Broken at the crown line

by Chris J
(Bozeman, MT)

First let me thank you for this well developed web site and the viewing of it. This resource is very well put together, easy to navigate and comprehensive.

I feel that I have a solid grasp of the procedure and what implants are, however I have not seen anything that covers the type of procedure that I am looking for.

I have a broken front tooth that is still in my mouth. This tooth has already been crowned and is broken below the gum line. Is the procedure still the same for this front tooth as any other? Are there any examples of this to observe and study? The gum is still holding the tooth in place and there has been no extraction.

Since this is the case, can I have an implant put in at the same time as the extraction? There is minimal pain and would like to cut down on total dentists visits. Also can a temporary tooth be put in at the same time since this is my very front tooth and needed for speaking, smiling and the like? Leaving an empty socket is not an option for me.

I also have a genetic disease called dentnagenisis imperfectia (please forgive the improper spelling)and have all my teeth crowned and several bridges from broken teeth in my youth. To date the preventive work is holding up well enough, however I fear that someday the rest of my teeth will deteriorate and I will be forced to pull them all and have full dentures installed.

If this is the case, what is to become of my impending single tooth implant? Will the screw be able to be retrofitted to accept a ball style head to mount dentures to?

Thank you for your help it is greatly appreciated.
Chris