Dental Implants for One Tooth

When you flash a grin at your mirror, what do you see smiling back at you? Is it an attractive and healthy set of teeth, or is your smile blemished by unsightly spaces and gaps from tooth loss? If you are missing teeth from your mouth, then you are probably acutely aware of it every time you open your mouth to speak a word or share a smile with a friend or peer.

Nearly 80 percent of all adult Americans are missing at least one tooth from their mouth, making it a very common issue for our patients. Missing even just one tooth can cause problems later on in life, leading to future tooth loss and discomfort when you bite or eat.

When we here at Tieken Smiles Dentistry have a patient who is missing a tooth from their mouth, we like to educate them about the benefits of dental implants and help them determine if they are good candidates for this procedure.

How We Use Dental Implants to Restore One Missing Tooth

A dental implant is an amazing little device that gives our patients a permanent replacement for their missing teeth. Unlike partials, they are surgically placed directly into your jawbone. Your bone will directly fuse to the implant, a process known as osseointegration, helping it remain securely in your mouth. If you continue to take good care of your oral hygiene, the implant should last you the rest of your life.

Dental implants are made up of three main parts. First, we have the implant itself, which is a titanium screw. This is the part that is placed directly into your jaw. We will start by placing an incision into your gum to expose the bone material; then we will carefully drill into the bone, then place the titanium post. Once it heals and fuses with your bone, we can attach the second component, the abutment. That acts as a connector, allowing the titanium screw to attach to the final part of the implant, the restoration.

The restoration - also known as the crown - is the part of the implant that resembles a tooth. From the initial surgery (which generally takes between an hour to an hour and a half) to the placement of the restoration, the entire process may take between six months to a year, depending on how quickly your mouth heals from the surgery.

Getting a dental implant is an incredibly safe and highly beneficial option for many of our patients, making it a great choice for them. Good candidates for dental implants include patients who do not smoke, those who have good oral hygiene, and patients who have sufficient bone material in their mouth. However, having these contraindications does not automatically disqualify you from getting an implant. We advise that smokers quit, not only for the sake of the restoration but also for their general health. If you have poor oral hygiene or active gum disease, we will treat it first before proceeding with the implant, and for patients who do not have enough bone mass, we may be able to fix that with a bone graft.

Are You A Candidate?

If you are interested in learning more about dental implants, or if you want to set up an appointment with us to determine if you are a good candidate for them, please give us here at Tieken Smiles Dentistry a call today at (281) 942-0444!