Is There a Particularly Challenging Surgical Site? The Process of Switching from a Bridge to an Implant at Ogeum Station Dental Clinic

Hello.

Ogeum Station Yonsei Dagam Dental Clinic.

When performing implant treatment,

there are some areas that are relatively easier, while others are more challenging.

Through today’s post,

let’s take a look at one of those

challenging areas.

Looking at the X-ray image above,

on the lower front teeth,

it can be seen that a bridge-type

prosthesis is being worn.

The bone around the tooth roots

serving as abutments has been damaged.

In the actual oral condition observed

at the dental clinic near Ogeum Station,

pus was also coming out from the gums,

and the inflammation had progressed severely,

causing continuous bone loss

and resulting in gingival recession.

A bridge is a method in which healthy teeth

on both sides of the missing area are prepared

and used as abutments,

then a connected prosthesis is

placed over both teeth to restore

the missing area with artificial teeth.

It has the advantage of being able to

restore the missing area quickly

without surgery,

but it also has drawbacks, such as

having to grind down healthy teeth and

the abutments being subjected to excessive load,

which can easily damage them.

In addition,

because of the connected structure,

cleaning is difficult,

so periodontitis can easily occur.

Food tends to get trapped underneath

the connected prosthesis,

and since it is difficult to clean thoroughly

with ordinary brushing alone,

periodontitis often develops.

Because it is a connected structure,

it is not possible to accurately judge

the condition of each individual tooth,

so at Ogeum Station Dental Clinic,

the prosthesis will be removed

and reevaluated.

Even if there does not appear to be

a major problem on the surface,

there is a possibility that severe damage

has actually progressed internally.

Upon inspection, one tooth was

severely loose,

and the other was in relatively good condition.

Therefore, the tooth in good condition

was planned to be covered again

with a single crown.

The loose tooth was in a condition

where preservation was impossible,

so extraction followed by an implant

was the better decision.

Together with the missing area next to it,

a plan was made for a total of two

implant placements.

Preoperative CT Scan With CT imaging, a process is performed

to closely analyze the structure in 3D.

This area is originally one with thin bone,

and due to bone loss from inflammation,

an even more difficult environment

had been created.

The area being examined at the dental clinic

near Ogeum Station is the lower front tooth area,

which is the challenging implant site

mentioned earlier in the introduction.

Because the bone is thin and the area is

aesthetically important,

if the implant is not placed properly,

it is often difficult to achieve a satisfactory

aesthetic result.

In such a visible area,

the key is to create a natural appearance

along with functional restoration.

Based on the bone volume and bone quality

assessed through CT imaging,

the surgery is completed while considering

the planned placement position,

angle, and depth.

After confirming that the initial fixation

was also stable,

the tooth in the area that was in good condition

was also prepared in order to place a crown.

At Ogeum Station Dental Clinic,

this process is called prep,

and it is the work of shaping the tooth

so that the prosthesis can be stably seated.

A 3-month healing period was taken

for osseointegration.

During this period, the placed fixture

and the bone firmly bond together,

achieving stability similar to that of a natural tooth.

Once osseointegration is confirmed

and fixation is secured,

the process moves on to prosthesis fabrication,

Under normal circumstances, four crown-shaped

restorations would be appropriate,

but because the space was limited,

a prosthesis matching the number of implants

rather than a bridge was fabricated

to close the ambiguous space.

A prosthesis that was easier to maintain

and structurally more stable was made,

and the setting was completed.

Unlike the pre-treatment structure,

where force was distributed only to the abutment teeth,

it has now been improved into a stable

and sturdy structure, promoting long-term prognosis.

Even in such a difficult area,

if a careful 3D digital analysis process is

performed through CT,

accuracy and safety can be improved

during the actual surgery,

leading to good results.

Going forward, at Ogeum Station Dental Clinic,

we will continue to accurately understand

each individual’s oral condition,

and through customized care and systematic

treatment planning suited to each case,

we will take a more careful and precise approach

to contribute to better oral health.

Thank you for reading this long post today,

and at Ogeum Station Yonsei Dagam Dental Clinic,

we will visit you again next time

with useful oral health information!

Thank you~

2025.02.17~2025/06/15