Contemporary dental implantology has given the dental profession a very predictable way to replace teeth. As depicted in this example, a molar with a fractured root was extracted, the socket was grafted with bone, and an implant was placed. The successful completion of this process is the result of a team effort between the periodontist, who will place the implant, and the general dentist, who will fabricate the crown (cap).
Molar With a Root Fracture and Bone Loss
Molar Replaced with an Implant
In the following example, a congenitally missing premolar is replaced with a dental implant. The natural appearance of the final crown is shown in the clinical photograph.
Modern dental implants can be used successfully to replace many missing or hopeless teeth. In this example a patient’s upper right front tooth (Fig. 1) was extracted due to bone loss from a root canal problem (Fig. 2). The socket was grafted to regrow the lost bone, and an implant was placed (Fig. 3). The final crown is shown in Fig. 4. This process, while time – consuming, is not painful, and the patient is never without a temporary replacement for the missing tooth while the implant is healing.
Before Implant Replacement of Upper Front Tooth
Fig. 1
Bone Loss
Fig. 2
X-Ray of Implant Placed
Fig. 3
The New Crown
Fig. 4
