When doing a surgical implant of your front tooth, the dentist creates an opening in your jawbone. The moment the implant fuses with the jawbone, it acts as “root” for the crown that will substitute your missing front tooth. The cap which resembles a natural tooth is then attached to the surgical implant, filling the gap in your mouth left by a lost tooth. Since the implants are made of titanium, which is bone-friendly, after a while, it fuses with the jawbone forming rigid material that is identical to the root of a tooth.

The front tooth implant procedure is divided into three steps namely:

The Implant: It is made of a titanium material that surgically fuses into the jawbone where a tooth is missing.

The Abutment: Can be made of porcelain or gold, or titanium. The shape is similar to that of a natural tooth to accommodate a crown. A screw attaches it to the implant forming a connecting link between it and the cap.

The Restoration (Crown): The crown made of porcelain fused to a metal alloy. The crown is combined onto the abutment using a screw or by cementing with a paste. If screwed to the abutment, the opening is filled using a tooth-like material which looks natural.

However, the front tooth implant requires enough bone mass in your jaw. Less bone mass may lead to dental implant failure. Fortunately, if your jawbone mass is inadequate, a procedure known as bone augmentation or bone grafting can be done. The process builds bone mass on your jaw to allow the dental implant fixing. It involves adding bone or bone-like material onto your jaw.