***If you cant see the pictures in your reader, click the link to see this case series***
Here is a great example of a front tooth dental implant with gum shaping.
Follow along:
My patient from Burbank, California had a "dead" yellow tooth in the front. It started to twist and move also.
The x-ray shows a condition where the root is dissolving! A bridge would have been a bad option since the neighboring teeth which are perfect, would have to be irreversibly ground down to nubs.
The tooth was extracted, and on the SAME day an immediate dental implant was placed. This is a picture taken at the time of surgery. ***NOTE there is almost no bleeding!***
This is the temporary tooth I made for her on the same day the tooth was extracted. She will wear this for 3 months and is not allowed to chew with it until the bone heals completely.
This how the gum looks after the gums have been cosmetically shaped properly. What made her situation very difficult is she has VERY thin gums and they have a high "scallop." Her tooth must be done exactly right to avoid a black triangle or a long tooth!
Here is the final tooth. Close to perfect. The gum is well filled in and the color is great. She wanted the tooth to be straight, but did not want braces to correct the other teeth. She was very happy with the result!
Here is the x-ray! Great bone levels! She should have this tooth for a long time!
I have 2 missing lower front teeth removed two years ago. An adjoining tooth is loose but the root is not deep enough for a root canal. My dentist recommended 3 implants as my first option and a bridge as my second option. Should I be concerned about bone loss affecting an implant in this area?
Bone loss is always a concern. If you do not have enough bone and enough gum the implants are destined to fail prematurely.
I have 2 dead front teeth, up. There is inflammation in one after a root canal done 4 years ago. My dentist recommended to do a second root canal treatment. When i asked about implants he said that he does not recommend it for front teeth cause it is a difficult area and the estetic will suffer. It will not be possible to match them with the other teeth. I would rather do implants. What is your recommendation considering the fact that i have information?Thanks, Tatyana
If your natural tooth is savable and predictable then KEEP it!!
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great article doc, i wish that we can overcome the fear from immediate implants it will give the patient a really wide range of options
dr ahmed galal