Alafaya Center for Cosmetic and Family Dentistry

Single Tooth Implant

If you are missing a single tooth, one implant and a crown can replace it.

A dental implant replaces both the lost natural tooth and its root.

What are the advantages of a single-tooth implant over a bridge?

A dental implant provides several advantages over other tooth replacement options. In addition to looking and functioning like a natural tooth, a dental implant replaces a single tooth without sacrificing the health of neighboring teeth.  The other common treatment for the loss of a single tooth, a tooth-supported fixed bridge, requires that adjacent teeth be ground down to support the cemented bridge.  Because a dental implant will replace your tooth root, the bone is better preserved. With a bridge, some of the bone that previously surrounded the tooth begins to deteriorate. Dental implants integrate with your jawbone, helping to keep the bone healthy and intact.

In the long term, a single implant can be more esthetic and easier to keep clean than a bridge. Gums can recede around a bridge, leaving a visible defect when the metal base or collar of the bridge becomes exposed.  Resorbed or shrunken bone beneath the bridge can lead to an unattractive smile. And, the cement holding the bridge in place can wash out, allowing bacteria to decay the teeth that anchor the bridge.

How will the implant be placed?

First, the implant, which looks like a screw or cylinder, is placed into your jaw. Over the next two to six months, the implant and the bone are allowed to bond together to form an anchor for your artificial tooth. During this time, Dr. Michaelson will design a temporary tooth replacement that can be worn over the implant site.

After the healing has taken place, Dr. Michaelson will uncover the implant and attach an extension. This small metal post, called an abutment, completes the foundation on which your new tooth will be placed.  Your gums will be allowed to heal for a couple of weeks following this procedure.

Finally, Dr. Michaelson will have his laboratory create a crown for you that will attach to the abutment. You will experience restored confidence in your smile and your ability to chew and speak.  Dental implants are so natural-looking and feeling, you may forget you ever lost a tooth.

Single tooth in the esthetic zone

When restoring a missing tooth in the esthetic zone special considerations are made to enhance the final result.

The procedure is the same as it would be for a back tooth but the materials used in the front are different.  Dr. Michaelson prefers using a tooth colored abutment (post) and an all porcelain crown.

These materials allow us to provide you with a durable restoration that blends in seamlessly with your dentition.

This is one of Dr. Michaelson’s actual patients restored with an implant crown on a front tooth.

Click here to see results of dental implants.