I recently got an implant on one of my front tooth. I had a bone graft done, yet the doctor said it was difficult to get the perfect bone volume and my gums were thin. After having the flap opened 3 times, my gum has receded. I got the implant done, and the crown was made longer near my gums making it look unnaturally long especially when compare to the tooth on the opposite side. Is it possible to get a soft tissue graft over an implant/crown?
March 29, 2016
Answer: Gum graft over implant Hi there. That's a great question and yours is a very common scenario. Unfortunately, there is no way to graft the implant to achieve symmetry with the tooth in the other side. Also, implant removal and bone grafting won't achieve your desired results because the bone cannot be grown in a downward direction in this case. The reason for this has to do with unavailability of blood supply to keep the bone lower. This in turn cannot support gum growth in a lower direction to cover the tooth and give you that symmetry. The he planning could have been done at the time preceding the surgery, but I am sorry to report that at this time there isn't much more that can be done.
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March 29, 2016
Answer: Gum graft over implant Hi there. That's a great question and yours is a very common scenario. Unfortunately, there is no way to graft the implant to achieve symmetry with the tooth in the other side. Also, implant removal and bone grafting won't achieve your desired results because the bone cannot be grown in a downward direction in this case. The reason for this has to do with unavailability of blood supply to keep the bone lower. This in turn cannot support gum growth in a lower direction to cover the tooth and give you that symmetry. The he planning could have been done at the time preceding the surgery, but I am sorry to report that at this time there isn't much more that can be done.
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March 29, 2016
Answer: Gum graft over implant/crown It is possible to do a gum graft over an implant area. However the main goal of this type of procedure is to thicken the gum over the implant, not to cover the long crown. In this case there may be issues that can't be resolved with a gum graft. The implant looks like it was placed deep, likely due to bone volume issues, this may prove to be biologically difficult to remedy. Go back to your doctor to discuss the options, every case is different and without all the detailed information difficult to give you the best advise. Good luck!
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March 29, 2016
Answer: Gum graft over implant/crown It is possible to do a gum graft over an implant area. However the main goal of this type of procedure is to thicken the gum over the implant, not to cover the long crown. In this case there may be issues that can't be resolved with a gum graft. The implant looks like it was placed deep, likely due to bone volume issues, this may prove to be biologically difficult to remedy. Go back to your doctor to discuss the options, every case is different and without all the detailed information difficult to give you the best advise. Good luck!
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