CASE STUDY | Restore Missing Tooth

Patient: Erin, 22 Years

Problem: Congenitally Missing Front Tooth Since Childhood

Solution: Implant and Porcelain Crown

We’d like to introduce you to Erin…

Problem:

Erin is a 22 year old female who came to us with a congenitally missing upper front tooth. Like many teenagers, Erin wore braces; however, she also had to wear a retainer with a fake tooth. When we met Erin, she was very sad, because her smile made her so unhappy. As you can imagine, a missing tooth can really impact a teen’s self confidence.

Solution:

With the advent of dental implant technology, implants can replace missing teeth without the issues associated with traditional dental procedures, like partials and fixed dentures.

After careful examination, dental X-rays, dental photography, study models, and case planning we were ready to meet with Erin to discuss our treatment recommendations to restore missing tooth with a single dental implant.

Process:

After Erin was 22 years old, it was decided that in order to replace Erin’s tooth, an implant would be placed in this area. Once the abutment was placed, an all-porcelain crown was completed after obtaining a custom color shade of her adjacent teeth. These close-up photographs (above) show Erin’s before and after pictures. This single photo shows her after picture. All demonstrate beautiful color of the teeth and harmony with the surrounding gum tissue.

Outcome:

Needless to say, Erin loves her new smile and is a very happy person with her new smile!

Close-up pictures of actual dentistry are important when evaluating your selection for a dentist because it allows patients to look at actual teeth and treatment before and after under magnification. This allows them to assess and judge if the dental treatment being provided meets with their expectations.

Tooth Replacement Options for Congenitally Missing Teeth

Traditionally, dentistry treatment for a congenitally missing tooth was to wear a partial denture, which is removeable (and yucky at any age) or a fixed bridge. What are these treatments to restore missing tooth? Let’s discuss:

• Partial Denture: usually consists of replacement teeth attached to a pink or gum-colored plastic base, which is sometimes connected by metal framework that holds the denture in place in the mouth. Partial dentures are used when one or more natural teeth remain in the upper or lower jaw.
• Fixed Bridge: replaces one or more teeth by placing crowns on the teeth on either side of the space and attaching artificial teeth to them. This “bridge” is then cemented into place.

Neither are very good long-term options to restore missing tooth. Here’s why:

Partials:

• • can be lost
  • look fake
  • show metal

Fixed Bridges:

• • cause unnecessary destruction of otherwise healthy teeth
  • need to be replaced every 20 years
  • can look unnaturally large
  • have color issues, and can lead to failure of more teeth in the future

Congenitally Missing Teeth

Typically, at a certain age, a child’s baby teeth fall out and adult teeth come in. But in some cases, certain teeth simply don’t grow in or appear, and are not just trapped in the gum. This is called having congenitally missing teeth (CMT), or hypodontia.

The most commonly missing tooth is the lateral incisor, effecting approximately 2% of the population. Even though this is low number, it creates big problems if you are the person that is in that percentage; especially if you are a teenager or young adult.

At a certain age, braces are often used to either realign the teeth to close the gap OR create the right amount of space in your mouth to replace the missing tooth.

Luckily, today’s dental and medical advancements provide options for you or your child to replace missing teeth.

Effects of Congenitally Missing Teeth

Congenitally missing teeth can cause people to feel self-conscious about their appearance, especially when it occurs at the front of the mouth displaying gaps between the teeth. The most commonly absent tooth is the lateral incisor, this affects approximately 2% of the population.

There are obvious cosmetic effects of CMT that you or your child may feel self-conscious about; however, beyond that, missing teeth can potentially lead to other dental problems, according to the American Dental Association. Including:

• large spaces between your teeth can affect how you speak or eat
• a missing molar can affect how you chew
• teeth may also shift due to the absence of a tooth
• bone loss can occur around a missing tooth

Not to worry — with today’s dental advancements, there are options available to replace missing teeth, including the above options: partials and fixed dentures. Of course, all of these seem to be terrible choices for a young woman in her teens and early twenties.

However, there’s another treatment option: dental implants.

Dental Implants: consist of a titanium implant (fixture) that is inserted into your jawbone, and a crown is attached to the top of the implant abutment.

Remember, what’s best for you or your child all depends on your dentist’s assessment, your age or your child’s age, and the best options available.

Smiles Matter

The smiles we create change people. Yes, we make our patients’ smiles more esthetically pleasing. That is a true benefit. But when our patients walk out of our office and back into their lives, the real change happens. In many cases, their lives are transformed. Many experience a self-confidence that they have not previously experienced. New and enhanced self-esteem can make an enormous difference in a person’s life.

Studies show that new and restored smiles make people feel younger and more confident. Moreover, they demonstrate an increased ability to communicate, have greater sex appeal, and possess an improved talent for developing positive personal and professional relationships.

What do the experts say?

Nathaniel Branden, PhD, defined self-esteem In 1969 as “the experience of being competent to cope with the basic challenges of life and being worthy of happiness.”

American psychologist Abraham Maslow describes two kinds of esteem needs:

• the need for respect from others
• the need for self-respect

Without the fulfillment of these needs, an individual can feel discouraged, weak, and inferior. While a pleasant smile alone will not fulfill this criteria, it does help in how other people perceive us and how we feel about ourselves.

As dentists, we know about a smile’s positive benefits on facial muscles. But science aside, when we smile, we attract smiles from others and our spirits are lifted. When we feel good about ourselves, we are more positive about people around us. We feel more equal with others instead of feeling inadequate and thinking we don’t quite measure up. Ultimately, when we take more control of our lives, we have more confidence, make better decisions, believe our actions count, and feel valued for who we are and what we do.

Smiles matter!

Here are a few of the other Smile Spotlights we’ve created with our patients:

• Carmen’s Story
• Becky’s Story
• Carla’s Story
• Brittney’s Story
• Paula’s Story
• Ann’s Story
• Shelly’s Story
• Amy’s Story
• David’s Story 
• Charlene’s Story
• Jim’s Story

We have many more stories to share … just ask us!!

More About Porcelain Crowns

Knowing that you need a dental crown can seem like unfortunate news, but, thankfully, porcelain crowns can restore your oral health and provide numerous advantages. Essentially, a dental crown restores a tooth that has been damaged, and the treatment has been very effective.

Related Article: What are the 5 Steps to Getting a Dental Crown Procedure?

When to Know if You Need Dental Crowns

Dental crowns are one way you can help to restore your teeth. A crown is a cap that is used as a replacement piece for your broken or misshapen tooth. Dental crowns can also be used when a tooth is discolored.

Dental crowns are often used after a root canal or large filling or to help reshape a broken tooth. A dental crown aims to rebuild the tooth so that it has the proper appearance and function. When a crown is used, and the procedure is done well, you can hardly tell the difference.

Whether or not you need a dental crown depends on the function and state of your teeth. If you have quite a few broken teeth, require a root canal procedure, or are having a large filling done, a dental crown will likely be an option to help restore those teeth.

How Porcelain Crowns Can Help

Porcelain crowns are long-term, durable options for a wide range of dental problems, usually lasting between 5-15 plus years and can improve the strength and appearance of teeth. Teeth that contain cracks, have a broken-down root, or has had a root canal performed may need a dental crown to reinforce the tooth and strengthen the surrounding area of the mouth. Along with strengthening and restoring, porcelain dental crowns have multiple advantages, such as:

• Change the appearance of a tooth by altering its shape and color: Crowns can improve the look of your smile – helping the appearance of any misshapen, broken teeth, or dental implants and can help you get the smile you’ve been dreaming of.
• Protecting a tooth from being damaged further: Broken or misshapen teeth can impact your bite and the overall health of your mouth. Crowns eliminate further damage by fixing the problem before more damage can occur.
• Uses safe porcelain material that is FDA approved and non-harmful for patients: Porcelain crowns are known to be the most comfortable options for a patient’s mouth and are free of any harmful or toxic materials.
• Durable and stain resistant: Porcelain crowns are known to last for many years and are extremely stain resistant, helping your smile stay protected and spotless for a long time.

Along with plentiful advantages, the risks of porcelain crowns are also very low.

Choosing tooth replacement with dental implants to restore missing tooth will be one of the best decisions you ever make for your smile! In fact, dental implants are the next best thing to your natural teeth, and provide a healthy, natural-looking smile by filling in any gaps. You can experience the stunning results from dental implants right here at Thomas L. Anderson and Associates. We’re committed to the highest-level of restorations and we use the best dental technology available to give you a healthy and beautiful smile that you’ll love.

Dental Implants in a Nutshell

If you’re unfamiliar with dental implants, they’re basically replacement tooth roots made from titanium. After the decay and infection of any teeth are cleaned out, a dental implant is placed in the jaw so your natural bone can fuse with the new, artificial implant to fully restore missing tooth.

This makes a durable and sturdy foundation for a crown, denture, or bridge to be placed on top of the implant for long-lasting results. Each restoration will be custom-made to fit your mouth and specific smile goals. The tooth/teeth will be color-matched to your surrounding teeth and even the texture will closely resemble your real teeth! This means you get natural looking and feeling results, every time, making dental implants a real advantage in restorative options.

More information: Restore Missing Tooth with Dental Implants.

Are You a Candidate?

You may be wondering if you’re a candidate for dental implants. If you’re missing one or more teeth, tired of dealing with dentures, partials, and bridges, then dental implants may be a wonderful option for you! Let’s take a deeper look at what we’ll look for when considering if dental implants are the best option for you.

• Candidates need to have healthy gum tissue
• Sufficient bone density in the jaw is required to support your implant
• If you’ve suffered from bone loss, you may not be excluded from dental implants – bone grafting may be a great option here
• Tobacco use or chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, may interfere with your healing process

We will carefully assess your individual needs to determine what restorative treatment plan is best for you and discuss every possible outcome and option with you as well.

What does WebMD have to say about Dental Implants? Learn More HERE.

3 Phases when getting a Dental Implant:

• First, Dr. Anderson surgically places the implant into the jawbone. He may recommend a diet of cold foods and warm soup and soft foods during the healing process.
• Second, the bone around the implant heals. What makes an implant so strong is that the bone actually grows around it and holds it in place and can take some time. Some patients can have the implants and replacement teeth placed all in one visit. While other patients might need to wait until the implant is completely integrated, up to several months, before replacement teeth can be attached to the implant.
• Finally, it’s time for the placement of the artificial tooth/teeth.
  • For a single tooth implant, Dr. Anderson will customize a new tooth for you, called a dental crown. The crown will be based on size, shape, color and fit, and will be designed to blend in with your other teeth.
  • If you want to restore missing tooth or multiple teeth, custom-made bridges or dentures will be made to fit your mouth and your implants.
  • Note: The replacement teeth usually take some time to make. In the meantime, your dentist may give you a temporary crown, bridge or denture to help you eat and speak normally until the permanent replacement is ready.

Learn More about the Dental Implant Procedure.

Why Dental Implants Are So Popular?

Aesthetically, they look just like a healthy tooth; but they also keep the jaw bone stable. If you leave a missing tooth and don’t replace it, over time the jaw bone will disappear. Of course, this can lead to functional problems. Not to mention an aesthetic problem with your face. Because the jaw bone is what supports your cheeks, so the loss of it can lead to small changes, such as deepening expression lines in the face, or ultimately having the look of a collapsed jaw, all causing you to take on a more aged appearance!

Dental implants allow you to be able to chew your food without issue, including fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts. They are easier to care for too; dental implants can be cared for the same way as natural teeth, with a toothbrush and floss.

We’ve talked about a lot, but we haven’t mentioned the greatest, most life changing reason for tooth replacement with dental implants…

Implants are a permanent solution to restore missing tooth AND your self confidence!

How wonderful is this? Ask any patient that had conventional dentures and decided to have dental implants placed for better support and they will tell you it was the best decision they’ve ever made!!

More About Porcelain Crowns

Knowing that you need a dental crown can seem like unfortunate news, but, thankfully, porcelain crowns can restore your oral health and provide numerous advantages. Essentially, a dental crown restores a tooth that has been damaged, and the treatment has been very effective.

Related Article: What are the 5 Steps to Getting a Dental Crown Procedure?

Dental crowns are used in many ways to help restore your teeth, including:

• used to complete a dental implant to restore missing tooth
• used as a replacement piece for your broken or misshapen tooth
• used when a tooth is discolored
• after a root canal or large filling or to help reshape a broken tooth

A dental crown aims to rebuild the tooth so that it has the proper appearance and function. When a crown is used, and the procedure is done well, you can hardly tell the difference. Whether or not you need a dental crown depends on the function and state of your teeth. If you have quite a few broken teeth, require a root canal procedure, or are having a large filling done, a dental crown will likely be an option to help restore those teeth.

Porcelain Crowns Are Used for Form and Function

Porcelain crowns are long-term, durable options for a wide range of dental problems, usually lasting between 5-15 plus years and can improve the strength and appearance of teeth. Teeth that contain cracks, have a broken-down root, or has had a root canal performed may need a dental crown to reinforce the tooth and strengthen the surrounding area of the mouth. Along with strengthening and restoring, porcelain dental crowns have multiple advantages, such as:

• Change the appearance of a tooth by altering its shape and color: Crowns can improve the look of your smile – helping the appearance of any misshapen, broken teeth, or dental implants and can help you get the smile you’ve been dreaming of.
• Protecting a tooth from being damaged further: Broken or misshapen teeth can impact your bite and the overall health of your mouth. Crowns eliminate further damage by fixing the problem before more damage can occur.
• Uses safe porcelain material that is FDA approved and non-harmful for patients: Porcelain crowns are known to be the most comfortable options for a patient’s mouth and are free of any harmful or toxic materials.
• Durable and stain resistant: Porcelain crowns are known to last for many years and are extremely stain resistant, helping your smile stay protected and spotless for a long time.

Along with plentiful advantages, the risks of porcelain crowns are also very low.

Move forward with the best option for tooth replacement!

Your smile matters. If you are interested in tooth replacement with dental implants, it’s a good idea to discuss it carefully with Dr. Anderson first. If you are in good general health this treatment may be an option for you. In fact, your health is more of a factor than your age. You may be medically evaluated by a physician before any implant surgery is scheduled. As we’ve discussed, chronic illnesses, such as diabetes or leukemia, may interfere with healing after surgery. Patients with these issues may not be good candidates for implants. Remember, using tobacco can also slow healing.

At the offices of Thomas L. Anderson and Associates, we like to use the treatment with the highest rate of success and studies show that a dental implant is just that. However, care must be taken to ensure that the area the implant is to be placed is in an area in good health. There are a lot of considerations and Dr. Anderson and his expert team of dental professionals can help you make the best decision on this life-changing treatment to restore your smile. To schedule a consultation, please contact us today.

Contact us today to schedule your dental appointment and meet with our skilled dentists at one of our three conveniently located dental office locations within the Kansas City area, including Lee’s Summit / Independence, the Country Club Plaza and Downtown Kansas City. The gentle dentists and expert team at Thomas L. Anderson and Associates look forward to working with you to treat your dental emergency, achieve proper oral health and a beautiful smile that will last a lifetime. If you have any questions about your dental insurance benefits, please do not hesitate to contact us.  We are happy to review your policy! Please give us a call today to schedule an appointment and become part of our dental family.