The traditional implant timeline involves extracting a tooth, waiting months for the socket to heal, and then placing the implant separately. Immediate implant placement collapses part of that timeline by placing the implant into the socket on the same day as extraction — when the case allows for it.

Why this appeals to patients: fewer total surgical procedures, a shorter overall treatment timeline, and in select cases, a temporary crown attached the same day, meaning you’re not walking around with a gap where a visible tooth used to be.

What determines candidacy:

• Adequate bone at the extraction site, with enough healthy bone beyond the socket itself to stabilize the implant immediately
• No active infection at the extraction site, since placing an implant into an actively infected socket significantly raises failure risk
• Sufficient initial implant stability, assessed at the time of surgery — if the bone doesn’t grip the implant firmly enough at placement, a delayed approach is safer
• Overall gum and bone health, since thin or compromised tissue around the extraction site can affect both healing and long-term aesthetics

When a delayed approach is the better call instead: active infection, significant bone loss around the tooth being extracted, or thin gum tissue that would benefit from grafting before implant placement. In these cases, extracting the tooth, grafting the socket, and placing the implant several months later after healing produces a more predictable outcome — rushing an immediate implant into a compromised site tends to increase complication risk rather than saving meaningful time.

Realistic expectations either way: even with immediate placement, the implant still needs the same 3-6 month osseointegration period before it’s ready for a permanent restoration. What immediate placement saves is a separate healing period before the implant goes in, not the biological integration time itself.

The only way to know if you’re a candidate is a 3D imaging evaluation before the extraction happens, which is why this decision typically gets made at the same consultation where extraction is being planned. Our oral surgeons at Falcon Implants & Oral Surgery will give you an honest read on whether immediate placement is realistic for your specific tooth, or whether a staged approach will serve you better long-term.