I had endodontic surgery done last year at USC School of Dentistry. But now the tooth is starting to become tender, the gums are starting to get swollen, and it is obviously not going to last much longer.
My question is… since the endodontic prodecure was supposed to help preserve my tooth for another 10-15 years, and it was done by their students, would they take that into account and when giving me an implant?
Also, is there any pain/bruising/adverse affects associated with implants?
And how long do they last. If one chips or breaks, will they repair it, or I have to go through the whole process again?
And also… I dont have the whitest teeth, so will they give me an off-white implant? And then what happens if I whiten my teeth later in life?
How Much Should A Dental Implant Cost? And A Few More Questions.?
February 14th, 2010
Since I don’t teach at USC School of Dentistry, I can’t say for sure. But I am reasonably certain that the school would give you a better fee to place an implant replacing a recently endodontically treated tooth. However, the dental departments doing root canals and the ones doing the extraction, implant placement, then the implant crown are not the same. Some coordination between them may be needed.
There is some, not usually bad, pain after the removal of the tooth, which can be completely moderated with pain pills. Then in about two months, when the implant is placed, there is about the same or even less soreness than when the tooth was extracted. If the infection is not too bad and there is plenty of good bone in the area, the implant can be placed at the same time as the extraction. Bruising in the gum, lip, chin, or cheek is possible after the extraction and/or the implant placement, but is seldom the case. Often there is mild swelling in the area or face for two or three days.
In most reasonably healthy individuals who clean their teeth normally and visit their dentist a couple of times a year, implants can last 10, 15, 20, or more years. Usually, if a crown chips, it can be replaced without replacing the implant. Implant crowns, like regular crowns on tooth, don’t bleach with whitening gels. So either get a matching yellow implant crown, or better yet, whiten your teeth first. Then get the implant.