Implant Restoration

Just as a natural tooth can experience damage or wear and tear from time and use, something similar can happen to the tooth replacement component of a dental implant.

If your crown or other replacement piece has a problem, our dentist can restore it at Creekside Family Dental.

What Is an Implant Restoration?

A dental implant is a treatment method used to create a permanent replacement for a missing tooth. An implant restoration usually focuses on fixing or replacing the tooth replacement piece attached to the implant, if needed.

As you likely know if you’ve received a dental implant, the implant is the titanium screw that was inserted into your gum and affixed to your jawbone to act as a replacement to a tooth root. In rare cases, this screw part may need to be replaced if the jawbone did not correctly fuse to the implant. However, dental implants generally have a high rate of success, which means the implant part usually gets to stay where it is and doesn’t require replacement or restoration.

Instead, an implant restoration generally refers to the crown, bridge or denture piece that was attached to the implant as a tooth replacement. These pieces replace a natural tooth crown, and like the natural one, can in time experience damage or become worn. When this happens, we see if we can restore the piece. If not, we may need to replace it.

How Does the Restoration Work?

Our dentist, Dr. Will Leffler, assesses your situation and comes up with a personalized plan to restore your mouth’s full appearance and function. The restoration depends on the type of tooth replacement and the damage.

The most common problem is a crown that has become worn down over time just as a natural tooth can. While wear and tear may seem fine, it affects your bite, tooth function and appearance. You may experience pain and other symptoms from the problem.

We also see patients with crowns that have become damaged, loose or fallen out, or with damage to the implant-supported bridge or denture that is in place. Another possibility is damage to the abutment that is used to attach the tooth replacement to the implant.

In any scenario like these, Dr. Leffler begins by checking if he can repair the crown or other tooth replacement piece. For example, he may be able to fix a small crack or chip. If there is too much damage or wear, he may need to entirely replace the piece with a new one, which would provide full functionality for a long time to come.

Is Surgery Necessary for an Implant Restoration?

The original implant requires surgery and a healing process to put it in place, but implant restoration is different. In the rare event that the implant itself needs to be replaced, then surgery would be necessary.

However, in most cases, we leave the implant alone and only focus on the tooth replacement piece, such as the crown or bridge. This type of restoration does not require surgery. Instead, we can repair the piece where it sits or remove it from the implant and replace it while leaving the implant in place.

Set Up a Consultation

The best way to know more about an implant restoration is to have a consultation with our dentist. He can take a look at your particular situation and give you more information about whether your implant-supported tooth replacement needs to be repaired or replaced. He can also inform you about the process involved.

Contact our Gahanna, OH office at to schedule a consultation appointment today.