Roy originally came to us on referral from his own dentist, Mark Nugent at Hilton Dentistry in Gillingham. He had lost a number of back teeth in both the upper right and left sides and preferred a fixed alternative to a removable denture. As the teeth had been missing for a number of years the bone volume had decreased on each side of the upper jaw – a common finding since the hollow air cavity on each side (the maxillary sinus) actually expands. In a way, one could think of the upper jaw as being a bit like a chocolate Easter Egg – not much chocolate and hollow inside.
We were able to successfully replace Roy’s missing upper teeth on each side with 5 separate implant supported permanently attached porcelain crowns. The first stage was to undertake a simple procedure to replace the missing bone called a sinus lift, using synthetic bone replacement material. This allowed for the regeneration of lost bone giving a firm foundation for the implants, which were placed a few months later. Each stage, as is usual for implant treatment, was easily completed under local anaesthesia as for any routine dental treatment, although additional sedation is available for patients who may be apprehensive.
Roy’s treatment was undertaken in 2009 and the replacement teeth feel as firm and comfortable after 5 years as they did on the day they were fitted. When subsequently Roy lost some further teeth in the upper front area, it was an easy decision for him to confidently opt for further implant treatment with us here at The Implant Experts.