There are some dental practices that heavily advertise same-day dental implants. You may notice that we’re not one of them. As New Jersey’s Premier Dental Implant Team All Under One Roof, we do offer dental implants in one day, but we believe in full honesty and transparency—many patients are not candidates for these procedures. Even when they are, same-day implants aren’t exactly what’s being advertised. Rather than making promises we can’t keep in order to get you through the door, we promise this: we will help you select the best dental implant restoration for your unique needs. Below, we discuss how same-day dental implants work.
Same-Day Dental Implants vs. Traditional Dental Implants
Traditional dental implants take time. If you need extractions, bone grafting, or a sinus lift, you will need to have those first. Once you’ve healed, your implants are placed. Then, we wait for osseointegration to occur, which is when your implants and jawbone fuse together. Your abutments are attached, impressions are taken so we can design your restoration, then you’ll come back for another visit to have the restorations attached. The process can take months from start to finish.
It’s easy to see why same-day dental implants would be an attractive alternative. With same-day dental implants, you may have your teeth extracted, implants placed, and restorations attached all in one appointment. This is possible because the implants are placed at a different angle.
The procedure isn’t quite a one-day process, though. You’ll still need to come in for visits before your surgery so we can plan your procedure. Then there’s the fact that the restorations attached to your implants are only temporary, not your permanent restorations, so you’ll still need to return for those after 3 to 6 months.
Same-day dental implants are a terrific option for some patients, but it’s important that you know what to expect.
Who Is a Candidate for Same-Day Dental Implants?
Just like with traditional dental implants, you should be in good overall health and a non-smoker to be a candidate for same-day dental implants. Other conditions that may rule out the procedure for you include active gum infection, certain autoimmune disorders, chronic disease, bruxism (teeth grinding), and insufficient jaw support.
We may recommend same-day implants if you cannot or do not want to have bone grafting prior to your procedure, if there is a medical reason for performing the entire process in a single day, or if you’ve already experienced some degree of bone loss.
You might wonder why the same-day procedure isn’t standard for everyone—after all, it’s much faster and easier. The answer is because there are trade-offs involved. Same-day dental implants have a higher risk of failure since prosthetic teeth are attached to them before osseointegration occurs. This is why, if you’re a candidate for traditional dental implants, we recommend going that route; only if you cannot get traditional dental implants would we recommend same-day implants as an alternative.
Learn More About Same-Day Dental Implants
If you’d like to learn more about same-day dental implants and whether they’re right for you, contact us today at 732-972-0918.