The Story:
This patient had a severely decayed upper front incisor that could not be restored. It originally had a crown which was done about 5 years prior to her visit. Extraction of the tooth was the only option. She had a moderate smile level and showed her gums when smiled wide. So she was very concerned about the aesthetics and preserving her natural smile. She had seen her general dentist who had proposed to do the extraction and implant procedure, but through prior experiences, patient knew that this is not a job for a general dentist and she would rather seek care from implant specialists. After an initial evaluation by Dr. Kazemi, she was referred to Dr. Keith Progebin, a prosthodontist in Washington DC.
Treatment:
Following initial diagnostics and examinations, a temporary restoration was made which would serve as the interim prosthesis. This was a very important task as it provides lots of information as to how the final crown may look like. Dr. Kazemi then extracted the tooth and placed an immediate dental implant on the same day. The implant was allowed to heal for about 3 months. At that time, Dr. Progebin fabricated a customized temporary restoration supported on the implant and allowed healing of the surrounding gum tissue for another three months. This allowed to gum tissue to mature adequately so that it can remain stable once the final crown is placed. The final crown was them fabricated. To optimize its aesthetics, both the crown and the underlying abutment (an extension on the implant that supports the crown) were made of 100% ceramic material.
Photo Gallery
The keys to our success:
- Team approach by an oral surgeon and a prosthodontist, each specialized in dental implants
- Detailed cosmetic work up and diagnostics
- An accurate surgical guide made from the work up
- Precisely positioned dental implant
- Temporization for minimum three months
- Masterfully designed and fabricated full ceramic crown with proper dimensions and form