Graft and Lower Molar Implants

The Story:

Antonio lost his lower back molars at young age. After several years, his other teeth began to shift and gradually making his bite worse. When he first saw his dentist, he expressed that although he can eat most types of foods, he felt it was difficult to eat harder food and had difficulty cleaning the teeth that have shifted. He was informed that with his missing molars, his bite would continue to change and can compromise the health of other teeth later in life. Antonio decided to correct the problem before things got worse and replace the missing teeth with implants. He was informed that he needs to have orthodontic treatment first to correct his bite and then replace the missing teeth and that the overall treatment may take a year and half. Antonio agreed that although a long treatment, it is best decision in long term.

Treatment

Following a comprehensive evaluation by his dentist, he saw an orthodontist, Dr. Gerlein, and myself to complete diagnostic work up to help design an overall treatment plan.  Through orthodontics, adequate space was created in the site of the missing teeth. Teeth loss had resulted in shrinkage of bone so a bone graft procedure was necessary to regain proper amount of bone for implants. I augmented the two sites using various bone regeneration techniques. Six months later, I placed the dental implants. Finally after a two-month healing, Dr. Giannini restored the implants with single crowns.

The keys to achieving this type of result were:

  • Close communication between team dentists, each doing what they do best
  • Development of proper bone and gum tissue architecture with bone grafting.
  • A detailed and carefully followed  plan
  • Placement of implants in proper position using surgical guides.
  • Comprehensive dental treatment to assure all other teeth are healthy and the new bite is balanced and harmonious.

The photos: