“I Can Smile Again!”

I was unfortunately born with all my baby teeth, but without the permanent upper front tooth. All my baby teeth fell out with the exception of the one missing the permanent tooth. I looked weird, to say the least.

I decided in 2005 to get an implant to fix this issue. The procedure was actually quite simple, and virtually, very comfortable. The first session consisted of an evaluation, x-rays, and dental imprints. After the doctor discussed the procedure, I planned for phase one of the surgery. Phase one involves twilight anesthesia, removing the baby tooth, drilling a small hole in the bone where the tooth is missing, and placing a metal "root" into the hole. The gumline where hole is then sutured shut. There is then a six-month waiting period after this because the "root" has to heal inside the bone and the gum has to strengthen around that root. They gave me a temporary "denture" to wear so that I wouldn't have a gap during the wait.

Six months later, an imprint is taken again to begin building the crown that will fill my gap. Once the crown is created, they then uncover the metal "root" (which has now been securely bonded to the bone). A thin metal rod is then screwed into the root. The crown is then filled with temporary cement and carefully placed into the rod, which now acts as the anchor for your new tooth. I was asked to try the tooth out for a week to ensure it feels comfortable. It did, and they then removed the tooth, cleaned it, filled it with permanent cement, placed it back in the rod, and five years later, I couldn't be happier!

I am constantly getting compliments on my smile. Totally worth it.