Dental implants are ideal solutions for adults who have lost a tooth. Whether because of trauma or decay, a tooth implant is a permanent fix for missing teeth. Additionally, it helps to prevent bone loss and further dental decline. Dental implants serve two functions. They restore the look and feel of your teeth, and they restore the use of your teeth, improving your overall oral health. In Texas, Lovett Dental Corpus Christi provides top-notch dental implant services. If you’re looking to improve the appearance of your smile, call us today.
Single Tooth Implant
A single tooth implant may be the right solution if you’re missing one tooth. The implanted tooth is artificial, but it looks and functions just like your natural teeth. It’s anchored into place by a titanium post implanted in your jawbone. Once the post bonds nicely with the bone, your cosmetic dentist will apply the abutment. This acts as a connector between the post and the prosthetic tooth. Last, he’ll set the tooth into place. Once it’s there, it prevents bone loss and can bite and chew just like your other teeth. Best of all, no one will know it’s there unless you tell them.
A single tooth implant is a great way to repair a smile. It’s a permanent procedure that will last for years, and it’s attractive, too.
Who Is a Good Candidate for a Single Tooth Implant?
Most adults are candidates for dental implants, but some situations may prevent it from being the best solution. You may have to discuss other options in the following instances:
- You’re a smoker
- You have a chronic illness such as diabetes
- You’re under the age of 18
- Bone loss is too advanced
- You take medication such as blood thinners
- You’re pregnant
In these situations, a dental implant may be a possibility in the future, but not right away. Blood thinners can cause you to lose too much blood during your procedure. Similarly, diabetes or nicotine can interfere with healing. Patients under 18 should not have dental implants because their teeth and gums are still shifting and growing. Additionally, the X-rays needed to plan a single tooth implant may negatively affect pregnancy.
What Happens If I Have Advanced Bone Loss?
Patients with the insufficient bone for attaching a titanium post may still qualify for a dental implant, but they may have to undergo a bone graft first. Bone is usually taken from the patient’s own body or the body of a donor. A bone graft typically involves planting bone “dust” into the socket of the missing tooth where your implant will go. Once the graft has healed and bonded with the bone, it gives a stable foundation for setting the post. The bone needed for a bone graft may also come from animal bone or from a ceramic compound that mimics bone.
Single Tooth Implants at Lovett Dental Corpus Christi
Lovett Dental Corpus Christi is available to meet the needs of your family’s dental health. Always friendly and always professional, we’d love to sit down with you and discuss solutions for the dazzling smile you’ve always dreamed of having. From basic preventive dentistry to more involved procedures such as dental implants, we’ll walk you through your options and help you find the best overall solution.
When you’re ready to restore your smile to its original brightness, call Lovett Dental Corpus Christi at 361-986-1117, or visit us online for a full list of services. From your youngest family member to the oldest, we have the experience and the qualifications to treat all your oral health care issues. Contact us today to schedule an initial consultation to discuss your goals and what you’d like to achieve during your follow-up visits.
