The Story:
This patient was experiencing recurrent infection with her upper incisor which had been previously treated with a root canal. The tooth was extracted by her general dentist, however it was not grafted and there was no discussions of implant placement at the time. Patient came to us about 6 months after the extraction. The exam showed moderate loss of bony width and thin overall tissue. She was using a flipper, but was very unhappy with it as it did not look good and was quite uncomfortable. She wanted a long term treatment option with dental implant.
Treatment:
Because of missing bone, we first had to augment the site with bone graft. This was important since the functional and aesthetic results is guided by the amount of bone and gum tissue supporting the implant and eventual crown. The site was augmented with a bone graft and allowed to heal for 6 months. Then a single implant was placed and temporized for another three months. During this time, the gum tissue shape and level was developed to match the adjacent teeth. Finally, a full ceramic crown was placed supported with the implant.