WHY SHOULD I REPLACE MY MISSING FRONT TOOTH WITH A DENTAL IMPLANT?

Why a dental implant?

Dental implants are the single best restorative option for missing teeth! Why do I say that, you ask?  Well, whenever possible, replacing a missing tooth with a dental implant enables a favorable series of events or circumstances.  And, when indicated, replacing a front tooth with an implant prevents unnecessary treatment from altering the shape, contour, or form of neighboring teeth.

Dental implants offer several advantages, whether as single units or as multiple restorations. For this blog entry, lets concentrate on the single dental implant restoration.  Some of the advantages of selecting this option are as follows:

• We help you preserve your own jaw bone as the implant is placed inside it.  When edentulous ( empty space ), the empty space tends to lose bone over time because its tooth supporting purpose has been lost.  The jaw bone supports your tooth.  When the tooth is lost the bone no longer serves a purpose in that position…so it recedes.  Unless restored with a dental implant, the bone will not have a reason to remain in tact.  Therefore, the dental implant helps to retain the surrounding bone as it integrates into it over time.
• We forego the need to alter or reduce the neighboring teeth so as to replace the missing tooth.  When not choosing a dental implant, the remaining restorative options include the use of a fixed ( cemembtable ) porcelain bridge.  This entails the use of the adjacent teeth as anchors.  In preparation for the bridge, these would need to ( unnecessarily at times) be reduced or altered in order to sustain and support the incoming bridge.  When choosing a dental implant, these neighboring teeth are left alone.  
• We create a more cleansable environment for you to keep clean.  When utilizing a dental implant to replace missing dentition, the new implant crown acts as an individual tooth.  It could be restored in a manner in which it is not connected to the neighboring teeth.  In doing so, each of the teeth in that segment can then be flossed and brushed individually.  
• We create a situation where each of the implant supported crowns acts as an individual entity.  In so doing, its rare failure would not affect the longevity or prognosis of the healthy teeth around, or next to, it. It does not depend on the neighboring teeth for support or longevity.
• We would create an implant supported crown that behaves and looks like a natural tooth. Its form, shape, contour, and function would be the same as or even more beautiful than the natural tooth it replaces.

In choosing a dental implant for the replacement of your missing front tooth, we would be facilitating the use of the most up to date technology associated with the art and science of restorative dentistry.  The use of dental implants to mimic nature is exciting, rewarding, and ultimately the most successful restorative option available for you today.  Clearly, dental implants are not indicated for all of you.  Optimal oral and systemic health is necessary to achieve a predictable outcome.  Together, we can analyze your particular situation and choose the best long term option for you.  

I recently completed a beautiful single implant restoration for a dear patient.  This involved his upper right front tooth.  The loss of his own tooth was multifactorial and associated with various issues.  Because the neighboring teeth were healthy and their restorations stable, we considered replacing the natural tooth with a dental implant.  Thorough evaluation determined that his bone quality and quantity was sufficient to sustain a dental implant.  Choosing an implant enabled the replacement of the tooth without involving the healthy neighboring teeth.  And, the implant would help us to preserve the precious bone available. Once the implant was placed and integrated, we fabricated a gorgeous white core and beautifully appearing porcelain crown.  A custom porcelain shade was chosen together with our specialized laboratory technician.  We wanted the new crown to perfectly match the adjacent porcelain crowns and teeth.  Replacing a single front tooth is challenging due to the precise nature of the technique necessary to allow for a seemless transition between the already existing teeth and the new one coming in.  After two weeks in the laboratory, we delivered a spectacularly harmonious crown that resembled and functioned just as if it were present at birth!!  The surgeon, laboratory technician, patient, and myself are thrilled with the outcome and are looking forward to seeing this person smile with confidence for many years to come!  

Your SMILE TEAM is plays a crucial role in your success.  Proper and precise communication among all the parties involved is the key to achieving an award-winning outcome!

I am fortunate to be surrounded by a team and resources capable of creating functionally natural smiles as I work hard to enable one that "YOU WOULD BE PROUD TO WEAR...ANYWHERE"!