A fixed titanium bar can solve the problem when you have virtually no remaining bone for regular dental implants.
Donald came to us from his regular NHS dentist in Helensburgh who referred him for dental implant treatment.
He had tired of the bulk on his upper denture, having had all top teeth removed many years ago.
There was insufficient bone to place implants of sufficient size and number initially but following sinus grafts and a long period of graft integration, we were able to place five implants into the upper jaw.
The second stage involved fitting a fixed titanium bar with five small screws into the implants.
This fixture is extremely rigid and allows patients to chew steak, bite apples and enjoy full function without movement of teeth. It also allows excellent hygiene around the implants.
You can see from the photos that four of the implants are placed at the back of the upper jaw, entirely within the new sinus bone.
The final structure is made of high impact acrylic, very cosmetically designed gum, with clip attachments locking it onto the fixed titanium bar.
Donald paid £2200 for sinus grafting, £5000 for 5 implants, £4500 for the fixed titanium bar and final cosmetic denture.
Had there been sufficient bone initially, treatment would have been completed using four dental implants at a total cost of £8500, including prosthesis.