People lose one or more teeth for multiple reasons including tooth decay, gum disease, and oral trauma. Replacing a lost tooth with a permanent dental implant is an excellent way to restore your smile, bite, and, in some cases, facial shape. However, if you don’t get a dental implant after extraction, you might ask, “Can you get a dental implant years after extraction?”
As a top practitioner of cosmetic and family dentistry in New Orleans, Dental Arts of New Orleans is here to answer that question in our guide below.
What to Know About Late Dental Implant Placement
The power of a good smile can enhance your life in more ways than one. Your smile can improve your youthful appearance, make you approachable to others, and boost your confidence. Losing a tooth can negatively impact those positive attributes, which is why many people explore tooth replacement options like dental implants following a loss.
Dental implants are possible following tooth extractions, even on the same day in some circumstances. But can you get a dental implant years after extraction? You can certainly get implants years later after losing a tooth as long as you’re a healthy candidate for the surgical procedure.
Here’s what you should know about implant surgery years after extraction.
Importance of Dental Health for Implants
It doesn’t matter if you wait 30 days or three years to get a dental implant to replace your missing teeth. What’s important is your oral health. Problems like periodontal or gum disease can cause the implant to fail unless the dentist effectively treats them.
Your jawbone must also have enough density to accommodate osseointegration, which is vital for the success of every dental implant. Osseointegration is the process of bonding the titanium implant to your jawbone to create a sturdy, permanent base for the replacement tooth. Once it bonds to the jaw, the implant also helps stimulate new bone growth.
The best candidates for delayed dental implant procedures are generally healthy with decent bone density. Still, dentists can provide alternative treatments like bone grafting to those who need more help.
Benefits of Dental Implant Placement Post-Extraction
When exploring different options to replace a missing tooth, people often consider solutions like dentures and bridges. Dental implants require a surgical procedure and months of healing before patients can get their replacement tooth. However, implants are the most reliable and permanent tooth replacement options, and they offer the following benefits:
- You can treat dental implants like natural teeth and brush and floss them daily
- You can get implants to secure dental crowns, bridges, and dentures depending on the number of missing teeth you have
- Dental implants feature the most natural-looking prosthetic teeth
- Implants are comfortable because they closely mimic natural teeth without taking up additional space
Possible Problems Following a Delayed Dental Implant Procedure
Like other surgical dental procedures, getting a dental implant following an extraction is not without complications. For instance, waiting too long to replace your teeth with an implant could result in jawbone loss. If your bone density is lacking and your jawbone has shrinkage, it becomes harder for the implant to bond.
Sometimes, teeth spacing can be a problem. When you lose a tooth and leave the gap open for a long time, the neighboring teeth can shift toward the gap. Orthodontic treatment to ensure your teeth have the right alignment may be necessary before getting an implant.
Turn to Dental Arts of New Orleans for Dental Implants and More
Now that you know the answer to “Can you get a dental implant years after extraction?” and the benefits of the dental procedure, explore different tooth replacement options with Dental Arts of New Orleans. As a family-owned dental practice with decades of experience improving smiles and oral health throughout the community, our board-certified dentists provide the highest standard of care to everyone.We focus on patient-centered dental care and orthodontics. Contact Dental Arts of New Orleans today at (504) 394-5330 and speak with a skilled dental implant expert.
