"I Can't Tell Which is the Implant Tooth?"
In fact, Ms. Ma lost the tooth #4 for several years (Fig.2). Finally she had an implant placed (Fig.3 I). Since the implant is sturdy, an abutment (A) was installed immediately so that she got a new tooth (temporary crown) when she left the dental office. The recovery after surgery was smooth.
Four months later, bone (Fig.4 *) heals well around the implant. A permanent crown (Fig.5 C) was made and cemented. Fig.5 arrowheads indicate normally healed incisions.
In all, implant placement is a common, safe procedure. With new implant
tooth or teeth, we can chew better and do not feel anything abnormal.
Xin Wei, DDS, PhD, MS 1st edition 07/13/2014, last revision 01/19/2018