Sunday, August 2, 2009

What in dentistry is it called to replace a missing tooth?

What is the term used in dentistry to replace a missing tooth? I had a root canal done on a tooth, and it was never finished, the tooth was left hollow and it recently just broke off and only a small peice up close to the gum line is broken. It is my left front tooth. It's very unattractive, and I need to get it fixed. Would this procedure be called a crown, a cap or what exactly is involved in cosmetic dentistry to replace a missing tooth? Is it expensive?

What in dentistry is it called to replace a missing tooth?
Now that the tooth is decayed you have several options


1. Crown Lengthening and crown; Since there the body (coronal portion)of the tooth is gone. You can have a procedure done to actually remove bone to expose healthy root structure(usually no more than 2mm). this procedure allows the dentist finish a crown on the health tooth structure. This procedure is destructive to bone but is usually chosen by the patient who is not ready to loose a natural tooth.





2. Bridge; You can have the tooth removed and have a bridge placed. This is an option provided that it is not the last tooth in the arch. so there has to be a tooth in the front and the back, to allow the bridge to be placed.





3. You can have tooth removed and have an implant placed. This is by far the most expensive in the short term but has the potential to cost you less in the long-term since implants don't decay. The only risk is of structural failure and bone infection (low with reasonable care). this is a great option. However prices can skyrocket if you need a bone graft. Since you had the root canal a couple of years ago chances are the bone is still pretty good in your case.





4. You can have the tooth removed and have a "flipper" made. The is a plastic partial denture, made to fill the space. This is an option if funds are limited and you need the gap filled for aesthetic purposes.





5. You can have a removable permanent denture made. This is similar to the flipper, but the design is different. It has metal bars and lots of spaced to allow the tissues to breath thus allowing it to be used long-term without harming the gums.





Prices range from $350 for a flipper, to $3500 for implant and crown.





good luck
Reply:You have some options....a crown is probablythe simplest, cheapest and most common. You can also have a bridge, an implant, or a prosthetic (removable plate).
Reply:It would be called an IMPLANT.. I am assuming that the previous tooth broke off completely.... thus, a crown would not work because it would have NOTHING to attach itself to so an implant wold have to be performed... perhaps SCREWED to the gum bone
Reply:If the root is in good condition and broken above the bone level then we insert a post and build the tooth (core) then do a crown or else extraction with an immediate implant will be the best choice.



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