I have a bottom front tooth missing. Central incisor is the name of the tooth. My dental hygienist wrote the name of it for me. It’s the one on the right side of my mouth. I am thinking about replacing it, but I haven’t said anything about it to my dentist yet. He is really a new dentist, maybe 3 years out of school and he refers patients out for tooth replacement. Don’t get me wrong. He is a good dentist but when I started going to him I didn’t have any major dental problems. So I am just trying to get a second opinion on what a prosthodontist would do to replace the tooth. I need a baseline before just accepting what someone pretty fresh out of dental school would recommend. An outside opinion on what my options are will help me make a decision. Thanks. Milt
Milton – It’s a good that you are seeking a second opinion from a prosthodontist. The replacement of a lower central incisor requires a very skilled dentist. The space for the tooth is very small, and care must be taken not to damage other teeth while replacing the missing one.
One option is a dental implant. A skilled implant dentist or prosthodontist needs to do the restoration. A small implant fixture will be used. Care must be taken to precisely place the implant to avoid damaging the roots of the adjacent teeth, and to allow the proper amount of space on either side of the implant.
The second option is a dental bridge. To receive a dental bridge, the tooth on either side of the missing one must be shaved down to have crowns placed over them. The replacement tooth will be suspended between the two dental crowns.
Find a dentist with credentials from either the American Board of Implantology or the International Congress of Implantologists. You’ll receive an accurate treatment recommendation and an excellent outcome for the treatment.
This post is sponsored by Naperville American board-certified prosthodontist Dr. Anthony LaVacca.
