Hands-down, one of the top ways to get yourself beautiful replacement teeth for those that are broken, damaged, or missing, is to invest in quality dental implants. They’re completely biocompatible, carry a high success rate, and last for multiple decades if you take care of them properly.
Normally, receiving dental implant replacement teeth is a process that takes multiple visits to your local oral surgeon over many months. But, for certain individuals, that process can be fast-tracked to where the implant teeth are completed in a single visit. So, what qualifies you for replacement teeth done in one day?
Why Get Same-Day Dental Implants?
There are two main steps to getting a dental implant. First, the post, or titanium screw, for your new replacement tooth has to be installed in your jawbone. Second, the abutment and false tooth crown are put in.
Usually, a period of at least a few weeks separates these two procedures. It can even take a year, depending on your health, rate of healing, and the extent of mouth reconstruction. Doing them in tandem saves months of healing time, and perhaps even more importantly, months of not having a tooth crown at the site of the implant.
Bone Density Plays a Major Role in Obtaining Expedited Replacement Teeth
It’s all about the bones—your jawbones, to be precise. Part of the process of receiving convincingly real fake teeth is where the titanium post is inserted directly into your jawbone. Over time, and through the process of osseointegration, that post fuses with your jawbone. So naturally, the jawbone is a pretty crucial element for this operation.
Patients who hope to get dental implants fitted by a surgeon in a single day need to exhibit excellent jawbone health. For that fusion to happen, the implant needs a sturdy and stable foundation in your jawbone. Just having an intact jawbone isn’t enough, since it’s all about quality. The jawbone needs to have a healthy density in order for immediate dental implants to work.
If patients present with severe bone loss in the jaw from missing teeth, periodontal disease, or trauma, it’s almost surely a no-go, and they might even need dental bone grafting to restore their jaw first. It can feel like a sort of catch-22. You need a healthy jawbone for a quick and fast dental implant surgery, but if you’re missing teeth—which is likely if you need implants in the first place—your jawbone begins to deteriorate around those areas after so long. The moral of the story, here? Don’t wait too long to replace missing teeth with permanent, beautiful replacement teeth. Act fast, and your jawbone might still be strong enough to qualify you for same-day dental implants.
General Health and Same-Day Tooth Implants
Unsurprisingly, your overall health plays a huge part in determining whether or not you’re eligible for a speedy dental implant procedure. Your body’s ability to heal is directly tied to the success of the oral surgery. For example, someone with an autoimmune condition will likely have a tough time healing post-op and might not be eligible for same-day tooth replacements as a result.
If you have any of the following conditions, you should ask your qualified oral surgeon if same-day dental implants are possible:
- Uncontrolled diabetes: high blood sugars and other factors can inhibit the body’s natural healing response.
- Autoimmune diseases: conditions that affect the immune system delay healing following surgeries.
- Osteoporosis: no surprise here—osteoporosis affects bone density, and as we mentioned above, bone density is a crucial factor.
- Compromised immune system: patients with compromised immune systems are more susceptible to infections.
The key here is that patients presenting with uncontrolled conditions are not likely fits for expedited dental implant surgery. If a patient’s conditions are well-managed, it’s worth talking to a doctor. For example, if someone has an autoimmune condition, but it’s managed well enough that their body’s natural healing response isn’t impacted too much, they might still be considered candidates for same day implants.
Habits and Behaviors Play a Big Part in Same-Day Implant Eligibility
Certain lifestyles and habits also influence whether or not you’re able to get dental implants installed in a single day. The most obvious one is the patient’s oral hygiene. Good oral hygiene puts you on the fast track for getting tooth implants placed in no time at all. Bad oral hygiene? It’ll probably disqualify you. Active gum disease or inflammation around the gums automatically compromises the surgical site.
Untreated teeth grinding, or bruxism, also makes it hard to recommend a patient for same-day services. Patients who grind their teeth unknowingly place tremendous stress and force on their teeth when they’re asleep, and a newly-placed implant simply wouldn’t stand a chance against that level of stress. However, if a patient is actively treating their bruxism with a nightguard, they might be able to walk into an oral surgeon’s office and exit with a fresh set of dental implants on that same day.
Finally, smoking is a major lifestyle choice that hinders your oral health. Smoking restricts blood flow to the teeth and gums, which delays the healing process and increases the risk of implant failure. Most dentists will want their patients to quit smoking for a period of time before and after surgery, even in normal cases.
Candidacy for same-day dental implants is a fairly complex evaluation of a patient’s overall health, covering many factors. The best way to find out whether or not you’re a candidate, however, is by scheduling a consultation with an oral surgeon in your area who will be able to provide a fair assessment. Even if you don’t qualify, a healthy, beautiful smile isn’t far out of reach.
