Implants

Dental Implants - Before and After Photos

Implant Dentist in New York City

Photos of multiple tooth implants done by Dr. Carlos Valdes

This middle-aged lady came to me as an emergency as one of her front denture teeth fractured from her 15 year old upper removable partial denture. After I allayed her immediate anxieties and fears by repairing her front denture tooth back into position, she returned to the office after discussing her more predictable options. It only took her several days to come back with a decision to have dental implants.

After reviewing her CT scans and discovering that she had predictable bone necessary to have dental implants, we were able to successfully place 9 implants in her upper jaw. Six months after the implants were placed, the teeth were fabricated within 4 visits. The final placement of the teeth connected to the implants was the gratifying moment. This patient, along with many others, had the feeling of having their real teeth back in normal natural function with utmost confidence.

This middle-aged man came with the complaint that his teeth seem to always be decay-prone. Subsequently, staining and replacement of his fillings and crowns was not an unusual repeated dental history for him. When we first met, he was wearing a removable partial denture, which was clasped onto several natural teeth. To his advantage, his natural teeth were positioned across his arch in a manner whereby they were not within areas that were ideal for implants. We elected to place 8 implants in total for the upper arch which would fall between his natural teeth.

We performed no dental extractions of his remaining upper teeth which are severely compromised but strong enough so that they could be used provisionally as abutments or anchors for a temporary full arch cemented bridge. The 3 greatest advantages to this situation are, first, that the healing implants are protected from trauma particularly while eating and brushing. The second advantage is that although this patient is decay-prone, implants are inert materials and cannot break down by decaying and cause cavities. The third important advantage is that the patient is provisionally using teeth that are fixed, stable and cemented, unlike the removable partial denture he first walked in with. This begins his first feeling of a secure prosthesis in more than 15 years.

Once the implants have matured and are ready for function, several visits are taken to create the final step, which is two-fold. First, the removal of his remaining poorly prognosed upper natural teeth. And still within the same visit, deliver his fixed / non-removable upper teeth which use only the implants as abutments / anchors. The acclimation period for the patient, in terms of chewing and speech will be much easier as he has been accustomed to using a fixed bridge for the previous 6 months.