Immediate Implantation: A Way to Preserve Natural Tissue
July 17, 2026 · 3 min read
Ivan Burbyha, Chief Physician at Dobrozub
It's a widely held belief that you should wait for a tooth socket to heal before placing an implant. But few people realize that losing a tooth inevitably triggers changes that aren't always visible right away. That's exactly why the first months after extraction actually determine how easy it will be to restore the tooth later.
In our practice, we use immediate implantation. For us, this isn't just a method of placing an implant into a freshly extracted tooth's socket — it's a concept of natural restoration, with the primary goal of preserving as much of the patient's own tissue as possible.
How Immediate Implantation Works
After a tooth is extracted, the bone begins to remodel: it gradually loses volume and can eventually break down entirely. Within just 3–5 months, bone restoration may already be needed — which means a long recovery and significant expense.
Immediate implantation lets you avoid this scenario. It works like this: right after the tooth is extracted, an implant is placed directly into the socket, and the space around it is filled with bone graft material. This way, we provide support for the tissue and help preserve its natural volume.
Immediate implantation matters most of all in the smile zone, where even a small amount of tissue loss can significantly affect aesthetics. If bone tissue shrinks, "black triangles" can appear between teeth, the gum contour can change, and the restored tooth will no longer look as natural.
Advantages of Immediate Implantation
At our aesthetic dentistry clinic, we aim for more than just placing an implant. Our goal is to restore the tooth so it matches the natural original as closely as possible. That's why preserving your own tissue is one of our core treatment principles.
Another advantage is a shorter recovery timeline. In many cases, a temporary crown can be made immediately after the implant is placed. This way, the patient is never left without a tooth and gets back to normal life faster.
Chief Physician Ivan Burbyha notes: "In 2019, I started teaching other doctors specifically with a course on immediate implantation, because even then this technique was showing phenomenal results. According to clinical studies, the implant success rate with immediate implantation is no lower than with the classic protocol, and in some cases even exceeds it — since the implant is placed into living bone with a good blood supply."
Contraindications or Myths
There's a common myth that inflammation near a tooth is an absolute contraindication for immediate implantation. In reality, most inflammatory processes don't prevent the procedure: after extraction, the doctor thoroughly cleans the socket and treats it with an antiseptic.
Patients also often worry when upper tooth roots sit close to the sinus cavities. But that's not always an obstacle either — a closed sinus lift can be performed at the same time if needed, allowing the implant to be placed safely in a single operation.
Genuine contraindications for immediate implantation include significant bone loss that prevents the implant from being securely anchored, or a risk of damaging the mandibular nerve. In these situations, the doctor chooses a safer treatment protocol.
As for pain — immediate implantation is very well tolerated: in most cases there's no significant swelling afterward, and pain is minimal. For patients with significant anxiety, treatment can be done under medicated sedation.
So there's no need to fear immediate implantation. It's a modern approach that not only restores a lost tooth faster, but also preserves as much natural tissue as possible.