Implant Reconstruction

There are two major types of implant reconstruction cases.

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The first is a totally edentulous case. In this case the patient presents without any teeth. The patient either has plenty of bone or we have to grow bone in order for the implants to be successful. If there is enough bone then the implants are placed in the upper and lower arch and allowed to heal for three months. If bone grafting is required, then we bone graft first and wait for four months for the bone to grow and then place the implants in the grafted bone. Once the implants have healed for at least 3 months, the implants are then uncovered and the transmucosal abutments are placed. These are titanium fixtures that screw into the top of the implant and hold the crowns of the teeth. When the patient is happy with the way that their temporary teeth look we duplicate the temporaries in porcelain fused to gold restorations.

The second situation is what we call a hybrid dental presentation. In this case the patient presents with some teeth missing in select areas of both arches. If the teeth that remain are healthy enough to accept dental restorations then we do what ever is necessary to permanently restore the teeth and include them in the final restoration. Reconstructing a hybrid situation is more involved due to the fact that we are combining implants with natural dentition. It is extremely important that the engineering and physiologic load distribution is throughly evaluated and planed properly so that the dynamics of function and aesthetics work together. Once all the teeth are secured and the implants have healed, a unique prosthesis is design that is a one of a kind restoration for each individual patient. Success is determined only when all teeth and implants have been in function for six months and the patient is satisfied with both the function and the appearance of the final restoration.



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