Crack Tooth and Immediate Implant

Mr. Weng has had three implants. One of them is shown as 3/I in Fig.3.

Last August his upper first premolar cracked (Fig.1: #5 white arrowhead) all the way underneath gum line, causing bleeding (black arrowhead).  He could not eat with this tooth.  The loose part (*) was planned be removed to see whether it works or not.

The nerve was exposed (Fig.2 ^) after loose part removal.  The tooth was sensitive.  The whole tooth should be removed.  To save time and surgical trauma, an implant was placed immediately after gentle extraction (Fig.4: I, as compared to Fig.3 before extraction).

Fig. 5 photo was taken one week after placement of implant (arrow).  The sutures had not been dissolved. 

Fig.6 was taken three months after implant placement.  The wound had healed around the implant (arrow); the suture had been gone.

Three and a half months after implant placement, Mr. Weng has a new tooth.  Fig.7 shows the new tooth (crown, C) 3 months after cementation.  The patient has had no problem in chewing with the new tooth for 9 months (Fig.8: 5), although there is light stain between the teeth (<), which he does not care about as long as he can eat.  The implant tooth is doing great 2 years and 2 months after cementation (Fig.9).

Xin Wei, DDS, PhD, MS 1st edition 12/18/2011, last revision 02/25/2014