Dental implants are one of the most exciting aspects of modern dentistry.  These restorations are providing functional solutions for problems that patients and dentists have faced for decades.  Both Dr.'s Boggess and Maggiore have pursued a significant amount of continuing education in the field of dental implants.  Dr. David Cross is responsible for  the surgical placement of the majority of our dental implants.  The fact that his practice is located adjacent to ours, provides us with a distinct advantage in diagnosis, treatment planning and placement. 

One of the biggest misconceptions of dental implants is that they are artificial teeth.  A dental implant is actually a titanium root that is placed in the jaw by either an oral or periodontal surgeon.  This root can be used to support an individual crown (tooth).  It can also be used to help support a partial denture along with a patient's natural teeth.  We can also use several implants, working together, to support either fixed bridges or removable dentures.  The type of implant selected is based upon position in the mouth, quality of bone and the type of final restoration.  At this time our practice provides for the restoration of dental implants from Nobel Biocare, 3i and Straumann.  We feel that these companies have the best research history and provide for all of the restorative challenges that we encounter.

The strength and stability of dental implants have allowed us to all but eliminate the poorly fitting, floating dentures, of the past and provide our patients with an appliance that more closely resembles the function of their natural teeth.  They have also provided us with a means to replace one or two missing teeth without having to involve the teeth adjacent to the space.  While a fixed bridge is an excellent long-term solution for replacing a missing tooth, it does involve preparing the teeth adjacent to the space for a crown.  This is an invasive procedure that removes significant tooth structure.  A dental implant can be placed without involving the adjacent teeth.  This is particularly important in younger patients who are congenitally missing teeth. 

SMILE Technique

The photos above are an example of the SMILE technique.  With this technique the damaged tooth is removed and the dental implant is immediately placed.  A temporary crown that replicates the exact contours of the original tooth is then fabricated and attached to the implant that same day.  The advantage for the patient is obvious, they are never missing their tooth.  The long-term advantage is that as the implant heals the natural contour and position of the gums are preserved.  This allows for a more natural final restoration that is indistinguisable from the natural dentition.

Types of implant restorations:

• implant supported crown
• multiple implants used to support a fixed bridge
• implant supported overdenture
• hybrid partial using both implant(s) and natural teeth for support.

What does getting dental implants involve?

The process of getting implants requires a number of visits over several months.

The most important stage for dental implants is diagnosis and treatment planning.   X-rays, diagnostic models and photos  are taken  to determine the condition of bone and gum tissue as well as spacing available for an implant.  While the area is numb, the implant will be surgically placed into the bone.  An implant may take anywhere from six weeks to six months to intergrate depending on the quanity and quality of the bone and the implant system used.   The second stage involves the restoration of the implant.  At this time the necessary impressions will be taken to fabricate a crown or a precision attachment may be placed to help support a fixed or removable denture.

Prior to proceeding with any dental implant treatment, we will review, in detail, the type of implants to be placed, where they will be located and the expected time it will take to heal and complete the final restorations.

Additional photos of completed implant cases may be viewed in our smile gallery.

A procedural video of the placement and restoration of a dental implant can be viewed through our dental video link.