The commonest clinical situation to manage with implants is that of a missing single tooth. The greatest advantage of an implant is that it is stand-alone, avoiding the need to crown the adjacent teeth in the case of bridgework or having to fit a bulky removable denture. The placement of an implant is also helpful in preventing further bone loss following the loss of the original tooth.
An implant can also be placed immediately following the extraction of a failing tooth thus minimising treatment time.
The following real Appletree case illustrates the use of, in this case, two 'single tooth' implants.
This UK award winning case highlights the management of missing upper incisors. A period of orthodontic treatment had been required to improve the positions of the other teeth.
Treatment planning involved dental implant replacement of the missing teeth.
Post-operative photograph with final implant crowns in position. A period of time with trial teeth preceded this so that the optimum emergence profile for the teeth through the gum could be established. Calculation of the optimal colour match is also made in this way to ensure the best possible aesthetic results are achieved.
A close-up view of the final result shows that the crowns are indistinguishable from the neighbouring natural teeth. Such is the attention to detail that the ceramist created individualised opacities within the porcelain that mirrors the natural central incisors. The gum position is also very natural.
Final x-ray picture of the right lateral incisor implant showing a stable result.