Journal of the American Dental Association, Vol 128, Issue 10, 1383-1390
Copyright © 1997 by American Dental Association
Issues related to single-tooth implants
RM Meffert
Department of Periodontics, University of Texas, Health Science Center at San Antonio 78284, USA.
Many practitioners place single-tooth implants when the teeth adjacent to the edentulous space are intact, free of caries and have had no restorations, and the patient is reluctant to wear a removable appliance for physical or psychological reasons, or both. The main exclusionary factors for a single-tooth dental implant are insufficient bone quantity, poor bone quality and insufficient vertical interarch space to accommodate the prosthodontic components of the implant.