Six is Better

Meet Brett. While his initial presentation does not strike us as something super catastrophic, what you can’t appreciate from the photos is that the front 4 teeth on the top arch are a temporary bridge and its barely hanging on with some vaseline and a prayer.

His bone structure was severely lacking due to the patchwork dentistry that was done over the years, so we were really not sure how to find enough bone for all the implants.

In his case, on implant surgery day, we placed 5 on the top and 5 on the bottom and had to do some sinus grafting and socket grafting in the upper left and lower right. We let this heal for 6 months before coming back and placing some more implants.

Seen here is a PAN X-ray showing the sinus graft and pterygoid implant on the upper left, and additional implant on the lower, before final prosthetics had been manufactured.

This got him to 6 on the top and 6 on the bottom, without any cantilever. Due to his age, I thought it was really important to give him a solid foundation for the rest of his life. This did mean longer in temporaries, and a few more small surgeries… but he and I both agreed it would be better in the long run.

Not every case is a 100% slam dunk the first time you work on it – or to be said another way, not every case can be a ‘one and done’. Sometimes we have to do things in stages. Implants are not always predictable – and neither is healing! This case is a fantastic outcome for such a kind patient, who should be able to maintain this stunning smile for years to come!

Shoutout to Synrgy Lab for the beautiful ceramic work! We did a monolithic zirconia hybrid prosthetics on the upper and the lower arches. 6 on the top, 6 on the bottom!

Thanks for trusting us with your smile, bite, function, and confidence! For more information about implants, options for restoring your smile, or the differences between fixed and removable implant solutions, follow us on Instagram @FantaskiSmiles and send a DM with any questions. To schedule a consultation, please call (678) 845-8658.