Calling all dentists - advice needed on replacing a tooth

[scampadoodle]

Got the shock of my life on saturday night while watching The Killing - my front tooth fell out!!! It's not one of the very middle ones, but one of the ones immediately beside those.

I had a massive filling behind that tooth years ago, and a few years ago a dentist said to me that Something would have to be Done at some point but he was reluctant to fiddle with it then. Anyway, it's happened and the bloody tooth has broken off at the base, leaving the root still in the gum. It doesn't hurt. But I look like a crack addict.

Rang the dentist this morning, I could have private appt tomorrow or nhs appt on Friday. I went for the nhs one as there's no pain & I can wait. What I'd like to know in the meantime is:

1. Can I get the tooth replaced on the nhs? Or should I get all the preparatory x-rays & root extraction done then go private?

2. What are my replacement options if I stay on the nhs? can I get one of those implant thingies rather than a crown?

3. Will it hurt? What can I expect to happen when I go to my first appt on Friday?

TIA

bump

Not a dentist, but all hope not lost for your tooth.

You may be able to have a root filling, plus a post and crown.

I lost a back molar down to the gum line and this is what I had, all fine now.

Impossible to say without seeing the tooth. Depending on how much has broken off, you may be able to have a crown but even post crowns won't stick on very broken down teeth the ferrule effect applies.

Think of the NHS as the Tesco value of dentistry, you will get the most cost effective option for that procedure. If that is a plastic denture, then that's what you will get. Implants will absolutely NOT be available on the NHS for this unfortunately but there are lots of other options in between which will depend on the tooth, surrounding teeth etc etc. Many of them will not be available on the NHS but will not be outrageously expensive (compared to an implant).

Hope you get it sorted!

(A dentist)

Thanks, that's helpful.