The advent of dental implants has made many procedures more predictable with better cosmetic results. Today's patients is a great example of the power of modern implants. They came to us missing two mandibular incisors and enough open space for one replacement tooth. Unlike the maxillary (upper) teeth, asymmetric midlines are much less noticeable on the lower arch. Using previous dental technologies, replacing this tooth would have required modifying the two adjacent teeth and creating a dental bridge. Preparing mandibular incisors for bridges is problematic, as the teeth are already so small that any reduction in size makes them very fragile. Additionally, bridges are harder to maintain than individual teeth and create food/plaque traps.
For this patient, a single dental implant and crown created a perfect cosmetic solution to their missing incisor. They were fortunate to have enough bone level in that area to support the titanium anchor. Many times the bone around the mandibular incisors is too thin, requiring grafting or negating the possibility of an implant all together. This is why a proper consultation, exam and treatment plan is crucial in preparing for an implant procedure. If you would like to know more about dental implants, how we use them and who might be a good candidate, please give our office a call!