If you are missing one tooth, a single tooth implant and a crown can replace the lost natural tooth and its root.
The decision to get a single-tooth implant is usually a simple one. With a bridge as the only option available, most dental patients weigh the pros and cons before ultimately deciding on an implant.
However, at the same time, many patients get intimidated by the overall process, despite making a choice. Fortunately, receiving a single-tooth implant is not as scary as most people perceive.
Keep reading to learn everything about single tooth implants.
Read on to learn more about impacted wisdom teeth.
What Is a Single-Tooth Implant?
Single tooth implants act as long-term treatments for tooth loss and are permanent fixtures rooted in the jawbone. A professional dentist uses a titanium rod to anchor the rod into the jaw using the hole created by the patient’s missing tooth. A small device is attached to the top of the titanium rod that acts as a “saddle” for a custom-made fixture mimicking the appearance of the rest of the patient’s teeth; this fixture is called a crown. Crowns feel and look natural and do not affect a patient’s ability to speak and eat.
Advantages of Single Tooth Implant
- You can easily eat and speak with the single tooth implant.
- After some time, you don’t even feel the single tooth implant because they look and feel just like real teeth.
- Single tooth implants last a lifespan.
- A single tooth implant can improve your self-esteem and confidence because there’s no risk of them coming off or being visible, and they look great.
- Single-tooth dental implants look so natural that people won’t even know you have them.
- A single tooth implant can replace the lost tooth’s root structure, thus becoming a fixed part of your body.
- Since single tooth implants are fixed and rooted in place, they don’t move around or slide in your mouth.
Types of Single Tooth Implant
- Endosteal Single Tooth Implant: These are the most popular dental implants. It is a titanium post placed inside the jawbone of the missing tooth.
- Subperiosteal Single Tooth Implant: These teeth implants are placed between the gums and the jawbone.
Components of Single Tooth Implants
- A titanium dental implant is screw-shaped and is placed within the jawbone.
- The gold, titanium, or porcelain abutment is the middle part of the implant that connects the implant to the crown.
- The dental crown- The crown is the visible part of the entire struc; and it is
the tooth-shaped cap for the implant and is usually made of porcelain-fused-to-metal.
The Process of Single Tooth Implants
Getting a single-tooth implant may take months, but the result after the entire process is worth it! If your jawbone isn’t sturdy enough for the implant, the first step your dentist will do is bone grafting.
Bone grafting involves taking bone from another source (or using synthetic material) to add it to your jaw, making it stronger. In this scenario, your jaw will require 5-12 months to heal before getting the single-tooth implant.
Following are the steps involved in the process of a single-tooth implant:
- Implant placement: Getting a single-tooth implant needs oral surgery, often using local anesthesia. Your dentist will make a cut into the gum to expose the bone and drill holes into the bone where the metal implant will be placed.
After this procedure, you will still have a gap where your tooth is missing. Your oral surgeon, for cosmetic reasons, may be able to fabricate a temporary solution to fill in the gap.
- Placing the abutment: Your dentist may want to place a healing cap after the implant has properly fused with the bone. This can help your gum tissue to heal correctly, generally taking around two weeks.
After this, the dentist will remove the cap and screw the abutment onto the
implant. You will get a temporary crown while your gums finish healing around
the abutment. - Getting a crown: The dentist will make a final impression to create your crown, which will either be screwed or cemented to secure it permanently. You may treat this new “tooth” like any other in your mouth with regular brushing and flossing to keep the gums healthy.
Some of these steps can be combined depending on the situation because every single tooth implant differs.
Single tooth Implant Cost
Your individual case determines the cost of a single tooth dental implant. In some cases, others require extraction or bone grafting, while others are more straightforward, which impacts the final cost of a single tooth implant. Another factor that determines a dental implant’s price is your insurance coverage, and single tooth implant insurance covers implants at different levels.
Overall, it’s necessary to remember that a single tooth implant is an investment in your future: it will improve your oral health, quality of life, and confidence for years to come.
Searching for a Single Tooth Implant in Minneapolis, MN? Contact Minneapolis Dental Today!
Have you lost a single tooth? If so, you should look for the ideal restorative dentistry procedure to replace your missing tooth. There are many tooth replacement options available for you to consider.
You can get a partial denture for a single tooth, and you can also get a dental bridge flanked by dental crowns. However, the ideal tooth replacement option
available is a single tooth implant.
At Minneapolis Dental, we carefully examine your teeth and consider your expectations to curate the best restorative dentistry treatment plan. We also provide some great single tooth implants that will stay with you for a lifetime.
So, contact us at 612-332-1255 or www.mplsdental.com today!
