We are so proud of the smiles we create and the positive changes we make to people’s lives. Every week we are creating beautiful smiles and we will now attempt to post one smile each month. So, here is the smile of the month for September 2016. The smile is not quite finished. There is some healing to take place, and some temporary measures in place to protect new implants, but early in 2017, this smile will be completed. In the meantime, we want to show you how even at this point in time, we have made a dramatic change in this person’s life.
PS: This smile was made possible because of the love of an unsung hero – the patient’s loving brother who wanted to do this for his sister. We were all very touched by this wonderful gift.
September 2016, case of the month – as written by Dr John Wells
This case is a smile makeover for a lovely lady who had lost her smile and her willingness to smile along with it.
The case required a mixture of crowns, bridges and dental implants (2 implants) and some supportive gum health treatment as well as several root canal treatments. The case, as seen here, took approximately 6 weeks to complete.
The bite has been rehabilitated to a normal functioning bite and opened slightly as the face height has collapsed as the original teeth wore down. Both top and bottom teeth have been treated.
A further stage will be completed when the implants have grown strong in the bone (osseo-integration) and the bridges will be converted back to single teeth to fit in with the completed implant teeth. The implant surrounding bone has to mature and harden before the implant crowns can be fitted and used to chew on. This usually takes the body about 4-6 months and this biologic natural process of bone “remodelling” cannot be “short-cutted” time-wise.
The crowns/bridge work is not yet at completion. Note the discoloured area above one of the two front teeth. The implant healing cover is tucked under the gum and underneath the bridge, which has been fitted only temporarily while the implant is integrating in the bone. This colour will be a normal, healthy pink once the final porcelain/zirconia crown is fitted to the dental implant. There is also a bridge showing behind the two front crowns. Once the healing has taken place (several months), the implant will not show, and the temporary bridge that is currently showing will be removed.
Watch this space for the final smile early 2017.
Please note that the lab work for this case was made in Australia by Grant Davis and his highly professional Team at Davis Advanced Dental Prosthetics Laboratory – a cutting edge dental laboratory located right here in Penrith and servicing many of the best dental practices throughout Australia. Our work would not be possible without the superior behind-the-scenes lab work to back us up.
