By:  Victor M. Sternberg, D.M.D.

August 9, 2022

Twenty  years ago when a patient had lost a very short first bicuspid, an implant was placed.  In those days we were placing 18 millimeter fixtures for bilateral stabilization, something which is no longer considered necessary.  However, interestingly enough, we are looking at a very long implant twenty years later and we are looking at a very short tooth twenty years later.

One wonders sometimes how much healthy root surface needs to be in contact with bone for a tooth to survive.  

Tooth #4 has less than 1 mobility.

Shorter implants and even shorter teeth can survive as long as the health of the tissue around it is maintained.

As always, I appreciate your feedback.

Yours truly,

Victor M. Sternberg, D.M.D.

By Westchester Center for Periodontal & Implant Excellence

January 25, 2023