Missing Front and Lateral Incisors in Upper Jaw: Best Quality Treatment?

Edmund asks:

I am missing one front incisor and both lateral front incisors on my upper jaw. I was curious what the best quality treatment for me would be and how long of the dental implant treatment will take to be complete?

Answered by: Dr. Scott Johnson

Des Moines, IA

Hi Edmund,

Your choices include:
1. No treatment
2. A removable prosthesis like a partial denture
3. A bridge or
4. Dental implants.

Of these choices, the dental implant option would support your alveolar bone the best and conserve adjacent tooth structure. If the bone volume and tissue quality is adequate some patients are candidates for implant placement and immediate temporization of their implants on the same day.

More commonly however, dental implants are placed and allowed to heal for about 8 weeks before crowns are placed. In the anterior esthetic zone, most dentist will place temporary crowns on the implants for a while to help sculpt the gum tissue and make sure everything looks just right before making the permanent crowns. If the sites need to be bone grafted first, the treatment plan may be extended by up to 6 months.