CASE #1: Single Implant (Surgery + Restoration)
By Dr. Peter Chaban
Today, we present the journey one of my patients went through in getting a new dental implant. This patient has been missing their lower right molar for over 15 years and is tired of always favouring her left side when chewing. Favouring one side for a prolonged period of time can have harmful effects such as TMJ disorders, cracks, muscle spasms, and chronic pain.
Dental implants are artificial tooth roots that are placed into the jawbone to support replacement teeth, providing a sturdy and natural-looking solution for missing teeth. If you are a candidate, it can take on average 4-12 months from start to finish to receive an implant.
To create a tailored treatment plan, we conducted a comprehensive examination, including digital x-rays and 3D imaging (CBCT scan). This allowed us to assess bone density and determine the feasibility of a dental implant. After careful consideration, we recommended a dental implant to replace the missing molar. The implant would not only restore functionality but also preserve bone structure and prevent adjacent teeth from shifting.
A CBCT scan is important to minimize nerve damage and to verify that a certain implant position will be surrounded by healthy bone. If not properly placed, an implant could damage your nerves, in some cases permanently leading to a loss in feeling in your jaw. Personally, I am a big fan of the line “measure twice, cut once”.
As you can see this dental implant was placed with at least 1mm of buccal and lingual bone surrounding it and more than 2mm from the Inferior Alveolar Nerve (IAN). These are critical measurements / boundaries that must not be violated to ensure patient safety and long-term prognosis.
Surgery was performed in a sterile environment under local anaesthetic, lasting approximately 45 minutes. Once the surgery was complete the patient began the ‘healing period', a period in which the implant fuses with the surrounding bone, creating a stable foundation for the prosthetic tooth. Depending on where in your mouth an implant is there period can take anywhere from 2-4 months, sometimes longer. This patient only reported feeling some pain for the first 2 days, all managed with 400mg of ibuprofen (Advil). In this case, the patient returned for a crown in 4 months, done using advanced intra-oral scanning technology (Straumann 3Shape TRIOS Scanner) to achieve incredibly high accuracy for the lab to make a good crown.
Below you can find the results of this case. After 18 months from placement of the crown I’m happy to see the implant is looking good and the patient is happy. You can see the beautiful soft tissue contour surrounding the implant, signalling good bone thickness and health, and the absence of any bone loss evident on the radiograph. This patient is happy to have an aesthetic replacement for a tooth she lost many years ago and to be using both sides of her mouth to chew again.
