Video: What is the Process of a Tooth Replacement?

The process of a tooth replacement always starts with a proper clinical evaluation. At Concierge Dental Group, we try to offer complimentary consultations for most of the treatments that we have. So, if you’re interested in exploring details of your specific situation, give us a call and we can try to figure out exactly what’s going on with you.  

It’s a broad question, but let’s talk about one of the three categories I’ll discuss here.  

Tooth replacement can happen in two general categories. One is something that’s fixed in place and the other is something that is removable. So even if it’s a single tooth, we can have a fixed in-place option. Meaning the way that is described by most patients is- is it permanent? What we say in dentistry is- is it fixed in place? Can it be removed by the patient? That’s the real factor there.  

So, not removed by the patient or removed by the patient on a daily basis. So, that would be dentures and partials.  

Why don’t we take that off the table for just a minute and let’s go to the fixed in-place options. Well, if we have teeth surrounding that space, then we have an option for a bridge. 

A dental bridge is traditional. You may have heard of this already. This is where a dentists will numb up the area surrounding that space. They’ll grind around the tooth, reduce it enough for a couple of caps to fit on those adjacent teeth and connect a synthetic tooth to it. So, when you smile, it looks like there’s a tooth there, but really there’s still nothing there. 

The option that everyone’s really excited about lately is dental implants. Dental implants, mini dental implants-  there’s so many different types of dental implants now. Conventionals, different shades, or sizes and shapes, long, thin, and wide. So, the dental implant, strategy is the one that I think most people are wondering about. So, what is involved with that? 

Well, if you have a lot of different tools in your toolbox, like I said, if you have a lot of different types and styles of implants, then what you can do is you can pick an implant and place it right away in most of these sites. The process then becomes numbing up to the mouth and then placing the implant right away and oftentimes putting a temporary tooth on the same day. 

I like to go with temporary teeth most of the time, because even after a simple procedure like that, the gums and the bone can change a little bit. And when that happens, the final product should be able to adapt to those surrounding areas, especially if we’re going to remove a tooth at the same time and put something in. But, that can be done, too.  

So, there’s a lot of different options for tooth replacement and you can imagine the processes associated with those are variable. The idea of taking a space in the mouth, placing a dental implant and even being able to put a temporary tooth on there in the same day is commonplace now in our practices. 

Iff you’re interested or thinking that you’d like to hear more about your specific situation, we’ll take a 3D X-ray in most cases of your entire mouth and figure out exactly what type size of implant is required. We can also give you the costs that same day.