Ian Pham, DMD

When you are missing a lateral dentists in the past put in a bridge to replace the missing tooth.  The bridge is either a full crown coverage or bonded at both ends.  If it is cracked and you want to replace it you can have the fake tooth in the middle removed then and implant body put in the location of the congenital missing tooth.  Because the missing tooth have not been there for a long time the bone at that location maybe smaller and not enough to support the implant body so you will be looking at an additional procedure:  bone graft.  After the bone healed then you can have the permanent crown put on top of the implant.  Basically you will have three procedures:  bone graft, implant placement, implant restoration.  Cost vary depended on location.

Ian Pham, DMD

Tualatin, OR USA

If you have no pain or bleeding I think the tooth already had a root canal and it is okay to leave the crown out but you need to keep the area clean as usual.  If you are afraid that the tooth will break due to the history of root canal therapy.  You can temporary cement the crown with tooth paste.  What you need to do is clean the stump of the tooth and the crown well, keep both of them dry. Put small amount of tooth paste in the crown then put on the stump of the tooth.  It will stay there for a while.  Be careful don't chew anything sticky on it or sticky food can pull the crow out then you have to "recement" it with tooth paste again.

Ian Pham, DMD
Tualatin, OR

Seems like you have a chip on one of your front tooth.  If it is small we often just smooth it out.  With your photo I would recommend just a small white filling/ bonding would do.

Ian Pham, DMD
Tualatin, OR

Yes, it is possible to get veneers for only central incisors.  Your chip seems very small at the incisor edge.  The smaller the chip the more difficult to bond and makes it stay specially with the biting and chewing force.  To make it stay we usually making sure the filling is not occluded or contacted with the lower incisors.  Veneers are good alternative.

Ian Pham, DMD

Tualatin, OR

Your veneers are usually custom made from porcelain for you so they fit perfectly on you and only you from shape to shade .  They also bonded by a strong cement.  If you want to change the color of them what can be done is removing them then have new one with better matched shade then re-bond them back on.  The best way to have better matched shade is have your other teeth ready like whitening, fillings, crowns done then see a ceramist who is going to make your veneer to match the shade.


Ian Pham, DMD
Tualatin, OR