One afternoon, a 72 year old diabetic lady visited us with her son. She could no longer continue with her existing dentures and wanted to enjoy her meals without having the fear of the dentures falling out every time she chewed. One look at her X-rays confirmed that she had a very thin lower jaw bone and therefore lacked support for the lower denture to rest on. Her lower jaw was so thin that there was a risk that it would break if there was any force applied. This was the turning point that made her accept the treatment. It was this will power that enabled her to get her blood sugar under control and ready for the procedure.
3 implants were placed with utmost care in her lower jaw. After a healing period of 4 months, new upper and lower dentures were fabricated.
On the day of delivering the dentures she went out for a memorable meal with her family!
Dental implants are a great fixed option to restore missing teeth and once they integrate with the bone and if the bite is planned properly, they are designed to stay for a very long time!
I would also like to add that it in this case it was the patient and only the patient who was determined to receive treatment. She understood the value in what was planned for her. I have seen elderly patients whose family members want the treatment more than the patient desires it! Here, I cannot stress any more that if the patient does not feel the need for the treatment, then it is best left untreated. Both the patient and the doctor need to board the same bus in order to reach a common destination!
Case #17: The case of the chipped permanent incisor tooth in a child
I received a frantic call from the father of a 9-year-old boy who while playing with a friend tripped and fell face down and chipped his permanent upper central incisor