Dental Implants: Single Tooth Replacement - The first bicuspid was vertically fractured and was lost. A root form implant was placed supporting a single crown. This allows for this tooth to be replaced without involving the adjacent teeth. After the implant is placed and adequate healing time occurs, the crown is completed by your restorative dentist. The process takes about six months.
Dental Implants and Papilla Reconstruction - Due to severe periodontal disease, the gum tissue between the front teeth was destroyed. With a combination of crown lengthening, gum grafting, and dental implants, a vast improvement both functionally and cosmetically was obtained. The two front teeth were removed and replaced with dental implant supported crowns.
Dental Implants - Dental Implants come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The most common are cylindrical implants also called “root form” implants. These are titanium cylinders that are placed in the jaw and function just like roots of your own teeth. A crown, which is the part of the tooth you see, is attached to the implant by an abutment. The implant, abutment, and crown all function to replace the lost tooth. Implants can also be used to support bridges or bars that support dentures. In this case, illustrated below the patient was congenitally missing the lateral incisor. The arrow points two the implanted supported crown.
Multiple Tooth Replacement - When multiple teeth are missing, dental implants can be utilized to support a bridge. A bridge is a tooth replacement device that is not removable by the patient but under certain conditions can be removed by the Dentist for maintenance. In this photo two implants support a bridge replacing the three back teeth.
Dental Implants - Dental Implants come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The most common are cylindrical implants also called root form implants. These are titanium cylinders that are placed in the jaw and function just like roots of your own teeth. A crown, which is the part of the tooth that you see, is attached to the implant by and abutment. The implant, abutment, and crown all function to replace the lost tooth. Implants can also be used to support bridges or bars that support dentures. In the case illustrated below, the patient lost the central incisor due to trauma. The implant supported crown is the right front tooth as you are viewing it.
Single Implant Restored With Single Crown - As is demonstrated in the “before” photo this young female was missing her left small front tooth. In the “after” photo the arrow points to the single implant supported crown. Please also notice that the biting edges of the front teeth have been reshaped to further improve the quality of the smile. The x-ray shows the implant before it was restored with a tissue healing collar in place. During this phase of treatment this individual had a removable healing partial denture (commonly referred to as a flipper) to function as a temporary tooth replacement device. In certain cases, an immediate temporary crown can be placed on the implant to avoid the use of a flipper.
Two Splinted Implant Supported Crowns - In the top photograph, the arrows point to two crowns that are supported by two dental implants. The x-ray shows the implants with healing collars in place. An immediate sinus lift bone graft was utilized on the larger implant. The term “immediate” means the bone graft was completed at the same time that the implant was placed. This technique reduces both the number of surgeries and time that are necessary for implant management. The staining you see on the photograph is on this person’s natural tooth.
Two Implants Placed at Two Different Times - The x-ray shows two implants. The implant on the lower left (purple arrow) is a single implant restored with a single crown. Although this type of x-ray does not demonstrate this, the implant crown functions against the last molar on the upper right molar. The implant on the upper left (yellow arrows) was placed approximately 1 year later due to loss of the upper left molar. It will be restored with a single crown. An immediate sinus lift bone graft was completed at the same time the implant on the upper left was placed. Immediate sinus lift bone grafting allows for bone graft and implant placement at the same surgical appointment thus completing all necessary surgical management in one appointment.
Tooth Extraction With Immediate Implant Placement and Temporary Crown - The “before” photo shows a crown that has been temporarily bonded in place. This tooth was hit with a hand tool which fractured tooth. The tooth could not be saved. Treatment consisted of extraction of the broken tooth, immediate placement of a dental implant, immediate placement of a temporary crown, and placement of a final crown. The “after” photo shows the permanent implant supported crown in place. The x-ray shows the implant with a immediate temporary crown in place. The major advantage of the immediate implant placement and temporary crown is that this patient never had to use a temporary removable tooth.
Screw Retained Hybrid Fixed Bridge - The upper photo shows a lower screw retained fixed tooth replacement device. The term “fixed” means the tooth replacement device is not removed for cleansing. In this example, 10 teeth are replaced utilizing only six implants which are not visible underneath. This technique presents a very good cost/benefit ratio for fixed tooth replacement because an implant is not necessary for each tooth that is replaced. You can see the implants on the x-ray below the photograph. This x-ray was taken prior to the placement of the fixed bridge. The implants on top were restored with conventional crowns.
Implant Supported Bar Overdenture - Lower full dentures are commonly a problem due to poor retention that is available from the supporting tissues. The denture usually is loose and moves during chewing causing discomfort and interfering with good chewing ability. Gum tissue, especially the lower, simply is not designed to support a denture. An implant supported bar provides retention for the denture to prevent movement. Further, the implants transmit a good portion of the bite load into the jaw similar to teeth. A precision attachment system is used to attach the denture to the bar. The denture is removable for cleaning by the patient. The bar stays in the mouth and is brushed and flossed each day like teeth.
Maxillary (Upper) Implant Supported Bar Overdenture - An implant supported bar provides sufficient retention to allow for fabrication of a maxillary denture with out palatal coverage. This allows for improved ability to perceive taste and temperature. Additionally in the individual with a strong gag reflex, this can create a very livable solution, in an otherwise difficult situation. The implants transmit a good portion of the bite load into the jaw similar to roots of teeth. A precision attachment system is used to attach the denture to the bar. The denture is removable for cleaning by the individual. The bar stays in the mouth and is brushed and flossed each day like teeth.
