2 Possible Dental Replacements For An Extracted Central Incisor

The central incisors are your front-most (most anterior) teeth of both your upper and lower jaw. These pivotal teeth are the first ones used during chewing as the incisors grab onto the food and pass it back to molars for grinding. Losing a central incisor to extraction can be devastating because of the cosmetic obviousness of the loss and the huge blow to your chewing ability.

Dental replacements can help restore your cosmetic confidence and your ability to chew food properly. There are a couple of different options you can discuss with your cosmetic dentist ahead of your extraction.

Dental Implants

If the central incisor is your only missing tooth, the dentist is likely to recommend a dental implant. The implant's porcelain artificial tooth and metal, jawbone-inserted root pair up to offer durability and stability to make for the most natural chewing experience possible. And the implant will also closely resemble a natural tooth for a cosmetic boost.

You will still want to avoid chewing hard foods with the implant side as much as possible to extend the life of the crown and the root. But regular chewing shouldn't pose too much of a risk. The main concern with dental implants is the long treatment process, which involves months of healing time while the jawbone heals the root into place. There are same-day dental implants available for those with healthy jawbones. The root and crown are placed on the same day and the bone is later checked to make sure it is in fact healing the root into place. You can talk with a professional, like Pine Ridge Dental Group, for more information on dental implants. 

Fixed Partial Dentures

Do you have more missing teeth in the area of your central incisor that will be extracted? Dental implants might not be feasible from a professional or financial standpoint if this is the case. But fixed partial dentures can offer a good alternative option.

Partial dentures are artificial teeth on a rigid plate that have a quite similar look to full dentures. The main difference is that the partial plate needs to have holes to accommodate the natural teeth between the missing teeth. The natural teeth are one of the ways the partial plate is held firmly into place during chewing.

Your dentist can also implant the same metal roots used in dental implants to provide even more stability. The plate fits down over one or two of the roots and is left in the mouth day and night rather than being removed like a traditional denture.

The implant roots will still need to heal with the jawbone but you can wear removable partials over the roots while this happens, which means you won't have to bear a tooth gap during a months long treatment process.


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