Question
I am going to lose one of my two front teeth. It has a failed root canal and the root is cracked. Also it looks a lot longer than the other. I was told I need an implant, but I am afraid that after I get the implant, the tooth will look longer still. What can I do?
Thanks in advance for your help.
G G
Answer:
Dear G G:
When your two front teeth are a different size it detracts from your smile, so I agree that you should make every effort to correct that.
There are two options that are available to you to help you correct this situation.
The first option, and the one I prefer, is to use orthodontics to extrude the tooth. This stimulates the bone and gums to grow and will make the teeth the same size again. The process is called forced eruption and it is an excellent minimally invasive procedure to improve your situation. At the end of the forced eruption you can replace the tooth with an implant. This also minimizes the amount of grafting that you may need.
The other option is called a block graft and it requires a larger surgery to graft the deficient area before the implant is placed.
Forced eruption is definitely the preferred procedure generally.
Hope this helps, and good luck!!!