A single tooth implant procedure may be done if a tooth has been extracted or is missing. A titanium implant base is placed into the jawbone to resemble the tooth root. We allow a period of time to allow for the jawbone to heal over the implant base before fitting for a crown.
Next, an abutment is screwed into the base of the implant to allow for a crown to be fitted on top. Finally, a custom fabricated crown is placed over the abutment to function like a real tooth.
Single tooth implant can be an alternative to removable dentures that replaces a missing tooth. It is known to be more superior that removable dentures due to its function and the convenience it brings for more natural looking tooth. In the past, single tooth replacement could be one with the use of bridge. This is where the teeth are crowned on either side and he replacement tooth are connected to the crowns. To date, many prefer dental implant for replacing a missing single tooth than the use of bridge.
What makes dental preferable than bridges is that it doesn’t require drilling down the patients’ adjacent natural teeth just to make a crown. As the tooth remain separate, it is easier to floss or clean. Also, the implant is stand alone which makes it far better than dental bridges. It doesn’t also decay unlike bridges. In placing single tooth implant, a laboratory-milled abutment is basically screwed into the posts of the implant which act as the stump that clutches the crown.