Mark recently had two teeth removed by his regular dentist. You can see the resulting gap in this photograph.
He didn’t want a removable denture and was struggling to eat with the one provided by his NHS dentist. He had a history of gingivitis – gum disease – which caused gum shrinkage and bone loss in some areas.
The answer was dental implants but the big challenge for Dr Brendan Murphy, his cosmetic dentist, was to match the size of the teeth – a problem created by Mark’s uneven gum line.
Mini Dental Implants
Dr Murphy used two mini implants. This was the best option on account of the bone loss from his gum disease. Here is a photograph of the finished work three months later.
Once again Alex Adair, our regular ceramicist at Vitality Dental Laboratory, has made a good job of matching the tooth sizes, using a blend of pink and enamel porcelain.
The keen-eyed viewer will spot the small access ‘hole’ created between the two dental implant crowns to facilitate daily access for cleaning with TePe interdental brushes.
The importance of this was not lost on Mark who is committed to attending Laura, our dental hygienist, twice annually. His own NHS dentist doesn’t offer hygienist services.
“I can’t afford to do this twice,” Mark said. “So I’m determined to maintain my other teeth and the implants as best I can going forward.”
Mark paid £2000 for two implants and £1700 for two implant crowns including pink porcelain and the attentions of Alex Adair.