Is a dental implant for me? Please help.?

Question

I had a bottom tooth pulled out about 6-8 months ago.The tooth was loose and the dentist said it was because it was losing bone, and he had to pull it out. The tooth was somewhat in the back, but you can see clearly that i'm missing it when I smile or laugh. I've heard dental implants work with the bone, so I don't know if I can actually receive one, also keep in mind that my tooth had been pulled out some time ago. I have another option of a bridge. But I heard that a root canal needs to be performed on both the tooth in front and in back of the missing tooth... both of those teeth are in perfect condition with no work done on them whatsoever, i don't want to mess them up. And then there's the option of a denture, but my uncle (who's a dentist) said that there's a visible metal clasps that grips on to the tooth in front of it. Whatever happened to the dentures that you glue on? Or do those not work for one tooth? Are theer any other option? Please help. I feel so insecure about this!

Answer 1

Sorry Jesse, but you are not correct on this one.


I am the implant coordinator in my office, meaning I deal with everything that has to do with dental implants.

Dental implants are not painful. I have never had a patient come back complaining that it hurt nor have they said it hurt during the procedure. Implants are placed into the bone. Basically a "hole" is drilled into the bone, and the implant is screwed in much like a wood screw. The amount of bone in the area is an issue, but that is something that would have to be examined by the dentist who would place the implant. When a tooth is extracted, if the bone is not stimulated from the inside, the bone can begin to "shrink". Without an x-ray I couldn't tell you if you would be a candidate for an implant, but I have seen many patients have a tooth removed and then years later have an implant placed, so I doubt the fact that it was only 6-8 months ago would matter much in your case. However, I don't know how much bone you had already lost.

A bridge in my opinion, is not usually the right choice for replacing one tooth, unless the 2 anchor teeth need to be crowned anyways. And no, they don't usually have to do a rootcanal on the anchor teeth, unless they have an abcess or deep decay. And rootcanal are more painful than an implant. There are not any nerves inside the jaw bone, just on top of it, so it doesn't hurt more to drill into the bone. Most bridges need to be replaced every 10-20 years, according to the ADA, and an implant can last 30 or more years. In my office the cost of an implant and crown, and a 3 unit bridge are the same, so in most cases there is no reason to cut down 2 other teeth to replace the one.

Your uncle is right about the partial denture, and it having clasps. Also research has shown that usually the next teeth to go, are the teeth that a partial attaches to, so I would skip that option.

Cant say I know what the glue on denture you are talking about is. Unless you are referring to a spider partial, but those don't glue in and I don't think most dentists will make those anymore.

I think the implant is your best option.

Answer 2

Implants are the standard of care in dentistry now. It is worth it. I know it seems like a lot of money, but when you consider the longevity of an implant vs a bridge there is no comparison. An implant is a lifetime investment where as a bridge lasts only 10-15 years. If you have significant bone loss, you might not be a candidate for an implant. Bridge would be the next best option. I don't know about the endo therapy if you do not have a problem with them. If you have really short teeth, maybe you would need prophylactic endo therapy for post placement. I would ask your dentists reasoning behind the root canals. Dentures are not usually used for one tooth. I don't see why you couldn't have one. They tend to be bulky with a metal framework and pink acrylic. They do have clasps that snap on the adjacent teeth and sometimes they are visible. They are not a favorite choice, but they will bring you back to form and function. I hope this helps.

Answer 3

dental implants hurt like a m***** ***ker, while a root canale only hurts for a day or two. i'd go with the bridge, drilling it to jaw bone is so painful, and could even hurt for weeks/months after and its expensive..