Dental Implant Temporaries

Temporary Dental Implants Explained:

When considering a dental implant (or implants), it is important to consider the options for temporization as well, i.e. having a temporary tooth (or teeth) in place.

After an implant or implants are placed in the jaws, they will usually need to heal for a few months prior to becoming functional. During this time, and depending on the circumstances, having a temporary crown, bridge, or other type of prosthesis in place can provide many advantages such as better soft tissue (gum) healing and contouring, improved cosmetics, better speech, and sometimes even function or chewing.

Call us today in our Kernersville office at Kernersville Office Phone Number 336-992-2123 or our Bermuda Run/Advance office at Bermuda Run/Advance Office Phone Number 336-998-3300 with questions or to request an appointment.

Essix Temporary

One option for temporization (having a temporary tooth or teeth) is an Essix appliance. This is a clear plastic “Invisalign” or bleaching style tray with a temporary tooth inside that can be fabricated for cosmetic purposes to replace a single tooth or multiple teeth. This is made in a lab and the patient wears it while in public for a few months while an implant is healing. An Essix appliance is a nice option because they are relatively easy to make, they are inexpensive, they can temporarily replace one or more teeth, and they do not place any pressure on the surgical sites where bone grafting or implant placement occurred.

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Temporary Crown or Bridge

A second option for temporization is a temporary crown or bridge. These can provide excellent esthetics and feel almost like the final crown or bridge. Often times these are made by a lab and are retained with a small screw that secures it to the implant while it is healing. If a patient chooses this option, the crown or bridge is often left out of contact, or with very light contact, with the opposing tooth or teeth to ensure that the supporting implant or implants heal properly. Temporary crowns and bridges also can help with the gums healing around a surgical site and improve the final appearance of the soft tissue contours. They can often be made in one to two days and facilitate the patient’s return to work or school without anyone ever noticing that a surgery was done.

Jaw surgery case study
1 week following extraction and implant placement tooth #9 with an immediate temporary crown. Both pics were taken 1 week following surgery. Temporary crowns on anterior implants help maintain good gingival contours.
Failing root canal and crown on rigth lateral incisor
Failing root canal and crown on rigth lateral incisor

Temporary Denture

A third option for temporization is a full denture for persons who may have all of their natural teeth removed. A full denture can be worn for function and esthetics while any implants placed in the jaws are healing. The denture can later be “retrofitted” to attach to the implants and gain significant retention and support from them.

Temporary Hybrid Denture/Implant

A final option for temporization in a patient that is missing all of their natural teeth, and who has elected to have multiple implants placed for a “fixed” or hybrid prosthesis is a fixed temporary prosthesis. This is a highly esthetic and functional temporary that resembles a large bridge, and is screwed into the dental implants while they heal inside the jaw bones. This option usually requires advanced planning by your surgeon and restoring doctor and will ultimately depend on the number of implants placed and their early strength inside the jaw bone. Using these types of temporaries, patients are able to have “teeth in a day” that are very cosmetic and functional from the beginning with no downtime. These types of temporaries are nice as well because they are fixed in the mouth and do not move around.

Please feel free to discuss any of these options with Drs. Biggerstaff or Parker at your implant consultation.

Call us today in our Kernersville office at Kernersville Office Phone Number 336-992-2123 or our Bermuda Run/Advance office at Bermuda Run/Advance Office Phone Number 336-998-3300 with questions or to request an appointment.