Is an immediate implant right for you?
It’s often a good option when:
- a tooth is cracked, broken below the gum or failing after an old root canal
- the tooth has no active infection or swelling
- there is enough healthy bone around the socket
- your gums are healthy and you don’t smoke heavily
- you’d like to avoid a gap, especially in a front tooth
If the scan shows that immediate placement isn’t the safest route, the tooth is removed, the socket is often filled with a bone graft to preserve it, and the implant is placed a few months later. See dental implants for the standard timeline.
Immediate or delayed implant
| Immediate implant | Delayed implant | |
|---|---|---|
| When it’s placed | Same visit as the extraction | 3–4 months after the extraction |
| Surgical visits | One | Two |
| Front tooth gap | Often a temporary tooth the same day | A temporary denture or bridge while healing |
| Best for | Healthy sockets with enough bone | Infected teeth, thin bone, higher-risk cases |
| Final crown | After about 3–6 months | After the implant has healed |
What happens
- Consultation and scan. Dr. Adish and our implantologist examine the tooth and review your 3D scan to check the bone, the nerves and, for upper back teeth, the sinus. You get a written plan and the fee.
- Extraction. Under local anaesthetic, the tooth is removed as gently as possible to protect the surrounding bone and gum.
- Implant placement. The implant is placed into the socket. Any gaps around it are filled with bone graft material.
- Temporary tooth. If the implant is firm enough, a temporary crown is fitted the same day, shaped to stay out of the heavy bite.
- Final crown. Once the implant has bonded to the bone, Dr. Adish takes a scan or impression and fits your permanent crown.
Aftercare
- Soft food for the first few days, and chew on the other side.
- Don’t bite into hard food with a temporary front tooth.
- Cold packs on the cheek on the first day to reduce swelling.
- Brush gently around the area as shown, and use the mouthwash you’re given.
- Avoid smoking, the biggest avoidable risk to implant healing.
Risks
Soreness and swelling for a few days are normal. Less commonly, the implant doesn’t bond to the bone and needs replacing after the site heals, or the gum around a front tooth shrinks slightly as it settles. Infection is uncommon. Careful case selection keeps these risks low, and your team explains your personal risks before you decide.
What affects the fee
The implant system, whether a bone graft is needed, whether a temporary tooth is fitted the same day, and the type of final crown. Everything is itemised on your written estimate. See dental implant cost.
Questions patients ask us
Can an implant be placed the same day a tooth is removed?
Often, yes. If the socket is free of active infection and there is enough bone around it to hold the implant firmly, it can go in straight after the extraction. The 3D scan shows this before your appointment.
Will I get a tooth the same day?
For front teeth, a temporary tooth is often fitted the same day if the implant is firm enough. It's shaped so it doesn't take the full biting load while the implant heals. For back teeth, the gap is usually left to heal first.
Are same-day implants as good as traditional implants?
In the right cases, immediate implants do as well as implants placed after the socket has healed, with fewer appointments and less waiting. The key is choosing the right cases, which is why the scan and the assessment matter.
Who is not suitable for an immediate implant?
Teeth with active infection or pus, sockets with too little bone, uncontrolled diabetes, heavy smoking and some medicines make immediate placement riskier. In those cases we remove the tooth, let the socket heal, often with a bone graft, and place the implant later.
Is an immediate implant painful?
The area is fully numbed. Because the extraction and the implant are done together, most people have one recovery instead of two, with soreness for two or three days.
How long does healing take?
The implant bonds to the bone over about three months in the lower jaw and four to six months in the upper jaw. Then Dr. Adish fits your final crown.
Sources
ADA MouthHealthy: dental implants ↗Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS: dental implants patient information ↗Last updated 14 October 2026. This page explains options in general terms; your own plan comes from an examination.