Technically, your tooth enamel is harder than your bones. This is what gives you the ability to bite, chew and grind tough foods. At the same time, there are circumstances when a hard blow to the face can actually have enough force to crack the tooth enamel and potentially damage the interior structures of a tooth. This is even more likely to happen if you participate in contact sports without the protection of a quality mouthguard.
If the damage is severe, the tooth might be so badly damaged that your dentist’s only viable option is to extract the tooth. Once your gums have healed following the extraction, Dr. Tontra Lowe can help you replace it by installing a dental implant.
A dental implant in Gainesville, Virginia, can usually be inserted into your jaw during a single outpatient appointment where you will need to be fully sedated. Afterward, you will still feel out of sorts, so you will need to have someone drive you home after your appointment.
To insert the implant, an oral surgeon will make a small incision in the gums to gain direct access the underlying bone. They will then make a narrow channel into the bone and will screw a titanium abutment into place. Titanium is known to be biologically safe and will eventually fuse with the natural bone tissues to provide a strong anchor for an eventual dental crown.
When the implant is ready, Dr. Tontra Lowe can go about the standard practice of installing the crown onto the abutment. The material they recommends for the crown will be based on the tooth’s primary function and prevalence in your smile.
If you have a severely cracked or damaged tooth, you should not delay in contacting Awesome Smiles Dental Center at 571-261-2600 to have it treated and repaired.