FP-1 Case 5 · Implants · Reconstruction
One Jaw, Not Two
She arrived asking for All-on-4 in both jaws. She needed neither.
She came to Dr. Reshad wanting to improve her smile. She wanted a complete smile makeover and thought she might need All-on-4 treatment in both jaws.
She did not want to wear a partial denture any longer, for many reasons. It was uncomfortable, she could not taste her food or eat what she wanted, and the partial was discolored and unattractive, so she did not want to smile for photographs. Food was always getting trapped beneath it, which left her teeth and gums sore.
Before and after
The partial, and what it was covering
The clasps of the partial sat across her remaining upper teeth. With it out, the missing lateral and the short, worn uppers were plain to see.
Retracted, at arrival
Upper and lower
Her old partials
The upper jaw, and part of the lower
After her evaluation, Dr. Reshad advised that she did not need her whole mouth redone. Treating the upper jaw and part of the lower would bring her teeth and smile back to health, and because a full-mouth makeover was not needed, the cost was limited to one jaw. Her investment could go into zirconia or ceramic restorations in the upper jaw.
The plan was a combination of tooth- and implant-supported prostheses, with an increase in her vertical dimension.
Deeper implants for teeth of the right length
What is also noteworthy is that her upper natural teeth were very short, and the plan set out to correct that. By planning the case properly and designing the implant positions to match, the upper implants could be placed a little deeper, so that the new teeth would be the correct length and shape. Her smile is balanced and elegant, and no longer gummy.
Nine months, not twelve
She now has a healthy and beautiful smile and is enjoying her life. The treatment was designed to take a year; it was finished in nine months.
The upper teeth, before and after
Retracted, before and after
The smile
Before and after
Every case is planned around one person's anatomy. Individual results vary, and what was right for this patient may not be right for you.