To solve the problem we gave the patient three options:
1. Denture that is removable during meals and at night (similar to something a hockey player would wear);
2. Bridge with cosmetic crown that uses the adjacent teeth as pillars for supporting the replacement tooth
3. Permanent dental implant and cosmetic crown
Dental Implants – What’s Involved
In this case the patient chose a dental implant topped by a cosmetic crown. Here’s how the process worked:
1. Extraction – After the tooth was removed we prepared the site for the implant. We had to allow three to four months for the site to heal before starting the next stage of the implant procedure. During this time the patient wore a temporary “flipper” (think of this as a tooth stuck onto the end of a retainer) to fill the space and keep his smile looking normal.
2. Implant Placement – After placing the implant in the patient’s jawbone we placed a temporary crown over top. This again helped to fill the space left by the missing tooth, and also helped with proper shaping of the gum tissue around the implant. As seen in Example C.