Seolleung Station Dental Clinic: Why We Removed and Redid an Anterior Implant in Front of the Oval Building

“Doctor, the head of my front implant came out again.

Why does it keep coming out?

Seolleung Station Dental Clinic”

It seems like it was last fall.

A 70-year-old male patient came to the clinic

and shared his concern with me.

The implant prosthesis placed at the previous clinic

had come loose and shaken repeatedly.

It was attached, then came off again, and even when remade, it did not last long..

When a prosthesis repeatedly comes off, it is more likely not an adhesive problem,

but a problem with the ‘foundation design’ underneath it.

(I may seem like I only do resin work all the time..

but I’m sincere about implants and other prosthetic work too...^^.)

Despite the hot weather,

I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who visits our clinic🙏🏻

We need to identify the cause accurately first.

Seolleung Station Dental Clinic

촬영일 : 241029

After examining the oral cavity, I found that the implant was positioned too far toward the outside (buccal side),

and it did not match the overall gum line,

making only that tooth look as if it were protruding.

촬영일 : 241029

From the side, the protrusion was especially noticeable.

In cases like this, making a new prosthesis

does not solve the problem.

Seolleung Station Dental Clinic

We have to start by reworking the foundation and restoring the gum tissue.

Because prosthetic restorations are ultimately structures

built on the foundation of ‘bone.’

We need to solve the invisible problem first.

Seolleung Station Dental Clinic

After a long consultation with the patient, the treatment plan I established was as follows.

✅ Remove the existing implant in tooth #23 (canine)	Implant: tooth #23 canine + first premolar = 2 sites total<br>Crown: second premolar = 1 site
✅ Reinforce the narrowed bone with bone grafting
✅ Rebuild the collapsed gum shape and thickness with a collagen graft-based gum graft
✅ Restore the prosthesis on stabilized tissue afterward

This was not simply an implant ‘reoperation.’

If I were to compare it to interior renovation,

it was not just a simple remodeling job,

but more like demolishing an existing building and rebuilding the ground from scratchㅎㅎ

During surgery, invisible efforts add up.

Seolleung Station Dental Clinic

The first task was to safely remove the existing implant

while minimizing bone damage.

촬영일 : 241029

After that, bone graft material was carefully placed into the collapsed alveolar bone area,

and the gum tissue was thickened with a collagen-based gum graft.

What is a collagen graft?

Seolleung Station Dental Clinic

Traditional gum grafting was mostly done by

removing tissue from the palate.

Of course, good results can be expected,

but recovery takes a long time, and the burden of pain and

bleeding is not small eitherㅠㅠ

Unlike that, a collagen graft

uses biocompatible collagen tissue

to encourage natural gum regeneration^^

In simple terms, you can think of it as a support structure

that acts like a ‘base’ so the gums can grow back on their own.

✅ Secures gum thickness and volume

✅ Less burden and reduced pain

✅ Stable results and long-term maintenance

✅ Good for front teeth where esthetics are important

After completing the graft using a collagen graft,

the gum line was designed to flow naturally.

Gum grafting is a surgery with a fairly high degree of difficulty.

Seolleung Station Dental Clinic

If the grafted gum does not properly integrate and falls off,

or settles into an unnatural shape,

that can happen.

If the graft amount is too small, the patient may not notice much difference

from before the surgery,

or if it is over-grafted, only that area may look thick and unnatural,

leading to various side effects.

So we carefully checked the patient’s gum line

and the amount to be grafted before performing the surgery.

At last, the prosthesis found its proper place.

Seolleung Station Dental Clinic

We monitored the progress over time.

The bone graft area healed stably,

and the gums also settled in a plump and natural way.

촬영일 : 250621

Once the newly made prosthesis was placed on top,

the overall impression changed noticeably.

✔️ The tooth no longer looked protruded

✔️ The gum line flowed smoothly

✔️ It was firmly and stably fixed

The patient compared the before-and-after photos and said,

“Doctor, it looks like a different person. It’s so beautiful.”

and smiled^^

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The patient was satisfied,

and the wife who came with him also said,

“Now you can smile confidently when taking pictures.”

and was pleased.

It reminded me once again that treatment is not just about placing a single tooth,

but also about restoring a person’s confidence and expression.

An implant is ultimately ‘architecture on bone.’

Seolleung Station Dental Clinic

When a front implant becomes loose,

many people ask, “Is it a problem with the prosthesis? Can’t it just be reattached?”

but the real cause is often hidden underneath.

For an implant or tooth to be healthy,

the foundation— the gums and bone—must be healthy first.

Seolleung Station Dental Clinic

Only by approaching the case step by step with this standard

can we complete a prosthesis that can be used comfortably for years,

or even decades, to come.

When an implant comes off, should you simply reattach it,

or should you look at the foundation again?

That difference determines the next 10 or 20 years.

“Once the gums collapse,

a tooth can never stand alone.”

Seolleung Station Dental Clinic

What I pursue is to look at the fundamental cause that is invisible,

before what is visible.

This was Director Sohyun-su. Thank you.

There may be side effects (swelling, pain, etc.) and complications

associated with surgical procedures.

Treatment period: 241029 - 250621