Tooth Missing

The Missing Tooth

A Dental implant in combination with a ceramic crown is the best replacement if both your root and tooth are damaged. This solution looks, as well as, functions just like your natural tooth.

A supposed one-piece implant is used, in such cases. This implies that, all of the components used are installed as a single unit. The benefits of this treatment are that the patient has to go through minimum pain and time for treatment is quite short. Other benefits include:

– A fully functioning tooth
– Brilliant esthetic results
– A permanent and stable solution

Course of Treatment

There are many different courses which can be taken to treat the problem, depending on the individual cases. Illustrated below is one of the different options available. Your dentist will advise the best treatment for you, depending on your specific condition.

tooth-missing1b1: Previous to the procedure
The initial assessment is made by the dentist; he might consider taking a x-ray of the area to be treated, in order to prepare for the procedure.

 

 

tooth-missing2b2: Implant installation
The dentist installs the implant. Currently, you are provided with a temporary tooth, which would function like a normal tooth, and would let you perform all functions like eating etc. It will take a few months for the implant to get integrated with your jawbone. Only after that has happened, would the next step be taken.

Implant Alternatives

tooth-missing3bTooth-supported fixed bridge
The adjacent teeth are ground down to make support for the bridge in a traditional bridge treatment. Bridge installation is a fairly easy treatment and is a stable solution too; it functions well and gives good esthetics results. However, this choice comes with a couple of disadvantages; two of which are: constant resorption of bone in the edentulous area and compromising healthy teeth for the installation of the bridge.

 

tooth-missing4bRemovable partial denture
Removable partial denture is not a permanent solution for a lost tooth. The denture is loosely attached and is very much unstable; both of these factors lead to discomfort as well as not a very proper functioning. The denture used in this treatment is made out of plastic; which cannot give the same esthetic results, as would a ceramic crown. This alternative has only few benefits; one of them is that this treatment is relatively inexpensive and the healthy adjacent teeth are not compromised as in fixed bridge treatment.

 

tooth-missing5bResin-bonded bridge
The resin-bonded bridge is a better alternative to removable partial denture. This solution works well, can be installed quickly, and is made from ceramic; thus, the results produced are esthetically pleasing. Also, the healthy teeth are not compromised. The disadvantage of this alternative is that it is not permanent, and sooner-or-later will come off, and you would have to get it reinstalled.