Single Tooth Replacement with Dental Implants

Posted on 8/17/2017 by Dr. Franco

Single tooth replacement Diagram at BiteLock

It’s easy to ignore a single missing tooth, especially when it is not visible when you smile. However, even a single lost tooth can have serious consequences on your oral health, and your quality of life. Traditionally, the way to replace one tooth has been with a dental bridge. Today, you have options. At Bite Lock, we can replace your one missing tooth with a dental implant.

Effects of Tooth Loss

There are several things that happen when you lose even just one tooth:

•	Your ability to bite and chew your food is greatly affected. Chewing is the first step in the digestive process. When food is not properly broken down before being swallowed, your body has a more difficult time absorbing the nutrients.
•	Depending upon the location, speaking becomes a challenge as it becomes more difficult to form certain words or sounds.
•	Food can get stuck in the gap, increasing your risk of developing gum disease.
•	Depending upon where their missing tooth is, your smile may be dulled.
•	Your jawbone begins to weaken. It changes its shape, which can then lead to your adjacent teeth shifting into the gap, causing uneven tooth wear, bruxism and jaw pain.

Traditional Single Tooth Replacement

In the past, a single missing tooth was replaced with a dental bridge. A bridge, typically made out of ceramic, is a prosthesis that bridges the gap left behind by your missing tooth. It consists of your replacement tooth and two dental crowns. The replacement tooth is set between the two crowns, which anchor on to the adjacent healthy teeth, called “abutment” teeth. These teeth require preparation, or the removal of some of the enamel, which helps ensure that the bridge fits naturally into place. Bridges are designed and fabricated based on impressions of your mouth and affixed in place with a special dental cement.

Single Tooth Dental Implants

Single tooth implants are a type of dental implant. Dental implants are titanium rods, which are surgically inserted into your jawbone. The implants then act a support for your replacement teeth. A single tooth implant uses a single titanium rod and one dental crown to take the place of your missing tooth.

To place your implant, a surgical procedure is needed. After a local anesthetic, incisions are made in your gums, exposing the bone. We then drill a hole into the jawbone and place the implant. Your gums are sutured around the implant, and a temporary crown is placed.
Healing from your procedure can take a few weeks. As you heal, your jawbone fuses to the implant, essentially turning the implant into a stable “root.” Once you have healed, we then take an impression to design and create your permanent crown.

Benefits of Dental Implants

There are several benefits to a single tooth implant:

•	They look 100% natural.
•	Implants are more comfortable. Your tooth is supported by the implant, rather than by your adjacent teeth.
•	Your adjacent teeth remain completely intact.
•	The implant acts like a tooth root and stimulates the jawbone, preventing the bone loss that is typically associated with tooth loss.

If you are missing a tooth, getting it replaced is important. Call Bite Lock at (972) 594-7414 to schedule your consultation today.

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Bite Lock Teeth in a Day by Dr. Pedro F. Franco - Dallas, TX

PEDRO F. FRANCO, DDS

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