What Are Immediate Implants?

When you want to replace missing teeth as soon as possible, immediate dental implants might be an option to consider. These implants require less time overall compared to traditional dental implants while also providing other benefits. Keep in mind that not everyone is a suitable candidate for these implants, and they do come with certain risks. Learning more about these same day dental implants can help you determine if you should look into getting them.

What Are Same Day Dental Implants?

Same day dental implants refer to implants that are placed right away rather than after a period of healing. With traditional dental implants, you generally have to wait several months until your jawbone heals and the implant fuses to it. Immediate implants do not require this step, resulting in tooth replacement that occurs in a much shorter timeframe.  During your appointment, a dental specialist places a crown on the implant instead of having you come back at a later time for this step.

Different types of same day dental implants are available, including All on 4 Dental Implants. These implants involve placing four implants inside your jawbone and having a temporary prosthesis put over the implants to help you maintain a natural appearance. This helps you avoid needing to have more than one surgery done for a full mouth of implants. All on 4 implants are able to provide you with non-removable artificial teeth that support an entire lower or upper arch.

Benefits of Same Day Teeth

What kinds of benefits do same day teeth provide? When you choose this option for tooth replacement, you’ll be able to enjoy the following benefits:

• Improved smile: You don’t have to wait months to improve your smile with immediate implants. Instead, you can walk out of the dentist’s office the same day with a beautifully restored smile.
• Less time: Traditional dental implants require you to come in for multiple visits. You’ll need to have the implants placed in your jawbone, wait several months for healing to occur and come back to have crowns placed on the implants. With same day dental implants, you’ll have implants and crowns done at the same appointment. This means you won’t need to worry about having to set up multiple dental appointments.
• More natural appearance: When you have immediate dental implants, the gum tissue usually ends up growing around the crown. This results in a more natural appearance overall, although in some cases, you might need gum tissue remodeling. With traditional implants, gum tissue can occur during the healing process. This can lead to replacement teeth having a longer and more squared appearance.

Make sure to read our 2019 guide to permanent teeth in one day.

Candidates for Immediate Dental Implants

Who makes a suitable candidate for immediate dental implants? Ensuring that you’re a good candidate for this procedure helps keep risks to a minimum. A dental specialist will go over the requirements for same day dental implants with you, which typically include the following:

• Multiple missing teeth in a row on your upper or lower jaw
• Missing teeth in the front or sides of your mouth
• Little to no amount of bone loss at the affected sites where implants will go, which helps ensure that they’ll be fully supported
• Good oral health overall, including no current infections in your teeth, gums or jaw
• No underlying medical conditions that could impair the healing process, such as an autoimmune disease
• Not being a smoker, since smoking can affect the healing process
• An interest in avoiding having to wear partial of full dentures to replace multiple missing teeth

Immediate Implants vs Traditional Dental Implants

What are the differences between immediate implants and traditional dental implants? These include the following:

• Timeframe: The main difference is the time involved with these procedures. Immediate implants require one visit to have an implant and crown placed, while traditional dental implants involve coming in for multiple visits that are months apart.
• Gum tissue: Gum tissue loss can happen when you have traditional implants, and this can affect the way replacement teeth look when they are finally placed in your mouth. Immediate implants allow gum tissue to grow around the replacement crown, resulting in natural appearance.
• Comfort: With traditional dental implants, you might need to wear removable dentures or other temporary prostheses while waiting for your jawbone to heal. These can be uncomfortable and even cause problems with eating and speaking. With immediate dental implants, there is no need to wear removable dentures. Instead, you’ll have crowns on your implants right away for comfort and convenience.

What to Expect with Immediate Dental Implant Procedures

What happens when you get immediate dental implants? After ensuring that you’re a suitable candidate for these implants, you’ll receive an anesthetic to numb the area so that you won’t feel anything. If you need to have a tooth removed as part of this process, the dental specialist will do this first. The dental specialist will then prepare the implant sites, place dental implants inside your jaw and put crowns on these implants.

After the anesthesia wears off, you might have some discomfort and soreness. This is usually mild and does not last for a long time. You can typically take over-the-counter medications to ease soreness while it lasts. You’ll then need to follow the dental specialist’s instructions for caring for your mouth and implants.

Cost of Immediate Implants

How much does it cost to get immediate implants? This varies widely depending on where you go for them and other factors, such as how many replacement teeth you need. In general, costs for these implants can range from $3,000 to $30,000. You might have higher costs if your implant procedure ends up being more complex or if you need more replacement teeth. Keep in mind that getting same day implants means that you’ll have fewer visits compared to getting traditional implants, which can help keep overall costs down. Click here to learn more about cost of full mouth dental implants.

Risks of Immediate Dental Implants

As with any dental procedure, immediate dental implants have certain risks and complications. These possible risks include the following:

• Failure: Some same day implants might fail due to movement, which means you’ll need to have the procedure done all over again.
• Infection: Dental procedures in general carry a risk of infections, although this risk is minimized when you see a dental specialist.
• Pain: Immediate dental implant procedures can cause some discomfort, but this is usually mild and only lasts for a short time.

Going to a qualified and experienced dental specialist is the best way to lower your risk of complications from immediate dental implants. These dental specialists know how to insert the implant in order to minimize movement and the risk of failure. Dental specialists will also make sure that you are a good candidate for these implants before doing this procedure, which helps lower the risk of infections and other health complications.

Where to Get Immediate Implants in Houston, TX

When you’re looking into getting immediate dental implants in Houston, keep Omega Dental Specialists in mind. It’s important to go to qualified dental specialists who have done thousands of these implants, since this helps lower the risk of complications. Our dentists have the knowledge and experience needed for providing these implants with minimal risks to our patients. When you come to us for dental implants, you can expect to receive care in a comfortable state-of-the-art facility in midtown Houston.

When it comes to paying for your immediate dental implants, we accept most dental insurance plans, as well as Medicaid. If you don’t have insurance coverage or Medicaid coverage, we can work with you on financing options, such as setting up a payment plan that suits your budget. We also offer a free dental implant consultation to help you determine if these implants are the right choice for you.

If you are a Houston resident and interested in dental implants, please contact Omega Dental Specialists for more information and to schedule your free dental implant consultation. Our office is open seven days a week in order to provide you with convenient appointment times that fit your schedule.