Temporary Denture for Implants

Mrs. Yang's two front teeth causes a lot of troubles.  The teeth cannot be saved (Fig.1: 8,9).  One of them (#8) has more serious root infection (*).  After extraction, no implant is not placed there immediately (Fig.2,3: 8), but it is placed at the other front tooth (I). 

A temporary denture is necessary for Mrs. Yang during healing period for apparently cosmetic reason ((Fig.4).

The temporary denture has one more hidden cosmetic reason.  Our gum line is shaped like waves (Fig.5 black line).  The gums go down between the neighboring teeth and go up in the middle of a tooth, particularly at #8 area.

The under surface of the denture has a sticking-out part at the site of #8 (arrowhead in Fig.6 and '6).  This sticking-out portion of the denture will keep the right shape of gum line at the site of #8 (as compared to Fig.5) before an implant is placed about 2 months after extraction.  However, the portion of the temporary denture corresponding to the implant at the site of #9 (Fig.6, '6: I) is sinking in (hollow), because when Mrs. Yang chews, no pressure is allowed to be transmitted to the implant.  Pressure can cause movement on the implant.  The movement prevents the implant from healing with the surrounding bone.  As we know, a splint is required to hold broken bone ends together after our arm or leg fractures.

On the safe side, it is the best not to wear the temporary denture when we eat, especially at home.  Hollowing of the denture sometimes cannot prevent the denture from rocking the implant underneath when we have a big dinner with lobster leg.

Xin Wei, DDS, PhD, MS 1st edition 03/16/2012, last revision 09/28/2012