Full Mouth Reconstruction using Dental Implant and Zirconia Bridges

In this blog I will try to detail the process of restoring a full upper dental implant case using solid zirconia dental implant bridges. This can be used in cases where patients are missing all of their teeth already, or have some existing teeth needing removal that will be replaced with a full arch zirconia dental implant bridge.

I will describe the reason for treatment which will explain to those in a similar situation the advantages of this approach. Often we can get away with placing the dental implants at the same time of tooth removal. There are instances where the implants need to be delayed and bone grafting performed first if there is not adequate bone to support the dental implants long term.

In this case, the patient was a late 50’s female with an existing bridge supported by teeth. Unfortunately the existing teeth had deep cavities underneath the bridge leading to failure. Redoing the bridge was not a possibility due to the extent of the cavities.

Replacing all your teeth with dental implants is a complex procedure. We perform this procedure start to finish at my dental office in Bowmanville so I control every aspect of the treatment from the design of where the implants need to be placed to the final design of the shape and size of teeth. I am the surgeon and restorative dentist in this case unlike some offices where you will need to be referred to many places to have the work completed. We can accomplish this at our office because of experience with dental implants and these types of cases.

Many places advertise the “all on 4” procedure which uses four dental implants to support a new set of teeth. Imagine a table with four legs, without a doubt it is quite sturdy. If we lose a single leg, we are in trouble. At my office I like to over-engineer dental implant cases in such a way to maximize the strength and longevity of your dental implant prosthesis without compromise.

The treatment plan for a full arch dental implant case is complex. I routinely use full zirconia dental implant bridges to restore a smile. We often will prescribe mild to moderate sedatives such as laughing gas and/or sleeping pills while the remaining teeth are removed and dental implants are placed at the same time. The procedure is often planned ahead of time using a 3D CT scan.

Full arch zirconia bridges often replace the teeth and appearance of gum tissue. We do this so that the typical appearance of a sunken face that occurs when teeth and gums have shrunk is replaced to look more full again.

Prior to your dental implant surgery, impressions(molds) will be taken to fabricate a temporary denture. This will be used for a few months (typically 3 months) while the dental implants heal. This is also a great time to assess the aesthetics, bite and facial profile using the denture as a prototype prior to moving to your final permanent teeth.

In some cases we can connect temporary teeth to the dental implants on the same day. While this can work for ‘some’ cases, I do not advocate for it all cases as it requires a certain degree of implant stability and ideal bone density.

In this case, we placed six dental implants in the upper jaw. These six dental implants will support twelve teeth. We do not compromise on the number of dental implants again because if one dental implant fails or has a future concern we do not want it to jeopardize the entire prothesis.

During the healing period of the dental implants, they undergo a process called integration where new jaw bone grows firmly around the dental implants making them nice and strong and able to support your new teeth. In this case, the entire process was done digitally using the iTero 3D scanner which replaces conventional dental impressions. We then design a prototype of the final dental implant bridge before delivery of the new permanent teeth.

It is a complex process to replace all the teeth with permanent zirconia dental implant bridges but in my opinion it is worth it. It is the best that dentistry has to offer so far in replacing teeth to as close as possible without compromise. It is very important to realize that these bridges are made of the strongest material on the market without compromise on aesthetics. Some clinics use acrylic teeth(which can chip or wear down) or a bulky prosthesis as the final replacement.

This patient can chew anything she wants and should have no concerns for a long time to come. The total treatment time for this case was approximately 8 months in duration from start to finish.

For more information about dental implants and getting your smile on a road to health, contact our team today at 905-697-1118 for your free dental implant consultation.

Sincerely,

Dr. Mark Bishara

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