Replacement Tooth

A replacement tooth can also be called a permanent crown, prosthesis, or dental implant. It is affixed to the jaw to cosmetically and structurally replace a missing tooth, functioning like the real tooth when the user bites and chews. Replacement teeth are colored to naturally match the surrounding teeth.

Replacement teeth may be needed whenever a tooth is lost, regardless of whether the tooth was taken by disease, injury, or extraction. Replacement teeth are permanent, theoretically lasting the rest of the patient’s life, and should be brushed and flossed like real teeth. They can handle the full force of biting and chewing without dietary restrictions.

A replacement tooth, as opposed to bridges or implant-retained dentures, is usually implicated when the patient needs only one tooth replaced or when multiple teeth are surrounded by others that are still healthy.