Demystifying Immediate Dental Implants: A Viable Solution For Tooth Replacement

Many of us would be fuming if our haircuts, food deliveries, or even grocery purchases took upwards of 6 months to complete, much less tolerate it. Hence, something as basic and essential as our teeth being replaced should also be treated with the same sentiment. Immediate dental implants are an increasingly popular procedure in which the implant – a titanium screw will be used to replace the tooth root – and replacement tooth is both set in the same sitting. They offer patients cost-effective, almost painless, and instant results with minimal prerequisites.

It goes without saying that our teeth are an essential part of our body, they help with food consumption, shape our faces, and enhance our smiles. No one wants to go on about their day without a set of perfect teeth, and immediate implants offer a quick and durable solution. Furthermore, the high success rate of the treatment has propelled its usage and is an increasingly viable option for those looking to replace their teeth.

Traditional dental implants, on the other hand, while still a completely practical option for tooth replacement, require waiting times that span anywhere from 3 to 6 months between extraction and implant, depending on the patient’s condition and availability. Immediate dental implants, as the name suggests, are done immediately after tooth extraction. Since many of us work in fast-paced work environments, we might not be able to make time for multiple separate dentist appointments, this procedure would allow us to forego the back and forth and can easily be completed in the same sitting.

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Misconceptions/Mistakes Surrounding Immediate Dental Implants

Being one of the newer treatment protocols, there are admittedly many misconceptions and misunderstandings towards the treatment. I cannot deny that I do have many patients who are still reluctant to get immediate dental implants because of existing stereotypes, taboos, misunderstandings, and a general lack of awareness towards the treatment.

One of the most common misconceptions is that immediate dental implants are painful – which is one of the main reasons for reluctance to get implants. While that is true to a certain extent, the discomfort that one would experience with dental implants is significantly minimal compared to other operations such as wisdom tooth extraction. What’s better is that patients would only need to go through one round of discomfort (which is typically settled in a few hours anyway) rather than having to endure the pain on two separate occasions. In fact, the pain is so tolerable that some patients even forgo the use of painkillers during surgery!

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Another misconception is that one can extract the tooth from one place and then go for dental implants after a few days. This should be avoided as immediate dental implants, as the name implies should be done immediately after extraction to prevent resorption (the healing of bones and gums). Once the resorption process begins, it’s typically quite difficult to implant a tooth as it might cause infection or disrupt the healing process. Hence, patients would need to observe the aforementioned 3 to 6 months waiting period for a more traditional dental implant.

Last but not least, another misconception would be that only young people should opt for immediate dental implants. This is far from the truth as the procedure does not pose strict requirements. As long as one meets the requisite factors such as bone density, soft tissue health, and ability to maintain their new teeth, they’re eligible for implant surgery.

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Benefits And Types Of Immediate Dental Implants

Immediate dental implants, as mentioned in the previous section, pose objective benefits for patients, time being the most apparent advantage. Instead of having to wait up to half a year for their teeth, immediate dental implants are done on the spot, right after extraction. Hence, patients can head home with a full set of teeth intact.

Furthermore, due to the significantly reduced time frame required for immediate dental implants, the margin for error also decreases. Due to the short time frame, the implant fuses to the bone better and allows the patient’s soft tissues and gums to heal more quickly. Furthermore, the implants help with the healing process by keeping contaminants away from the tooth extraction socket.

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There are three main types of dental implants made available to the public as of now – dental implant crowns, implant-supported bridges, and implant-supported dentures. Dental implant crows are most suited to replace single (or very few) teeth, implant-supported bridges are best for patients who require multiple sequential tooth replacements at once. Implant-supported dentures, on the other hand, are used to replace all teeth by using dental implants to retain and support a set of dentures.

As a practitioner who places heavy emphasis on aesthetic dentistry, I have been stressing the importance of having correct teeth structure as it will affect other parts of the body as well. Not only will imperfect teeth change the aesthetics of one’s face structure, but also cause other bodily issues.

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Having experienced my fair share of bad bite in my youth, in which my upper jaw was misaligned due to an earlier tooth extraction, I’ve suffered through backaches, shoulder pains, and neck strains. Hence, I took up dentistry to help those going through similar conundrums. Today, I’m a huge proponent of its widespread use and would urge more patients to take the procedure into consideration when looking at getting teeth replacements.

This article is contributed by Dr Ben Wee Ren, President of Malaysian Oral Implantology Association (MOIA) and does not represent the views or opinions of Health Matters Malaysia.

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