Replacing a Single Tooth with an Implant
One implant replaces one tooth without touching the teeth beside it. For many patients the failing tooth is removed and the implant placed at the same visit; the crown is made by your own dentist once the implant has healed.
“My recent dental implant by Dr Verrett was so much easier than I anticipated. His extensive experience is demonstrated by his calm and confident professionalism. His work is excellent and I was well taken care of by his staff.”
“I had a great experience with Dr Verrett and all his staff. My extraction and post placement were all performed on the same day with virtually no discomfort. The follow up appointments were easy and Dr. Verrett and all the staff were both friendly and professional.”
Why One Implant Is Usually Better than a Bridge for One Tooth
A three-unit bridge replaces one tooth by grinding down the two neighbors to hold it. Those neighbors then carry the load of three teeth, and the bone under the missing tooth continues to shrink. A systematic review by Pjetursson and colleagues found about 89 percent of conventional tooth-supported bridges still in place at ten years, with decay and loss of pulp vitality in the supporting teeth the most frequent complications. A review by Jung and colleagues of single crowns on implants reported implant survival of 97.2 percent at five years and 95.2 percent at ten. An implant leaves the neighbors alone, keeps the bone, and can be flossed like a tooth. A bridge is still the right choice in some cases, for example when the neighbors already need crowns, and we’ll tell you if that’s you. Implants versus bridges.
What Happens
- Consult and cone-beam CT (a 3D X-ray). We measure bone height and width and the distance to the sinus or nerve, and check the neighboring teeth. You get a written plan.
- Extraction, if the tooth is still there. Done carefully to preserve the socket walls. If placement can’t happen the same day, the socket is grafted. A systematic review by Tan and colleagues found that a socket left to heal on its own loses roughly 29 to 63 percent of ridge width and 11 to 22 percent of ridge height in the first six months, which is what the graft is there to limit.
- Placement. About an hour, under local anesthetic with sedation if you choose. The position is planned on the scan, and a surgical guide is used where the case calls for one.
- Temporary. If you want one, you leave with it.
- Healing. Three to four months. One check visit with us.
- Crown. Your dentist makes it. We confirm the implant is ready and send the records.
Recovery
Most patients work the next day and are fully back to normal within a week. Two or three days of soreness, managed with ibuprofen and acetaminophen; soft food for the first week and no chewing on the site. Sutures dissolve or are removed at your two-week visit. Full written instructions go home with you.
A Case from This Office
Cost and Insurance
The cost depends on whether extraction and grafting are needed, the type of temporary, and sedation. You get a written estimate at the consult. We are an out-of-network provider, but we file your dental insurance claims on your behalf so you can receive reimbursement directly from your insurance company, and we offer monthly payment plans. Cost and insurance.
Already Have a Quote?
If another office has already proposed an implant, a bridge, or an extraction, bring the plan and the X-rays. A second opinion here is an exam and a written plan you can compare line by line, and if the first plan is a good one, we will say so.
The consult is a conversation and a scan; nothing is treated that day. Request a consult in North Austin, or call (512) 346-6097.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the implant go in the same day the tooth comes out?
Often, yes. When the socket has enough intact bone and no active infection, immediate placement saves a surgery and months of healing. When it doesn't, we remove the tooth, graft the socket, and place the implant about three months later. The 3D scan at your consult tells us which applies.
Will I have a gap while it heals?
Not if you don't want one. For a front tooth we can usually provide a temporary the same day, either a removable flipper, a bonded temporary, or in selected cases a temporary crown on the implant itself. For back teeth many patients choose to leave the space during healing.
How long from placement to a finished tooth?
Usually three to four months for an implant placed into healed bone, and four to six months when a graft is involved. Your dentist typically needs two or three visits to make the final crown.
Front tooth versus back tooth: what's different?
A front tooth is judged by how it looks, so the gum contour matters as much as the implant, and we often add a small soft-tissue graft to make the result look like a natural tooth. A back tooth is judged by strength, so bone volume and bite forces drive the plan.
Who makes the crown?
Your general dentist. We place the implant, confirm it has integrated, and send your dentist the implant details and a digital scan. Some patients come to us without a dentist; we can suggest one.