[Implant] When Retreatment Is Not an Option. A Simple Implant Procedure Without Bone Grafting.

Hello.

I’m Dr. Junhee Jeon, director of Shinchon Jiakimhi.

20240809

A man in his 60s came in.

He said he had been told at another dental clinic that the lower left molar needed to be extracted.

Looking at the X-ray,

it was a tooth that had undergone root canal treatment and had been crowned,

but the decay beneath the crown was so severe

that almost no tooth structure remained.

"The crown portion is too damaged. Even if we attempt retreatment, we won’t be able to rebuild the crown later."

"It would be better to extract it."

It was unfortunate.

If there had been even a little tooth structure left, we could have reinforced the crown portion by placing a resin fiber post.

20240809

It looks fine on the outside.

20240809

Once the crown was removed, the decayed root was visible.

If the root decays, the tooth can no longer function.

20240810

This is the day after a clean extraction.

It is healing well without infection.

20240923

About a month after extraction,

the gums fill in again.

There may be as many approaches as there are dentists in the world,

but I prefer to wait at least one month after extraction before performing implant surgery.

If possible, even two or three months.

Waiting for the body’s natural healing ability to regenerate new gum and new bone,

even if it seems slow and frustrating at first, tends to be more stable in the long run.

That is what I currently think,

though my view may change in the future with new research findings or technological advances.

20241031

The implant was placed.

For now, only the root part is in place.

20241031

The direction and position of the implant are also stable.

20241108

One week after surgery, the stitches were removed.

The gums are still swollen.

When performing surgery, we do not cut away the patient’s gum

but instead move the gum sideways

to arrange it so that healthy, strong gum can surround the implant.

20241210

As expected, one month after surgery,

the gums healed healthily as if nothing had happened.

Bone grafting is relatively easy,

but gum grafting is a rather cumbersome process for both the patient and the operator. The recovery process is also uncomfortable.

Whenever possible, I plan the surgery in a way that allows the patient’s gums to regenerate naturally.

20250210

The implant root is exposed

to prepare for making the crown (the upper part).

20250217

The crown has been completed.

For long-term stability,

I prefer to make the final crown about three months after implant surgery.

20250217

This is the final panoramic image.

• A Warantec implant was used. Since its release, the design has remained almost unchanged, and because of its reliable clinical results, I prefer Warantec.