Q: I will have two teeth extracted soon. One has an infection and it will need bone grafting. How long can I wait to get implants? Do I get both implants at the same time or can I wait? How long? One is a front tooth.
A: Here at Columbia University School of Dental Medicine and Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center(more) and in our private practice, we usually wait at least 3 months for the bone to heal and the body to get ready for implant placement. The use of an ND/YAG laser promotes faster healing with a better post-operative outcome for the patient. Of course, you would need a quality set of digital x-rays to confirm the bone topography and timing for placement.
