Hi Kate,
Your husband's issues sound a bit like mine. My doctors recommended removing my wisdom teeth pre-radiation, mainly because of how crowded my teeth were and to avoid issues post-radiation. They did find a cavity on one of the wisdom teeth and I know from prior experiences any work on my molars was always difficult because of the crowding. So I had all 4 removed 9 years ago. Now just this month they found a cavity on one of my upper molars, and it was difficult and painful to have it filled (difficult to open mouth wide enough).
Post-radiation I had a lot of dental issues with loose teeth. I eventually had all 4 lower front teeth removed (required HBOT) and had a 10-tooth bridge made for the bottom. In order to provide enough stability, they had to include 3 teeth on each side of the ones removed. This was a long, drawn out process (over a year), before I was able to have the permanent bridge installed (12/2013).
A lot of the issues were because I already had RT, so since your husband did not have RT it may be a lot quicker process. He may need to wait for the extracted area to heal before they will start the work on the bridge. I don't believe they will take an impression if he has stitches in his mouth, unless they were able to make an impression before he has his teeth removed.
If you have any questions, let me know. Wishing you and your husband the best!