Will a front tooth dental implant look okay? I am worried that it will be noticeable or the metal will show through an old dental crown. How would I look with a front tooth dental implant? Is there a better alternative? Thanks, Trevor.

 

Trevor,

Thank you for contacting Dr. Pumphrey’s office about a dental implant for a front tooth.

How Will a Front-Tooth Dental Implant Look?

A front-tooth dental implant will look completely natural if you choose an experienced periodontist and restoring dentist to complete your treatment. Your dental implant team will carefully plan for implant placement to ensure you get highly aesthetic, natural-looking results.

You can expect an attentive team to do the following:

• Ensure you are a candidate for dental implants – Before developing a treatment plan, your dental team will review your medical and dental histories. Also, a 3-D CT scan will help determine if a dental implant is an option for replacing your front tooth.
• Determine whether you need bone grafting – If you have been missing a tooth for an extended period, you may have significant jawbone shrinkage in the area. If you lack enough quality bone to support a dental implant, your periodontist will recommend bone grafting first. After the graft heals, you can get a dental implant.
• Ensure your gums enhance the implant crown – Healthy gum tissue can frame a dental implant crown, helping it look like a natural tooth. Your periodontist will ensure that your gums are healthy and have a natural contour that will not show any portion of the dental implant.
• Provide a highly aesthetic dental implant crown – When you select a trained cosmetic dentist to restore your dental implant with a crown, you will get natural results. The implant crown will match the shade and characteristics of your surrounding teeth.

Before you get a final crown, your restoring dentist will attach a temporary crown to the implant. As your dental implant and jawbone fuse, you will know the natural-looking results you can expect with your final height. If, for any reason, your crown is uncomfortable or you are dissatisfied, an attentive cosmetic dentist will replace it.

We recommend scheduling a consultation for a dental implant to discuss your options for replacing your front tooth.

Dr. David Pumphrey, an Atlanta periodontist, sponsors this post.