Single Tooth Dental Implant in Chantilly
& South Riding VA
Single tooth dental implant with a crown helps in replacing your natural tooth along with its root in case you have just one missed tooth. A single tooth dental implant procedure is a procedure that is done in three parts-a titanium post is inserted surgically into your jaw bone, followed by an abutment piece, which is used to anchor the implant to the crown and the crown that is designed to match the existing teeth perfectly.
Benefits of Single-tooth Dental Implant
Among the most common alternatives for doing single-tooth dental implant is to use a bridge that is supported by the two adjoining teeth. But to create this bridge the adjoining teeth requires grinding down, even in case these teeth are attractive and healthy to give the much-needed support. This makes these teeth prone to get decayed later on.
On the contrary, a single-tooth dental implant functions and looks like your natural tooth; however, it does not cause any negative effect on the adjoining teeth. Since the dental implant replaces both the crown and the root of the tooth, it also helps in preserving the underlying jaw bone in a better way. While with a bridge, your jaw bone that surrounded the original tooth previously will atrophy with time and compromise the attractiveness and confidence of your smile.
There are other advantages of single tooth dental implants. Gum tissue surrounding a bridge may recede and expose the collar or metal base of the bridge; thereby, becoming unattractive. Furthermore, the cement, which keeps the bridge in its place, may also wash out. This allows the bacteria to get in and attack the adjoining teeth.
The Single-tooth Dental Implant Procedure
Oral surgeons are qualified uniquely to perform dental implant surgery so that you get the best long-lasting results with a minimum amount of risk. A typical single-tooth dental implant procedure takes place in the following way:
Step1: Consultation Appointment
The process of your dental implant begins on the day you have a consultation with an oral surgeon. During this consultation, your surgeon will thoroughly and completely evaluate your oral health and will also work with you to devise a treatment plan to provide you the best results. They may also take 3D scans to evaluate the bone and create accurate surgical guides for use during your procedure.
Step 2: The Day of the Procedure
On the procedure day, you will be given the anesthesia that you may have decided on during the consultation to avoid the feeling of any discomfort during the procedure. The oral surgeon will then make a tiny cut in the gum tissue above the region where the dental implant has to be placed. They will then place the implant (titanium) post in the jaw bone and close the surgical site by putting stitches. Generally, a single-tooth dental implant procedure takes about 30 to 60 minutes to complete.
Step 3: Post Surgery (Recovery Period)
Your healing process starts the moment the procedure gets over and it continues until the implant is completely fused with the jaw bone. You can usually go back to your routine after just two or three weeks, but it may take a few months for the implant to fuse with the jaw bone. The healing time of each individual is different. Your particular healing time may depend on multiple factors such as your general health, the condition of the jaw bone, and your body’s healing abilities. During your initial consultation, the oral surgeon will discuss these factors along with the healing timeline with you. They may give you a temporary crown that you can wear during the recovery time
Step 4: Placing the Abutment
The piece that anchors the crown of the tooth to the implant is known as the abutment. After there is sufficient healing, the oral surgeon will place an abutment on the implant.
Step 5: Placing the Custom Crown
After the oral surgeon gives a go-ahead, the final or last phase of the procedure begins. The restorative dentist will now fit a custom-made, permanent crown to your dental implant. Now your single-tooth dental implant procedure is complete.
Many times a tooth can be removed and an immediate implant placed at the same appointment, which allows the final tooth to be placed sooner.
With regular dental and oral check-ups and correct oral care, your dental implant can last your entire life. Since a dental implant fuses with your jaw bone, it also keeps your jaw healthy by preventing the loss of bone that may occur from increased tooth loss.
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