Before the dental diagnostic procedure can begin, there are a number of general medical criteria to be investigated. If a risk – such as a metabolic disorder – is identified, it must be minimised or excluded.
The diagnostic procedure itself usually begins with a functional analysis of the patient’s current dental situation, which enables the dentist to identify where previous problems have occurred and how the bite has changed over time. This is particularly important where previous prostheses have caused drastic changes to the patient’s mouth – if a prosthesis has been inadequately retained, for example, which can mean that the bite (known technically as “occlusion”) is no longer optimally aligned and that chewing and eating is made more difficult.
If this misalignment is present for a long time, it can even cause changes to the masticatory muscles (chewing muscles) or joints. Naturally, all these factors must be checked before a new prosthetic solution is adapted to the patient; if necessary, appropriate preliminary treatment must be given.
A patient’s “smile line”
In addition to performing established diagnostic procedures such as digital volume tomography, the dental practitioner must also pay heed to factors including so-called “red aesthetics” – whether the gum has receded, how it lies on the jawbone and more.
A patient’s “smile line” changes over time. If the lips reveal a large amount of gum above the upper teeth when a person is young, the smile will tend to migrate downwards a little with age. In order to ensure that a new implant is tailored optimally to the patient’s mouth, factors such as the smile line must be factored into the dental practitioner’s planning.
White aesthetics, too, play a large role – primarily in the creation of the prosthesis. How long must the tooth be in order for it to look natural? How wide? What shape will look most natural? At this stage, the practitioner must also settle on an attractive yet natural-looking prosthesis colour (see the specialist article by master dental technician Peter Meier). All these factors must be addressed before the patient can receive their new and radiant smile.
Moreover, the red and white aesthetics must be perfectly complementary and perfectly proportioned, with the optimal proportions differing significantly among patients from different age groups.
Deliver the perfect solution
Overall, there are numerous factors that must be considered to ensure an age-appropriate, aesthetically attractive and well-functioning result. These factors include the optimal positioning of the implant, the balance of red-white aesthetics and the careful tailoring of the prosthesis.
At the Dentaprime Dental Clinic, each and every step in the process is carried out by specialists and is attended to with the utmost care and expertise. The patient is involved at every stage of the decision-making process. With a skilled team of dentistry, implant dentistry and dental technology specialists under one roof, we are uniquely equipped to find and deliver the perfect solution.
