Phone: 910-762-3481

Implant Dentistry

Dental Implants - Wilmington, NC

Do You “Miss” Your Teeth? We Can Replace Them—Beautifully!

It’s devastating to lose even one tooth. If you’ve lost several teeth or even all of your teeth due to trauma or disease, it impacts everything you do. Eating and talking can be a daily challenge. Dentures are one solution but they come with their own drawbacks. At Phelps Family Dentistry, we’ve helped many patients rediscover what it feels like to have their natural teeth when they have dental implants placed. Dental implants are a tooth replacement method that gives you all the appearance and function of your natural teeth. Because the implants are placed into the actual jaw bone, they replace and act as your own tooth roots.

The bone is there to support the tooth; when you lose teeth you lose bone. Dental Implants replace teeth and maintain bone, thereby maintaining your facial structure and preventing you from premature aging.

The Dental Implant

Process

Dental implants are surgically anchored into the bones of your jaw. Your own bone tissue grows around the implants so they become fused into the jawbone, replacing the root from your lost tooth. and they function as the root of your original tooth.

With Phelps Family Dentistry’s focus on comfort and convenience, your implant can be placed in the comfort of our office, rather than having you coordinate your treatment with a specialist. Once the implanted post heals, we are able to complete the restoration in the office and send you on your way with a brand new smile!

Implants are created to offer a replacement teeth foundation which function, feel, and look like organic teeth. The individual who has lost teeth will regain the capability of eating pretty much anything and will smile with confidence, understanding that teeth look natural and that facial contours are preserved. The dental implants themselves are small titanium posts which are placed inside the jawbone in which teeth are currently missing. The bone then bonds with the titanium and creates a solid foundation for artificial teeth. Also, dental implants will assist in preserving facial structure, and prevent the bone deterioration which happens when teeth are missing.

Implant Evaluation in Wilmington NC

If you’re considering dental implants, you’ll first go through a radiographic/dental exam and discuss your health history with our team. In these consultations, your dentist will go over your specific considerations and needs. Your concerns and questions are very important to us and our dental staff will work with you closely to assist in making the treatment a success.

We also will go over insurance and fees during this time. There are several kinds of insurance plans, and implant coverage is varied. We’ll be glad to help you obtain any benefits to which you might be entitled.

Implant Treatments

Implants include metal anchors which act as tooth root substitutes. They’re surgically placed inside the jawbone. Then, tiny posts are attached with the implant that protrude through the gums. The posts offer solid anchors for artificial replacement teeth.

For the majority of patients, the placement of implants involves only a single surgical treatment. Dental implants are placed inside the jawbone then permitted to heal for the first 3 - 6 months after surgery. An immediate implant is when an implant is placed inside an extraction socket the exact same day of the extraction. Implants are capped directly at the gumline’s surface.

Within the healing period, implants are slowly bonding with your jawbone. You should have the ability to use temporary dentures and consume soft food within this time. After the healing is over, the restorative dentist creates the final denture or bridgework, which ultimately will improve both aesthetics and function.

The general dentist now will have the ability to begin creating your new teeth. An impression has to be taken. Then, the teeth replacements are made over the attachments or posts. The whole procedure typically takes three to four months.

Mini-Transitional Implants

With Mini-Transitional Implants, our patients will have teeth instantly after surgery. You do not need to endure the humiliation you face by not having teeth or removable temporary restorations within the long osseointegration period. The mini-transitional dental implants are placed during the same time as the permanent dental implants and have the ability to immediately be used. They’re a lot smaller than permanent dental implants and easily are removed at the end of the 3-month healing period. The general dentist will use the mini-implants the day of the surgery with either a removable or fixed denture.

For more information on our implant dentistry in Wilmington NC contact Phelps Family Dentistry at 910-408-0487 today!

Place and Restore Implants

At Phelps Family Dentistry, your implant procedure can be completed in its entirety at our comfortable office. The implant “posts” will be surgically implanted into your jaw. Once your mouth has healed, and the implants have begun fusing to your jawbone, Dr. Dan and Dr. Lisa will have crowns made that will be attached to the titanium implants. They’re made of porcelain and they’ll give you a beautiful, natural-looking smile!

Dental implants are nearly permanent. With dental implants, you can eat, drink, bite, chew, and most importantly, smile!

Implant-Retained Dentures

Dental implants with porcelain crowns aren’t always appropriate. Another option for patients who have lost teeth is called implant-retained dentures. They’re a major upgrade from regular dentures.

You will have 2-4 titanium implants strategically placed in your jaw. Instead of a piece to fit a crown, the implants have half of a snap mechanism on top of them. Your dentures will have the corresponding part of the snap mechanism as well. When the dentures are snapped onto the implants, they fit much more snugly and function more like real teeth than regular dentures or partials can.

Because they have a closer and tighter fit, you don’t have to worry about your dentures slipping when you’re eating. Better-fitting dentures will also stimulate your jawbone when you’re eating and help maintain the strength of the bone tissue.

Bone Grafting

When you’re having any kind of tooth replacement treatment, it generally means some of your natural bone tissue has been lost. To help facilitate healing and restoration of bone tissue, bone grafting may be needed.

This is not a drastic process! We use bone grafts that have been formed in a laboratory from a variety of materials that include animal tissue and other nutrient-rich fibers. The bone graft helps restore any lost bone tissue and promote healing. The faster your own bone tissue heals, the fewer complications you’ll have from the loss of bone tissue and the weakening of your natural bone structure.

Technology

All of these marvelous new treatments require incredible skill and training from your dentist, which you get with Dr. Lisa and Dr. Dan Phelps. It also takes technology to be able to do these procedures so the actual process can be performed quickly with minimal trauma to the patient. One such piece of technology includes the CBCT – VaTech i3D Smart imaging. 3-D images give us a complete representation of your mouth, just like if we’d taken a mold to create a replica of your teeth and jaws.

With detailed 3D images, we can plan your implants in extreme detail so your new teeth fit together to chew, talk, swallow, and smile naturally, with optimal form and function.

Don’t neglect your dental care! Make an appointment today!