A Case of Successfully Recovered Oral Esthetics and Function by Comprehensive Periodontal Treatment Including Implant Prosthesis

Abstract

If a lost molar due to periodontitis is left with no adequate prosthetic treatment and the lost time of vertical stop is further prolonged, a traumatic occlusion may be induced with a decreased amount of residual periodontal tissue and involved an easy movement of the tooth due to infraocclusion. When the dental condition is further progressed to occlusion collapse with a flare-out covering multiple teeth, a prosthetic treatment for lost teeth may become hardly performed in some cases in addition to the decreased esthetics. In such a case, an attempt of using an osseointegrated implant is often effective not only for restoring the occlusive function but also for reducing the excessive burden to a residual tooth. The patient was a 43-year-old housewife who had first visited our Meikai University hospital with a main complaint of unsuitable partial denture on June 9, 1999. At admission, she had 12 residual teeth with poor plaque control due to the failed treatment for 10 years or more. Her partial denture was considerably worn down with markedly decreased height. The diagnosis of chronic periodontitis with occlusion collapse was then made. While her occlusal function was attempted to recover by implant prosthesis, her oral esthetics was also improved by comprehensive periodontal treatment including periodontal plastic surgery.