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Single Tooth Implants

Single tooth implants are used when a patient has lost just one tooth ,usually at the front of the mouth.This can be when for example a patient has a tooth knocked out due to trauma-for example after a sports injury.Also heavily filled or crowned teeth can fail beyond repair.
The simplest way to fill the gap in these situations is to provide a partial denture .These are quick and easy to make and usually give an acceptable appearance.However the down side to wearing a partial denture is having a bulky uncomfortable plate in the roof of the mouth which can affect taste and speech.Many patients really don’t manage well with plates so a single tooth implant is the best option to replace the tooth.
Basically if the patient has sufficient bone in the area of the gap then an implant can be placed under the gum to replace the root of the tooth.Then after a healing period of usually around 3 months a tooth can be fitted onto the implant.
Single tooth implants are very well tolerated by patients as they feel just like a natural tooth with no removable plate .Therefore patients can eat and speak normally and can socialise with friends and family without feeling self conscious about wearing a denture and worrying that it will fall out causing embarrassment.
Single tooth implants have a very high success rate and millions of people have had them placed worldwide over the last few decades.
Single tooth implants do not require adjacent teeth to be trimmed down unlike when providing bridges.Therefore these teeth are not weakened and more liable to fracture.
Keeping single tooth implants clean is very easy with the use of floss to clean between teeth and under the gum on a daily basis recommended.
At Riverside both our dentists have been trained in restoring single tooth implants so please don’t hesitate to enquire if you’re interested.