How long can i wait to have a bridge put in after an extracted tooth? i am having a broken tooth extracted next week and plan on adding a bridge. problem is, my dental insurance doesn't kick in until august 1st so i'd need to pay all out of pocket. can i

There : There should not be any major treatment problems waiting until august to start the bridge for your missing tooth. The adjacent and opposing teeth will not have time to move into the space left by the extracted tooth and the extraction site will have time to heal. Have you considered an implant? What may be of concern though is that your new insurance may have a" pre-existing condition" clause that may absolve them from providing reimbursement for procedures done to replace a tooth that had been extracted prior to the insurance policy taking effect. I would check on the terms of the policy. Your dentist may be able to help you in this matter.

Waiting : Waiting until august should not pose a problem. But as dr funari pointed out, there is a good possibility that the "missing tooth" clause may make it so that your new carrier won't be responsible for the bridge or implant (if you so choose) since the tooth would have been missing before the date of coverage. Other times, the policies won't cover prosthetics (caps, bridges, dentures) until a certain amount of time has elapsed while you are covered. Does your insurance cover you at any office you go to, or does the dentist need to be in their network? Patients often use the word "insurance" generically, but as you can see, so many things need to be known before you begin treatment. It is not so much the insurance company, but the plan that is bought by the employer and how that plan is written.

It : It is best to wait 3 months after an extraction before taking a final impression for a bridge. This will allow complete healing and tissue maturation. However, there should be some form of provisionalization while the healing occurs.