Implants
Immediate implant
An immediate implant is a dental implant placed in the socket on the same day a damaged tooth is removed, instead of after the socket heals.
In the usual plan, a tooth is removed, the socket heals for a few months, and then the implant is placed. With an immediate implant, the dentist removes the tooth and places the post in the same visit. This can shorten the overall timeline. It needs enough bone and no active infection, and the dentist must be able to hold the post steady in the socket. A review in the NIH library found that immediate implants have predictable results with several advantages over delayed placement. Sometimes a bone graft is added in the gap. Your dentist will talk with you about whether it fits your tooth. See tooth extraction, dental implant, and our dental implant page.