Case of the Month – Maria Teresa Santos

Maria Teresa Santos

Age - 55

Country - Portugal

Occupation - Medical Orthopedic

Clinical Case Description

Clinical Case Description – The patient arrived at the clinic with a very advanced degradation of his oral health. The patient had periodontal disease (periodontitis). In addition to periodontal disease, there was a lack of teeth and teeth that had been thoroughly filled. One of the main consequences of molar and premolar tooth loss is the loss of the lower third dimension of the face (vertical dimension) which leads to a more aged face and reduces the space available to replace the missing teeth. One of the patient’s main complaints was that his teeth were shaking and he had difficulty eating and even talking.

The patient sought our help to improve her chewing ability and, at the same time, find an aesthetic solution according to her age and that would provide her with a young and healthy smile, in line with her age and lifestyle. Our friend Maria Teresa Santos wanted to improve the appearance of her smile to look younger and healthier.

PLANNING OF TREATMENT STEPS:

1st Clinical Evaluation and complementary diagnostic tests
2º Implant placement surgery and provisional teeth on the patient’s teeth
3rd Follow-up appointment to assess the healing and postoperative process.
4th Appointment focused on dental molds for the permanent teeth and implants of the lower jaw, to be manufactured with Zirkonzahn ceramics
5th Placing the ceramic teeth on the teeth and implants on the lower jaw
6th Appointment focused on dental molds for the permanent teeth and implants of the upper jaw, to be manufactured with Zirkonzahn ceramics
7th Placing the ceramic teeth on the teeth and implants on the upper jaw
8th Assessment appointment and final photographs

Implementation:

1st A clinical assessment will be conducted with the help of clinical study models, a Panoramic Radiograph and a Computed Tomography, and studio photographs for an aesthetic analysis.
2nd This is the day where the surgery is performed and temporary teeth are placed, allowing the patient to see how the final work will look like. In other words, the change will be massive, the patient will already leave with a new smile on this day, albeit in provisional material.
3rd This appointment is scheduled a few days after the surgery and its purpose is only to control the patient’s bite (occlusion), assessing as well the healing process.
4th The appointment for the lower jaw permanent teeth is scheduled 2 months after step no. 2, this is when the bone and gum healing is completed, thus allowing one to assess the success of the implant healing.
5th Placing the Zirkonzahn ceramics on the lower jaw and the permanent teeth molds of the teeth and implants of the upper jaw.
6th Placing the Zirkonzahn ceramics on the upper jaw and bite adjustments
7th Final photos in a photo studio

Lab:

Lab-wise, our team will deal with the smile design itself to then print it using our state-of-the-art 3D printer, both for temporary teeth (which correspond to a model of the final work) and for the manufacturing process of ceramic dental pieces.

In the final rehabilitation stage (after the healing is completed), our technicians will focus their attention on the Zirkonzahn ceramic teeth, based on the patient’s aesthetics, symmetry, harmony and integration. A quality control will be conducted during this stage, assessing each stage until we reach the smile of your dreams. In this patient’s case, “prettau” ceramics were used, whose translucency and brightness match the natural teeth characteristics, to make the smile as close as possible to its natural counterpart.

Final result

AFTER

BEFORE

Dr. Tiago Ribeiro

Graduated in Dental Medicine in 2007 at the I.S.C.S.E.M. – Monte de Caparica – Portugal

Registered in the O.M.D. – Portugal (the Portuguese correspondent with the British General Dental Council) since August 2007

Private Practice in Oral and Aesthetic Complex Rehabilitation (Implants and Teeth)

Clinical Director of the Center for Aesthetics and Oral Rehabilitation of Lisbon – C.E.R.O. – Almada

Responsible for the Department of Oral Rehabilitation of the Center for Aesthetics and Oral Rehabilitation, Lisbon and Almada

Plastic –Esthetic Periodontal and Implant Surgery – University Complutense Madrid

Orthodontic and dental-facial Orthopedics – International Institute of Medical & Dental Science

Guest monitor of Biophysic in Dentistry Course in ISCS – Egas Moniz in years 2005/2006 and 2006/2007.

Advanced course in Botulinum Toxin (Botox) and Hyaluronic acid injections – Med – Estetic Madrid

Clinical Review in Occlusion Assessment

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