Immediate Tooth Replacement: Avoid Embarrassment and Preserve Bone

More Dental Health Articles

Immediate Tooth Replacement: Avoid Embarrassment and Preserve Bone

Imagine your dentist told you that you had a tooth that was not restorable and it would need to be pulled. Imagine this tooth was in a visible area when you spoke or smiled. How would this affect you at work, socially or even functionally? The loss of a tooth can cause lots of problems if not replaced. Bone loss in the jaw will occur. The teeth adjacent to the missing tooth will begin to shift. The tooth opposite the missing tooth will start to move toward the gap. Your smile will become unsightly if the missing tooth is within sight. This may lead to a self-esteem issue and can lead to negative social and occupational results.

Thankfully there are options for replacing a single lost tooth besides the traditional bridge, which requires the dentist to cut away at two healthy teeth in order to fabricate a replacement tooth. Of course the bridge only works if the two adjacent teeth that are used to support the bridge stay healthy. If either of them fails, the entire bridge is lost. The better option that does not rely on adjacent teeth or require cutting down healthy teeth is an implant (root replacement).

If a tooth is removed and not replaced, the bone will heal but the bone will also shrink. So if time is allowed to go by there will be less bone to work with and this shrinkage will continue until it is put back into function with the placement of a Root Replacement, i.e. an implant.

Implant technology has come a long way. The processes of replacing a tooth with an implant can take weeks to months to bring a patient back to a functional and aesthetic result they were pleased with. Fortunately, immediate tooth replacement options are now available.

Immediate tooth replacement is an implant procedure performed directly after a tooth is pulled, both saving time and preserving bone. Provided by a general dentist, it requires extensive knowledge of implant dentistry and often allows an immediate crown to be placed at the implant site. This procedure allows the patient to have an immediate tooth replacement in one visit without an inconvenient or unsightly situation that could otherwise last for weeks.

The general dentist is the only practitioner capable of performing this procedure. While an oral surgeon or a periodontist are both likely qualified to place an implant, neither would be able to restore the tooth. Essentially, the implant is merely a screw that takes the place of the original root structure. Once placed, it is imbedded into the jaw and beneath the gum line. The general dentist that is not trained in implants would send his patient to one of these specialists to have them place the screw and eventually send the patient back to the general dentist to restore the tooth.

Only the general dentist can complete this job. A crown must be manufactured to fit on the implant and to look like the original tooth. While the ADA does not recognize implants as a discipline specific to any dental specialists, there are still highly recognizable organizations dedicated to educating dentists in the field of implants. When looking for a general dentist to place an implant and restore the tooth, one might benefit from finding out what sort of education on implantology the dentist has. It would also be a good idea to make sure they have plenty of experience in placing implants.

The right general dentist will have the knowledge and know-how to take the patient from extraction to replacement in one visit. Same day tooth replacement is convenient and cost effective for the patient.

Not all patients are same day replacement candidates. Anyone interested in implants should find out exactly what can be expected from the dentist before agreeing to any procedure. Find out if the entire process will be handled in one office with one practitioner.