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Very Short Central Incisors with Dark Shadows at the Gum
Diagnosis
Patient #14 lost his lower incisors to periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is when the gums are inflamed and irritated from plaque build up and over years cause bone loss.
The teeth become loose and must be removed. The options he had for replacement was a fixed bridge attached to two canine teeth or implant supported crowns to replace the teeth.
Treatment
He chose implants. We built him a temporary partial to replace the missing teeth while the implants fused to the bone (2-4 months for the lower and 4-6 months for the upper). Because there was not enough room for four implants, three were placed. We built three crowns to replace the four teeth.
Future Treatment
Implants should be checked every year including x-rays of the supporting bone. They should be cleaned just like teeth using special instruments which prevent scratching the surface.
The implants and crowns have been in for about 8 years now without any complications. We are not sure what the average life expectancy is of the implants. The average life expectancy of the crowns is 12 to 14 years.
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