Told a tooth may need to come out? Planning the replacement before the extraction can give you more choices. From Georgetown, book a visit to talk about digital records, timing and whether an implant is worth considering.
A cracked or badly broken tooth can leave you with a decision to make quickly. Thinking about the replacement before removal is often helpful, because the way the tooth comes out and how the socket heals can affect later options. Computer-planned placement uses digital records to look at where an implant might eventually go, in relation to the new crown, the remaining bone, nearby roots and nerves, and how you will keep it clean.
Planning terms tend to arrive in a cluster: cone beam scan, virtual plan, surgical guide. Each refers to something different, and your case might involve only one of them, or another method. It is fair to ask which are proposed, what each will contribute, and who does each part.
For people coming from Georgetown, the first discussion covers the troubled tooth, the gap it would leave and all the reasonable ways to fill it. Suitability for an implant is settled before technique. If extraction, imaging, a referral, surgery and the final crown are all involved, we explain how they connect and in what order.
An implant only makes sense as support for the tooth that replaces the one you are losing. Planning ties together the condition of the site today, how it may heal and the crown you will eventually use.
Infection around the failing tooth, or nearby nerves and sinus, can shape what is possible and when. Your clinician decides which records are justified and explains whether they favour placing an implant later, sooner, or not at all.
A tooth that has been failing for some time may have lost supporting bone. The plan considers the future crown’s shape, its fit beside your other teeth and whether the area can be kept clean.
Extraction, implant surgery and the crown may be done by different people. Ask how records and timing are coordinated so the handover between stages is smooth and you know whom to ask.
Software does not determine on its own whether you are a candidate. Your medical history, the examination, your expectations and your ability to care for the restoration all form part of the decision.
Digital records can help a clinician picture the eventual implant alongside the planned crown and the structures around it, sometimes before the tooth is even removed. When suitable, this planning may lead to a guide for the placement appointment. Whether that is the right path depends on your clinical findings and the treating team.
Good planning does not remove surgical risk or guarantee success. Records must be accurate, the plan must suit your anatomy, and the team will still need to adapt to what they see once the tooth is out.
Patient information: ITI — computer-guided implant surgery
Knowing the size and shape the replacement should have keeps decisions grounded. Ask how that target influences the planned implant angle and the cleaning space around it.
Records can help explain whether an implant might be placed at the time of extraction or after healing, and why grafting or a specialist opinion could come first.
Planning before removal also gives time to compare a bridge, a removable partial or leaving the space. Ask what the technology adds and what it cannot settle.
Every case has its own pace and toolkit. Ask for an outline of assessment, extraction, any preparation, placement, the final restoration and ongoing care, including where each will happen, before committing.
We examine the tooth, review your health and past dental work, and talk about your priorities. The exam shows whether the tooth can be saved, which replacements are realistic and whether other problems need care first.
Photographs, scans or impressions and suitable radiographs may be suggested. Records taken before extraction can show the original tooth position. Ask what each image adds and whether older ones are still useful.
We discuss whether an implant could go in at extraction or later, with the future crown in mind. Benefits, limitations, costs and alternatives are reviewed, along with any graft, guide, referral or temporary tooth.
If you proceed, the treating team confirms each appointment. The final crown is planned around how the site heals, and you are shown how to clean around it and when to come back.
Both extraction and implant surgery come with their own instructions. Follow the clinician who performed each procedure, and know exactly whom to contact if healing does not match what was described.
Guidance may cover rinsing, eating, activity and any medicines prescribed. It depends on what was done, including grafting at extraction, so ask about anything unclear before you go home.
A temporary tooth or removable appliance may fill the space while you heal. Ask how to clean it and when to wear it, and report any rocking, a change in your bite or a crack.
When the final crown is in, ask for a hands-on cleaning lesson and agree on review visits. Raise discomfort, difficulty reaching the area or changes in the gum without waiting for the next check.
Facing an extraction can feel rushed. Ask us to explain how each option relates to your mouth and the tooth you will eventually need.
We welcome visits at our Bronte Street practice to discuss the tooth that is causing trouble, your hopes for the replacement and the assessment needed. We will explain the likely pathway and help you think through questions about timing, responsibilities and aftercare.
If another dentist has already recommended extraction, bring their notes and any X-rays so we can see what has been assessed.
