or guarantee: that you’ll get your dental implants completed in a day. If we evaluate this claim strictly, it’s an absolute misstatement. Dental implants aren’t truly completed until the implant has integrated into the jawbone, which can take months.
However, sometimes it is possible to have a tooth extracted, a dental implant placed, and a dental crown put on top of the implant all in one day, instead of waiting for the implant to integrate before it is topped with a crown. Whether you can have the single-stage procedure or need a multistage procedure depends on many factors.
Planning around Risk Factors
One thing we can say for many people is that the single stage procedure may not be recommended. If you have risk factors that make dental implant failure more likely, it’s just not recommended that you put stress on the implant too soon by placing a crown on top of it.
Most commonly, systemic health conditions may make a single stage dental implant procedure inadvisable. A couple of common ones are diabetes and osteoporosis.
Local conditions may also delay placement of the dental crown. Damage from gum disease may mean we have to place a bone graft at the site and have to wait for the graft to integrate as well as the implant.
Some medications and lifestyle choices may also make the difference. Smoking significantly increases the risk of dental implant failure, and probably means you will have to wait before getting your dental implants placed.
We Might Have to Call It at the Time of Surgery
Everything may look good during planning, but we still can’t guarantee placement of a dental crown until we’ve actually placed your dental implant. At that point, we’ll have a better sense of how stable the implant is, and whether it is a good idea to restore it right away. It’s better to be patient and get your implant right than rush it and lose it.
And you don’t have to worry. There are restoration options that can be used to ensure you don’t have a gap in your smile while you’re waiting for your implant.
To learn more about dental implants in Rockland County, please call (845) 627-7645 for an appointment with a cosmetic dentist at B & D Dental Excellence in West Nyack.
