Single Tooth Implant
South Ogden, Utah
With a dental bridge being the only other viable option for stable tooth replacement, most patients are today choosing dental implants. Tooth implants have transformed how people replace their lost or missing teeth. If you have a single missing tooth and need a reliable, durable, and strong tooth replacement solution, you can consider single-tooth implants.
Our team at Skyline Implants & Periodontics is dedicated to delivering permanent teeth replacement treatment for patients who have lost teeth to dental decay, trauma, gum disease, or infection.
What Is a Single Tooth Implant?
When it comes to single tooth implants, they are restorations that work to provide long-lasting, permanent, and fixed solutions for the replacement of a single missing tooth. These implants comprise one individual implant post for each tooth being replaced. An abutment and crown are the other components of single-tooth implants.
What Are the Benefits of a Single Tooth Implant?
Replacing a lost tooth with a single-tooth implant offers you several benefits.
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You won't need to remove them as happens with traditional dentures.
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They are more stable than traditional bridges.
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Additionally, your adjacent teeth are not filed down to provide support for the new tooth or crown. The implant post does that work. You have the nearby teeth remain intact.
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Moreover, you clean the implants just like the remaining teeth. No special care is required. |
The Single Tooth Implant Procedure
Getting single-tooth implants requires several visits to the dentist, unless your are receiving an immediate load implant. There will be a consultation, the surgery, healing time, and the mounting of the restoration.
Initial Consultation and Examination
This step entails x-rays and CBCT scans to determine your candidacy for dental implants and to aid with mapping out the treatment plan. The dentist will also inquire about your medical history. Some conditions can impact your implant placement success rate, for instance, diabetes and heart disease. Further, your oral health, including the gums and other teeth as well as the jawbone should be checked.
Preparing for the Implant Surgery
Several hours prior to the procedure, do not drink or eat anything because of the effects of the sedation. Make sure you brush your teeth and floss as usual.
Implant Placement Process
Placing single-tooth implants involves drilling holes in the jawbone and fastening the implant posts. It is usually done under anesthetic, so no pain is involved. After the insertion, the dentist covers the implants with the gum tissue that had been opened up to access the jawbone. A temporary crown may be mounted to help cover the implant and help during the days of healing.
Healing and Osseointegration
For about three to six months, you will be healing from the surgery. During this time, you will have the bone bond with the implant metal. It's a process referred to as osseointegration. This forms the anchor that will serve to mount the replacement tooth or crown.
Placing the Artificial Tooth (Crown)
Once the bone and implant post bond together, the temporary crown is removed. The dentist affixes the permanent crown. You now have your needed replacement tooth that will serve you for decades and offer a natural-looking smile.
Advantages of Single Tooth Implant
You will realize many advantages of receiving dental implants. Some involve aesthetic qualities of the smile, others are about jawbone health, while they also help promote oral hygiene.
Natural Look and Feel
Tooth implants have a crown and an artificial root. As such, they give a natural appearance and feel like natural teeth.
Maintaining Jawbone Health
First and foremost, you avert bone recession. People who have lost teeth often suffer bone deterioration if they delay replacing their teeth. Implants provide jawbone preservation by stimulating the bone to allow it to keep growing. Further, these implants prevent the risk of cavities, gum disease, and dental decay. They seal off the empty spaces that are left by the lost teeth so that elements like biofilm and leftovers don't lodge there.
Candidacy for Single Tooth Implant
Most people are candidates for tooth implants, but a number of patients may have issues that may need to be resolved before getting the implants. Some might need alternatives like mini-implants.
Evaluating Dental Health
A dentist evaluates your dental health to check that the gums and the remaining teeth are healthy. Any concerns like decay, infection, or gum disease should be resolved.
Assessing Bone Density and Structure
People with healthy and adequate jawbones prove good candidates. Those with insufficient bone density need to have additional treatment called bone grafting. The jawbone structure also aids with establishing how the implants are positioned and where, precisely. Dentists want to avoid damaging the nerves or sinuses.
Single Tooth Implant Aftercare
Expect some swelling, mild pain, and soreness after the implant. Therefore, use over-the-counter medication to resolve these symptoms. After your tooth implants, keep the site clean. It helps avoid infection. However, don't immediately brush the site. Initially, use saltwater to swish around in the mouth.
Caring for the Implant Area
Keeping the blood clot uninterrupted is essential to allow speedy healing and prevent infection. Keep hard foods away and stick with soft foods. Avoid using straws because the suction can dislodge the clot.
Regular Check-Ups and Maintenance
Keep your routine checkups with the dentist so that you mouth can be checked. The dentist will also clean the mouth and see if the implants are functioning properly.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Patients may have questions about receiving single tooth implants. Among the most common questions our dentists receive are:
Is the Single Tooth Implant Procedure Painful?
The procedure itself involves local anesthesia and sometimes oral sedation. Therefore, no pain is experienced. However, you might have some soreness and swelling after the procedure. This is normal and part of the healing process. You can control this with over-the-counter medications.
How Long Does the Entire Process Take?
It takes about one to two hours to have a single tooth implant procedure completed. Sometimes, it may take longer depending on what tooth is being treated.
What is the Success Rate of Single Tooth Implants?
The success rate of single tooth dental implants is 98 percent. Therefore, these implants are very successful. Even so, make sure proper care is maintained.
Schedule an Appointment Today!
Visit us at Skyline Implants & Periodontics to begin your journey to re-establishing your bite function and aesthetics using dental implants. Call us at (385) 888-7414 to request an appointment. |
