Prosthetically Driven Computer-Guided 1-Piece Zirconia Implant Placement and Restoration Replacing Missing Central Incisor: A Case Report
Currently, the gold standard material of choice for dental implants is the commercially available pure titanium and titanium alloys. However, this material may have suboptimal anterior esthetic outcome due to the dark grayish burnout. To enhance the esthetic outcomes, zirconium dioxide materials, with reported long-term success in medical uses and tooth-like color, were introduced as a dental implant material. This case report describes the fully guided planning and placement of a 1-piece zirconia implant replacing a missing central incisor. A 21-year-old nonsmoker male patient in excellent general health, presented with a missing tooth #9 (maxillary left central incisor). Straumann PURE (4.1 × 10 mm) Ceramic implant was placed. Three months post-surgery, the soft tissue architecture has been achieved and stabilized, and the healing was satisfactory around the zirconia implant and provisional restoration. The final layered zirconia crown was fabricated. A 2-step cementation technique was used to minimize the excess cement during the final delivery of the crown. After delivery of the final restoration, the patient was followed after 1, 3, 6, and 12 months.

Preoperative frontal photo.

The patients' smile lines.

Seating of the surgical template confirmed preoperatively.

Sequential drilling using the 3D printed surgical template.

Protective cap placed after implant placement.

3D printed provisional crown.

Provisional restoration snapped on the implant abutment.

Two-weeks follow-up.

(a) Provisional crown adjustments after 2 weeks. (b) Provisional crown adjustments after 3 weeks.

Three months postsurgery.

Final impression using impression cap.

The snapped corresponding color-coded lab analogue.

(a) The final layered zirconia crown. (b) Postoperative frontal photo.
Contributor Notes