Can a tooth be fitted on the same day the implant is placed?

In some cases, yes. But placing the implant immediately and making a tooth on it immediately are not the same thing. What decides it?

One of the most common questions when implant treatment is being planned is how long the wait will be: “Can an implant be placed as soon as my tooth is extracted? Can a tooth also be fitted on the day the implant is placed?”

For some patients the answer to both questions may be yes. But these are two separate decisions. When the implant is placed and when the tooth is made on it are determined by assessing different conditions.

First, let us separate two different moments

Placing an implant into the same site during the session in which a tooth is extracted is called immediate implant placement. Another option is to place the implant after waiting a certain healing period at the extraction site.

The timing of attaching a tooth after the implant has been placed is a separate matter. In some situations this can be done on the same day or within the first few days; in others a longer wait for healing is needed.

So the sentence “the tooth was extracted and the implant was placed straight away” does not mean a tooth can definitely be fitted on it the same day.

Is placing the implant at the same time as the extraction always better?

It is a method that can be considered in a suitable site, with suitable patient selection. But it cannot be said to be better than the other options for every patient.

Factors such as the bone and gum conditions at the extraction site, whether the implant can be placed in the correct position, and whether sufficient initial retention can be achieved all matter. Sometimes waiting for the tissues to heal, or carrying out an additional preparation, may be more appropriate. The method is not chosen solely on a wish to shorten treatment.

What is looked at before a tooth can be fitted immediately?

One of the fundamental issues is that the implant has sufficient mechanical retention within the bone at the moment it is placed. This is called initial stability.

This should not be confused with completed integration of the implant with the bone. An implant may show firm retention on the day it is placed; but the process of biological integration with the bone continues.

The dentist can assess this initial retention through measurements taken during the procedure. Even so, a single measurement does not determine the whole decision. Particularly in applications covering the whole jaw, the number and distribution of the implants, the design of the prosthesis and whether additional bone procedures are needed also matter.

The patient’s general health, gum disease, habits such as clenching, and the characteristics of the bite are also part of the assessment. For this reason the same method may not need to be applied in the same way in two different patients.

Can teeth be made for a whole jaw in a short time as well?

Under suitable conditions, yes. This approach is not limited to a single missing tooth.

For example, in a patient for whom extraction of the upper teeth is genuinely necessary, implants may be placed in the same session and fixed temporary teeth attached to them prepared. In selected cases there are applications in which these teeth are fitted on the same day or within the following one to two days. Similar planning can also be done where the lower or upper jaw is completely edentulous.

“Fixed” here means that the patient does not put them in and take them out themselves. However, how many implants will be used and when the teeth will be attached are not determined by the same number and timetable for everyone.

Are the first teeth fitted the permanent ones?

The teeth fitted at the first stage are most often temporary prostheses to be used during the healing period. Later, the condition of the tissues is assessed and the permanent prosthesis stage can begin.

The word “temporary” here does not mean an unimportant or unplanned application. These teeth are also prepared for a particular stage of the treatment. While helping the patient in terms of appearance, speech and daily use, the requirements of the healing period are observed.

Once the teeth are fitted, can I eat anything comfortably?

Fitting teeth immediately does not mean that healing of the implants is complete. In the early period, dietary restrictions may be needed to control the forces reaching the implants. Choosing softer foods for the period the dentist recommends, and not missing check-ups, is part of the treatment.

Can the plan change during the procedure?

Yes. Even if fitting a tooth immediately was planned beforehand, waiting may be found more appropriate because of conditions encountered during the extraction or the placement of the implant. It is important to discuss this possibility from the outset and to plan alternative temporary tooth options.

For this reason the question to ask is not only “how quickly can a tooth be fitted?”. The question “which timing is more appropriate in my situation?” is at least as important.