When faced with a cracked or infected tooth that requires removal, you may feel overwhelmed by the pain, time and expense. Although a few appointments will be necessary, each appointment is about half an hour and you can return to your normal activities after leaving the office. When your procedures are done by an experienced specialist, only a few codes are billed. Many additional and costly adjunctive procedures (and codes) are not necessary.
Dental implants are the most cost effective way to replace teeth. The first appointment will be to extract the tooth and resolve any infection. This is done under local anesthesia. Once numb there should be no pain during the procedure. The second appointment is usually 3-6 months later when the implant is placed. This is also done under local anesthesia and you can return to work or any other normal activity planned that day. The final step in tooth replacement is having the crown placed on the implant. This final step is usually about 3 months after the implant placement and frequently done without any anesthesia. Once the crown is installed, you can bite and chew absolutely any food you like.