Having a tooth knocked out often causes severe trauma to the tooth as well as the gums and socket that once held it in place. This usually results in the total loss of the tooth, and your dentists, Drs. McKinley and McKinley-Holloway, will need to extract any remnants before suturing the gums.
Later, they might recommend using a dental bridge to replace the knocked-out tooth. This is essentially two crowns fused together with a false tooth in the middle. It is mounted on a pair of abutments that are formed by the two closest neighboring teeth.
Your dentists routinely need two separate appointments to completely install a new bridge. During the first appointment, your dentists will examine the two neighboring teeth to make sure they are completely healthy.
They will then use a drill to remove the tooth enamel from each tooth. This creates a pair of abutments that will later anchor your bridge.
A detailed impression will be made of the area, which will be sent to our dental lab. This will serve as a guide for the technician when custom making your final bridge. Once this is done, hard, plastic, temporary crowns will be secured over each abutment to protect them.
We will call you to schedule your second appointment when the dental lab technician has completed your new bridge. The temporary crowns will be removed and your bridge will be cemented into place.
If you’ve had a tooth knocked out, you should call our office at [phone] to have it treated.
