Q. Preservation of Tooth Structure?
Fixed partial dentures have been considered the standard of treatment prior to advent of implant therapy. However, to obtain optimal esthetic results with the fixed partial dentures, a significant reduction in the amount of tooth structure is necessary occasionally predisposing to endodontic, periodontal interventions and structural sequelae. Single tooth implant survival has been demonstrated to be the most predictable method of tooth replacement. There have been no reports of loss of adjacent teeth when single tooth implant restorations have been undertaken, this is vastly different to when treatment is rendered with a FPD which may require the span to be extended further, additional endodontic and periodontal treatment thus further compromising the long term stability of the prosthesis.