What is a single tooth implant?
A single tooth implant is when you are missing one single tooth. It might be a tooth in the back or in the front. It may be a tooth that needs to come out for some reason, such as an infection or a broken tooth, or some reason that you have lost this tooth or you're going to need to lose this tooth.
What we can do is take the tooth and the root out of the bone. You replace the tooth root with a dental implant, which is basically a titanium screw. It goes into the place where the root would be of the tooth. This needs to be in the bone for a period of time while the bone locks it into place. Once that's healed appropriately, we can come back and put a tooth on top of that implant to replace the tooth that you're missing.
What is the process for a single tooth implant?
The full process for a single tooth implant starts with an examination where we look at your mouth, the bone that needs to support the implant, and the gums around that implant. We then treatment plan how we want to put this tooth in.
One advantage we have here at Matheson Dentistry & Implant Center is that we can place implants robotically. We have a state-of-the-art Yomi robot that allows us to place this implant very accurately and precisely. We'll plan out on the robot how we want to put this into your mouth. Then, you'll come in on the day of surgery.
Before the day of surgery, we'll give you a few things. We'll call in a few prescriptions, typically an antibiotic, an antiseptic mouth rinse, and any pain medication that we may need to use afterward.
On the day of surgery, some people choose to have some sort of sedation where we can put you totally to sleep. Or if you just want some mild sedation, we can give you a pill, sometimes called the happy pill, or we can use some laughing gas. Both of these sedate you slightly. They don't put you all the way to sleep, but they make you relaxed and not really care that you're in the dental office. We'll certainly get you numb so you don't feel anything, and we'll go ahead and do the surgery.
Often, I'm surprised when people talk about the extraction when you lose the tooth versus when we put the implant in. Usually, putting the implant in is much less of a deal. There's not as much postoperative sensitivity as the extraction. It usually goes very well. We'll allow that to heal, usually for about three to four months, before we come back and take an impression. We take a digital impression in our office of that implant and the surrounding gums and teeth.
At the lab, we'll make the tooth that then gets screwed onto that implant. Two or three weeks later, we bring you back in and screw that tooth on. Then you're free to chew like normal. The procedure typically involves you coming in. We will do the procedure, usually using the Yomi robot to place that implant. That usually takes about an hour.
Then we're going to allow that to heal for about 3 to 4 months. After that, you'll come back in, and we'll take a digital impression of that. Two to three weeks afterward, we'll give you the final tooth.
Is a bone graft necessary for a single tooth implant?
Sometimes it is necessary to do what's called a bone graft. When we're taking the tooth out or putting an implant in, you have to have enough bone there to make this work.
I'll give you an analogy. If you're working with wood and take out a screw or two, trying to put one more screw in, but the hole that the old screws left is a little oblong or whatnot, in carpentry, you have to fill that hole with wood putty. You allow that to dry, and then you can put your screw in. Working with implants is similar to that.
When you remove a tooth, the root is often not perfectly cylindrical, as a screw is. Besides putting the implant in, sometimes we'll also add bone graft, kind of like wood putty in wood. Over time, it solidifies and turns into your own bone, which helps hold that implant in appropriately.
What are other options for replacing missing teeth?
There are multiple things we can do with dental implants. If you're missing one tooth, we can replace that single tooth with an implant. Sometimes people are missing two, three, or four teeth in a row. If that's the case, often we can put in two implants on either side of that space where there are no teeth and bridge the two implants, putting a restoration that will have three or four teeth sitting on two implants. That would be an implant bridge.
If you're missing all the teeth, let's say you have a denture and want to replace all the teeth, we can do that. We can place, usually, between four to six dental implants and make teeth that fit on that and replace all the teeth in that jaw. Then you don't have to take your teeth in and out like you do with dentures.
What to expect after receiving a single tooth implant?
After receiving the implant, you should expect some post-operative discomfort. That's normal and not a sign that anything's gone wrong, but it is a surgical procedure. Often, there is a little bit of post-operative discomfort. We are always ready for that and will typically send in some prescriptions so that you've got some pain medication to deal with afterward.
How to find a qualified implant dentist?
There are many ways to find a qualified implant dentist. You definitely want to do your homework. Make sure you find someone with a strong background in implant dentistry, someone who's been doing it for a long time.
I would tell you that you'd want to come to Matheson Dentistry & Implant Center because we have all of that. We've been placing implants here since 2007. We do it really well and stay with the latest technology. We place our implants robotically using the Yomi robot. It's a technology that is not yet widespread. There are very few of them in the entire country and the entire world, but we have one here because we want to ensure we're doing this at a very high level. If you're taking the time to ensure that your oral health is top-notch and you want the best treatment, we want to provide the best treatment for you.
What are the benefits of single tooth implants over other alternatives?
Single tooth implants have a huge benefit over the alternatives. The alternatives are doing nothing, just leaving the tooth empty. The other option is a partial denture. That comes in and out, and you soak it at night. Not a lot of people love that.
If you're missing a tooth between two other teeth, you can do what's called a bridge. A bridge is a good option and can replace those teeth. The downsides are it's harder to keep clean. You can't floss in between the teeth when you have a bridge. You have to get a floss threader and floss underneath the bridge, which is a bit tricky.
Also, when you're doing a bridge, you are grinding the two teeth on either side of the missing tooth, which causes damage to those teeth. Ideally, we don't want to do damage to teeth. If those two teeth don't need crowns, let's not touch them. Let's not put crowns on those teeth.
When you do an implant, you leave the teeth on either side untouched, and it is just its own freestanding tooth, like your natural tooth. You can floss around it and clean it like normal. When you don't do anything, the teeth on either side can migrate, and the tooth above or below it can migrate down or up, causing problems with the way your bite comes together. To review, implants are the ideal way to replace a single missing tooth.
Are there big differences between a single tooth implant versus other ways to replace your teeth?
If you're comparing a single tooth implant to a bridge, both have some cost. Your implant will probably be slightly more. But you have to think about the other potential costs down the road. An implant will hopefully be there for many years to come. Bridges can last a long time, but if you get a cavity or have a problem with one of the teeth on either side of that bridge, now you've got a three-tooth problem.
I've seen many times where when one tooth has a problem or we have to take out one tooth, suddenly we have a whole bunch of teeth that are missing or that we have to work on. When you take everything into consideration, the longevity of the implant and how you're able to function and clean around it, the implant often tends to be the best way to replace your teeth.
Schedule a dental implant consultation with Matheson Dentistry & Implant Center today!
If you're missing a tooth or you know that you're going to be missing a tooth soon, please come into Matheson Dentistry & Implant Center. I'd love to sit down and talk with you, and we can discuss whether this is right for you. We can take a 3D image of your bone and teeth so we can see what everything looks like. You and I can sit down and talk about how this will work in your case and how it could be beneficial for you.
If you’re looking for dental care you can trust, call us at (480) 888-8123 or email [email protected]. We’re here to help you have the smile you've always wanted!