How long after an extraction is the ideal time to place an implant?

Although different implant surgeons have varying opinions, according to one of my favorite periodontists, Dr Philip Pack, he usually likes to place an implant three to for months after a tooth is taken out. He normally places bone grafting material at the time of an extraction and  after several months the bone is actively remodeling.  The osteoblasts in the socket are actively forming new bone and this seems like an ideal time to place most implants.

Immediate implants, those placed at the day of the extraction can work well too, but positioning the implant at this visit can be tricky, since the surgeon must guess what the final position of the crestal bone will be. Often bone around a socket will "shrink" a couple of millimeters after an extraction. Waiting several months allows a surgeon to view the crestal bone after it has experienced some remodeling.