A step-by-step approach to replacing 3 or 4 teeth with 2 dental implants

Replacing three teeth with two dental implants is a process that can lead to long–term success. The following blog is a step–by–step approach to achieving this result.

Loose dental bridge

The patient had her upper left bridge removed due to the two teeth that were supporting it becoming compromised. Her dentist suggested replacing the bridge with a denture, but this caused her to feel anxious and stressed. To replace the missing teeth, a denture was provided. However, this did not provide a fully functional or natural tooth replacement, so the patient attended our clinic for a better, more permanent, solution. We decided that a dental implant–supported prosthesis was the ideal option, and in this blog I will explain the stages of her treatment.

Dental implant placement

A surgical procedure was performed to place dental implants in the precise location needed to fit future teeth in the correct position. This procedure was done under local anesthesia and was painless. We decided to place two dental implants further apart than her previous teeth so we could replace even more teeth in the upper left with just two implants, we ended up replacing 4 teeth leaving the patient with no gaps! This approach allowed us to maximize her functional benefit and fully restore her bite and function. Instead of replacing her teeth with like–for–like, doing something slightly differently improved the outcome and gave her even better results than before! The patient had mild swelling around her upper lip that had disappeared after three days.

Gum sculpting and healing

After approximately 10–12 weeks, the gum will have healed completely around the dental implant and you can observe that it has a healthy, pink appearance. The implant is positioned 3-5mm below the gum line. We will then take a digital scan of the implants and the mouth and send it to our lab technicians. Our technical team have a great deal of knowledge and experience in creating lifelike teeth. This data will enable them to create a tooth that is tailor–made for the patient, conforming to the natural characteristics of their mouth and adjacent teeth. The restorations are made using state–of–the–art digital technology and CAD/CAM milling to guarantee a natural–looking tooth replacement.

Implant supported bridge

The final stage of restoration has been completed: a custom–made Zirconia milled ceramic crown has been securely fitted onto the titanium implant, providing the patient with a fully integrated, natural–looking row of teeth. We take great care to ensure that the shape, colour and symmetry of the crown matches the existing teeth in the patient’s mouth, and to preserve the natural contours of the gum line.

Our screw–retained restorations are proven to be the longest lasting and strongest option for our patients, so they can be confident that they will have a natural–looking smile that will last. Screw retained implant crowns provide improved retention compared to traditional cemented crowns, making them less likely to come loose or fall off.

Thank you for reading,

Mohsin Patel BDS MJDF RCS (Eng)