Upper Central Incisor Implant

The Story:

This patient was referred by his dentist for evaluation of his upper front incisor which had undergone some internal resorption and decay and could not be restored.


The plan was to extract the tooth and replace it with a dental implant at a later time. The main challenge was the unaesthetic position of the existing tooth and its uneven gum tissue. We wanted to replace the tooth with an implant but more importantly restore it with an even gum tissue and better balance and aesthetics.

Treatment:

The upper incisor was first extracted by Dr. Kazemi. The extraction site was immediately grafted to preserve and augment the surrounding bone and gum tissue. This is called extraction site preservation bone graft. This also allowed us to regenerate additional gum tissue needed to create a more even gum line. Patient was then given a temporary flipper to use while the site healed for about 6 months.


Next, Dr. Kazemi placed the dental implant. For this, a special guide was used to make sure the implant is precisely positioned. Following a 3-month healing, patient’s restorative dentist, Dr. Gary Kaihara of Washington DC, fabricated a temporary crown. The temporary crown helped to form the gum tissue and create the desired natural gum line. The final crown was made with great ceramic details to resemble the adjacent teeth and create a natural look.

Photo Gallery

The keys to our success:

  • Team approach by an oral surgeon and the restorative dentist, each specialized in dental implants
  • Bone graft to build missing tissue and align the gum tissue
  • Precisely positioned dental implant
  • A great temporary crown to form the proper gum tissue form
  • Great ceramic work and details in the final crown to make it look natural

 

Resorption of upper front tooth

Dental implant by Dr Kazemi