Single Tooth Implant

A little more about implants from a technical perspective. There are generally three parts to a single tooth dental implant restoration: Implant/Abutment/Crown. The implant itself is a replacement of the root of the tooth. When a tooth becomes too badly damaged or decayed to rebuild, an implant is a great option for replacement. An abutment is utilized as a connector to link the implant to the crown. The crown is similar to a crown on a natural tooth. It is the part you will see, but it needs to be well supported by the implant and abutment.

In implant dentistry it is VERY important that these parts fit together with the highest precision and accuracy so the investment you make can last many years. Not all dental offices take this need for attention to detail as seriously as we do. We would love the opportunity to show you how dental implants can improve your oral health and your life in general.

A single tooth implant replaces the root of the missing tooth. This preserves jaw bone density, which in turn helps to continue the support of the teeth around the implant’s location. It also helps keep your face looking normal by preventing the development of a sunken-in spot.

The top of an implant, known as the crown, will be supported by an abutment. The abutment attached to the implants and supports the crown.  It looks and works just like a ceramic crown on a natural tooth, and restores your ability to chew in the affected area. Like other crowns, it can be made of several types of material. Which one will be used is determined by factors like the location of the implant, cosmetic considerations, and expected force on the tooth replacement.

The first step to getting a single tooth implant is a consultation. If you don’t have recent x-rays of the area, or your x-rays don’t include the roots of the nearby teeth, new ones will be taken. This will play a big part in determining a plan of action. In our office ALL implant planning utilizes state of the art 3D X-Ray Imaging. This imaging is known as Cone Beam Computed Tomography(CBCT) which is a type of CT Scan mainly used in dentistry. 

Once the dentist sees the x-rays, he’ll go over them with you and point out any relevant factors. One of these factors will be whether or not you will need a bone graft. You’ll also be told about the implant process in detail and given a quote for the costs involved.

While everyone’s case varies, a few things are almost sure to be standard. Almost all implants are done over the course of several appointments. They also all involve an abutment being installed, and a crown eventually being cemented to it.

These are done to improve the amount and density of bone in the area to be implanted. There are several types and methods that can be used, ranging from the addition of synthetic material meant to get your own bone to grow more all the way to a true graft of bone from your own jaw bone. Synthetic materials can be helpful but have limitations compared with more natural materials. In modern implant treatments we can mostly avoid the need for harvesting bone from your own jawbone and that helps limit the discomfort associated with the procedure.

If a bone graft is called for, the material is placed into the gap where the implant will go. This is a minor surgical procedure. Then, your jaw is given a few weeks to grow new bone or incorporate the graft material.

With a single tooth implant, there will be a single post to place. This is true no matter how many natural roots the tooth in question had.

Before placing the post, your jaw is numbed so that you won’t feel any pain. Then, a narrow hole is drilled down into the jaw bone, and the post is placed. Once this is done, the hole is closed back up. A membrane or other protective cover may be placed at the top and held in by a few stitches.

After this procedure, typical healing is three to six months. Your natural jaw bone will grow around the implant post during this time. Once this part of healing is complete, the post should stay in place forever as long as proper care is taken.

The abutment is a special piece of metal that goes between the post and the crown. Its purpose is to hold the crown onto the implant. For this, the top of your jaw ridge will be opened up once again to expose the part of the implant that the abutment attaches to. Since this requires a minor incision, you’ll be numbed.

Once the area is numb, the dentist will attach the abutment to the implant. This typically just requires screwing it down. The next stage, having impressions made for your crown, may happen at this appointment or at one in the near future. In our office we utilize digital scanners so that impressions are not needed for most cases. This also allows us to minimize the number of appointments needed and get the most precision in your new tooth.

This works almost exactly like getting a crown for a natural tooth. The one difference is that you won’t get a temporary crown. The healing abutment is enough to serve that purpose.

Just as with other crowns, we will take a 3D digital scan that we will send to a special lab that will manufacture a very precisely fitting abutment. Then, about two weeks later, you’ll have another appointment. At this one, the abutment will be installed AND the crown will be cemented onto the abutment. Our digital workflow reduces the number of visits needed for this. Now, you can congratulate yourself – your single tooth implant is complete!

To get started on getting your own implant, or to learn more about your options, just set up your initial consultation with us here at Dolphin Dental Group in Seminole, FL.