Featured Case 04/20 – AESTHETIC DENTAL IMPLANT

Patient:

John

The problem:

“I am missing front teeth and want to replace with teeth that look natural”

Patient history:

• John is an active and robust 23-year-old gentleman who never developed his maxillary (upper jaw) lateral incisors.
• He has been wearing a removable retainer to replace his missing teeth.
• He is very concerned about his appearance and requested the best long-term solution to replace his missing teeth.

Pertinent information:

Maxillary incisors are among the most frequent developmentally missing teeth. As they are in the most visible location, aesthetics are a major concern for patients. When teeth are missing, the bone shrinks (atrophy), and the adjacent teeth drift into the spaces. Patients have 4 options when missing teeth:

1. do nothing,
2. removable denture,
3. fixed bridge and
4. dental implants.

Dental implants are the ONLY option that is considered permanent AND preserve the bone. Dental implants are typically considered when the patient has finished growing (after age 18).

Treatment:

• Dental Implants and bone grafting (rebuilding) were surgically performed by Dr. Gilbert.
• Teeth bleaching and implant restorations (crowns) were placed by his dentist.

Final result 5 years after treatment:

Commentary:

• As this patient experience illustrates, dental implants appear natural, aesthetic, and remain healthy well after 5 years.
• We believe that if John maintains good dental hygiene and sees his dentist regularly, he can have these implant “teeth” for the rest of his life.
• It is ultimately most important to us at Inland Institute that our patients have both aesthetic and long-term functional success.
• We were so delighted John had such a remarkable experience with natural replacement of his missing front teeth.