Dental implants are an increasingly popular form of tooth replacement. By placing an artificial root in the jaw, doctors who perform dental implants give patients long-lasting results that both look and feel like natural teeth. However, until recently, dental implant placement and loading was a long process that many patients and clinicians weren’t willing to undertake, despite the benefits. Naturally, patients found the process frustrating, as they spent months between stages with gaps in their dentition.
As patient demand for one-day dental implants grew, new technologies and procedures finally made it possible to deliver on these ambitious promises. Immediate implant placement is one innovative procedure that’s made dental implants more appealing to patients and their doctors.
What Is Immediate Implant Placement?
Immediate implant placement is a procedure by which dental implants are placed in the jaw immediately following tooth extraction. By placing the root of the implant in a spot that has been recently vacated, you simplify the process and increase the implant’s likelihood of successful osseointegration. Immediate implant placement essentially takes care of two important steps during one appointment.
Note that immediate implant placement is not the same thing as immediate implant loading. While the former refers to placement at the time of extraction, the latter refers to loading of replacement teeth at the time of implant placement. One patient may have both procedures or one or the other, depending on the stability of the implant immediately after placement.
There are three main implant loading protocols — immediate loading within 48 hours, early loading within three months and conventional loading between three and six months after placement. If a patient’s immediate implant placement results in an adequate grip on the bone, immediate loading can occur as well. However, if the implant cannot hold under the appropriate amount of torque, more time for osseointegration is needed.
What Are the Benefits and Drawbacks of Immediate Placement?
Immediate implant placement benefits both patients and clinicians. Some of the benefits of using this procedure over conventional methods of dental implant placement include:
- Shorter dental implant procedure timeline
- Simpler surgical procedure to perform
- Fewer invasive surgeries and recoveries for the patient
- Satisfied consumer base that draws patients to your practice
As with any procedure, immediate implant placement comes with some risks and drawbacks, though the benefits typically outweigh them:
- Requires coordination between surgeon and restorative dentist
- May still require healing time before loading
- Not all patients make good candidates
Compared to other forms of tooth replacement, immediate placement has the potential to simplify your workflow and give patients a better experience overall.
Choosing the Right Implants
Immediate implant placement can make the implant process more positive for you and your patients. However, the quality of the implant system you choose will also impact the visual and physical properties of the final results.
Hiossen® Implant is a leader in the dental implant industry. We specialize in providing safe, effective and easy-to-implement prosthetic products for dental practices. If you have questions about starting immediate implant placement at your practice, contact us today to speak with a knowledgeable representative.
