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When the bacteria in your mouth exploit healthy tooth enamel and form tooth decay, it can quickly spread. This is even more likely to happen if you have an inconsistent daily oral hygiene routine or you procrastinate seeking treatment. In some cases, the tooth decay can be so severe that the tooth fractures or is otherwise lost.

Once this occurs, Dr. Patrick L. Huston, DDS, MSD’s only viable course of action is to extract the root and any lingering remnants from the socket. Once the gums have healed, he can help you replace the lost tooth with a dental implant.

The process starts by assessing your remaining jaw structure via a series of X-rays or a CT scan. In many cases when a tooth is lost to severe decay, it compromises the surrounding bone structure. In a situation like this, your dentist might recommend having a bone graft installed to ensure the implant restoration is successful.

Once any structural considerations have been addressed, the titanium implant can be installed during a single outpatient appointment. You will need to be deeply sedated for your comfort. This means you will need to arrange to have someone drive you home after your appointment.

To install the implant, an oral surgeon will make a small incision in the gums to gain direct access to the underlying bone. They will then make a narrow channel into the bone and screw a titanium abutment into place. Titanium is known to be biologically safe and will eventually fuse with natural bone tissues to provide a strong anchor for an eventual crown.

Once the titanium has fused to the surrounding bone tissues, Dr. Patrick L. Huston, DDS, MSD can go about the standard practice of installing the crown onto the abutment. With proper care and cleaning, it will serve you just like a natural tooth for many years to come.

If you have a missing tooth, you should call OC Advanced Periodontics at 714-795-3117 to schedule an appointment regarding a dental implant in Tustin, California.