COMPLETE GUIDE TO

DENTAL IMPLANTS

INSIDE

What Are Dental Implants?

Advantages of Implants

Implant Procedure Overview

Guided Dental Implant Surgeries

Questions to Ask Your Dental

Implant Dentist

Deciding whether to get dental implant surgery is a big decision. It is an investment in your health, your self confidence and your comfort. Before making a decision on the procedure or on your dentist, you should be informed.

WHAT ARE DENTAL IMPLANTS? Dental implants are man-made substitutions

for the root structure of the teeth. The root

structure is secured into the bone, allowing the

tooth or teeth to look and feel more natural. The

jaw bone will naturally grow around the implant

allowing it to be even more secure within the

mouth. With a dental implant you have the

freedom to eat any foods you please because

the structure is fixed, unlike a traditional

denture.

There are three parts involved in a complete dental implant procedure:

Implant

Abutment

Crown or prosthesis

IMPLANT: The implant is the underlying

manmade root structure. This is traditionally

made out of titanium for strength and longevity

of the implant. There are a wide variety of

different dental implants, and not all are created

equal. At Stanley Dentistry we use BioHorizons

dental implants because they have the best

proven strength and success.

ABUTMENT: The abutment is a piece that

screws into the implant and provides a surface

above the gum line to support the tooth

(crown).

CROWN/PROSTHESIS: The prosthesis or

crown refers to the tooth-like structure that the

implant supports. The prosthesis can be a single

tooth or a full bridge.

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ADVANTAGES OF IMPLANTSWhether you are missing one tooth or multiple,

there are many advantages to choosing dental

implants over dentures or partials.

1. MAINTAINS JAWBONE STRUCTURE

After the teeth have been lost or removed,

the underlying bone in the jaw can deteriorate

overtime. Natural teeth embedded in the jawbone

stimulate the bone though chewing and biting.

Without the tooth root structure, the jawbone can

lose its strength, break down, or resorb since the

body no longer “needs” it.

Because dental implants are secured in the

jawbone, they stimulate the bone in the same

way as a traditional tooth. Dental implants are the

only solution for lost teeth that helps preserve the

jawbone. Overtime, without the natural teeth, your

smile may begin to have a sunken in look.

2. RESTORE YOUR NATURAL SMILE

With dental implants you essentially get your

natural smile back. You can eat, drink, smile, and

laugh just as you normally would. You won’t have

to worry about taking something out to eat or

your teeth not being secure. Dental Implants will

allow you to maintain your natural face shape and

protect your healthy teeth.

Often, a tooth-supported partial puts strain

on health teeth and can grind away at the

surrounding teeth. The healthy teeth are used

to secure and support the partial and can be

damaged over time.

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3. AVOID PROBLEMS WITH TRADITIONAL

DENTURES

Many denture wearers experience problems

with excessive salivation, gagging, loss of taste

sensation, or poor fit.

Traditional dentures cover the roof of the

mouth to maintain a more secure hold in the

mouth, but that also means some loss of taste.

Most of your taste buds are located on your

tongue, but a few are located on the roof of

your mouth.

Excessive salivation can be a problem

especially in new denture wearers. The brain

senses that there is something foreign in your

mouth and can register this as food. A message

is then sent to the salivary glands to produce

more saliva to breakdown and digest the food.

Excessive gagging can be a side effect of the

excessive salivation or a natural reaction to the

new appliance in your mouth.

Dental implants look and feel like natural

teeth, allowing your to avoid any discomfort

caused by traditional dentures.

IMPLANT PROCEDURE OVERVIEWThe first step in any dental implant procedure

is the initial consultation. The dental office

should provide a free consultation to discuss

your options and give you more information

on costs and their process. Be aware that your

best option for your procedure may not be

the cheapest option. If the dentist does not

perform fully-guided surgeries the chances of

your implant failing or hitting a nerve or sinus

is much higher. This means that you may need

to have your implant fully replaced in just a few

years.

Next your dentist should take a 3-D scan of

your mouth and skull. With the 3-D scan they

can plot out your dental implant procedure,

noting the placement of blood vessels, nerves,

and sinuses. Then, depending on the office you

visit, your dentist should create a full guide of

the implant surgery to ensure precise placement

the day of the surgery.

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With the advancements in technology and

surgical methods, most dental implant surgeries

can be completed in one day. Some exceptions

may occur depending on your underlying

bone structure. Your dentist will be able to tell

you if your procedure can be completed after

evaluating your case.

DAY OF SURGERY

Depending on the number of implants being

placed your surgery could last a few hours or

just under an hour. The first step in any dental

implant procedure is sedation. Be sure to ask

your dentist about their sedation options and if

they have the means to use IV sedation at their

office.

First, if present, the damaged tooth or teeth

will be removed from the mouth. After any

necessary teeth have been extracted, your

dentist will access the jawbone. Using the guide,

the jawbone will be prepped for optimal implant

placement.

Once the jawbone is prepped, the first pilot

hole is drilled. The pilot drill is the initial drill

used in placing the implant. The pilot hole

serves as a guide for subsequent drills used

later in the implant procedure. Your dentist

should use a guide that has been created

specifically for your procedure to obtain the

precise position and orientation for your

implant.

Next the Osteotomy drill is used to widen the

pilot hole to prep for the implant placement.

Finally, the implant is placed into the hole

created by the pilot and osteotomy drills. Your

dentist should use a guide to ensure optimal

placement and positioning of your implant.

From there your dentist will place a cap

on the implant. This will be used while your

dentist prepares the prosthesis or should you

require healing time before the final prosthesis

is placed. Even if your final prosthesis is not

placed the day of surgery, you will be given a

temporary to give you a natural smile until the

crown can be placed.

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Stanley Dentistry Nurse Anesthetist Zeb Thomeczek

GUIDED DENTAL IMPLANT SURGERIESA fully guided dental implant surgery starts with

a 3-D X-ray of your mouth and skull. This allows

us to plan the optimal placement of the tooth

- taking the blood vessels, nerves, sinuses, and

bone structure into consideration to reduce pain

and improve success and longevity.

After the surgery is planned virtually, an

exact model of your mouth is made and guides

are made to direct the placement of each

element of the implant ( 3 guided layers). The

guides are used during the surgery to ensure

we achieve the correct angle, size and depth

of the implant. This keeps your dental implant

surgeon from hitting a blood vessel or sinus

which often means pain and discomfort for

you after surgery. Many dentists will offer

partially guided surgeries where they may plan

the placement within your mouth, but do not

have a guide to plan the depth of the implant

placement. That becomes a problem when a

millimeter difference means the implant invades

the sinuses.

Placing an implant without a guide is much like

hanging a painting without a measuring tape

or level. You may place it close to the center

of the wall but it will often be just slightly off.

When it comes to dental implants, even a slight

inaccuracy can seriously impact the success of

the implant.

With a fully guided surgery you know your

dental implant is placed in the optimal location

to achieve a better success rate. Your surgery

can also be smoother and quicker. Because we

virtually practice your entire surgery and plan

out every aspect, what at other office can be

a 12 hour procedure can be done in 3 hours at

Stanley Dentistry.

WILL A FULLY-GUIDED SURGERY COST ME MORE?

The guide for the fully-guided surgery costs

$250. At Stanley Dentistry we don’t up-charge

our patients for the guide. It costs $250

and that is what we bill your insurance. We

want to make fully guided surgeries the easy

choice for our patients. They help us know we

performed the best surgery possible and help

you have a long-lasting dental implant. We’ve

reconstructed many dental implants over the

years that could have lasted much longer if the

original implant was placed using a full guide.

Our top priority is giving you an implant that

lasts – not just for 3 years, but for life.

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QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR DENTAL IMPLANT DENTISTWhile lots of dentists in the Raleigh area offer dental implants, you won’t get the same quality and

success rates everywhere. There are a few key questions you need to ask that could be the difference in

your dental implant lasting 5 years or the rest of your life.

WHAT TYPE OF PROSTHETICS DO YOU USE?

With an All-on-4 or Teeth Xpress procedure

some doctors will convert your existing denture

into a fixed prosthesis. We don’t recommend

this method because most dentures are made

of acrylic. Acrylic is naturally a more porous

material and usually needs to be replaced after

5 to 7 years since you can no longer remove

the denture to clean it. Acrylic prosthesis often

absorb the smells of foods and beverages and

can start to smell after a while.

It is best if your dentist creates a custom

crown or prosthesis that has the exact size holes

to affix to your dental implant abutments. This

will allow for the most secure fit and improve

the longevity of your dental implant. The new

prosthesis should be made out more durable,

less porous material that can last a lifetime with

proper care.

There are three types of guides:

Pilot hole

Pilot hole + Osteotomy

Pilot hole + Osteotomy + Implant placement

DO YOU HANDLE THE ENTIRE DENTAL IMPLANT PROCESS?

Your general dentist may not be able to

handle the entire process in house. In some

cases you will have an oral surgeon, general

dentist, prosthodontist, periodontist, and

anesthesiologist who work collaboratively on

your dental implant experience. While each

of these doctors is specialized in their field,

it also involves many more moving parts and

coordination when it comes to your surgery.

Doctors are not project managers by trade, so

there is potential for communication errors. For

the patient, it could mean more confusion about

who to follow up with should you have implant

complications.

At Stanley Dentistry we handle the dental

implant surgery, any gum or bone grafting, and

crown placement under one roof. This allows us

to fully manage the process, making scheduling

and coordination easier on you. We also employ

a licensed nurse anesthetist to monitor you

throughout the surgery and make sure you are

in good hands.

ARE YOUR DENTAL IMPLANT SURGERIES FULLY GUIDED?

Surprisingly, not all dental implant placements

are performed the same way. Some dentists

will perform the surgery without a guide while

others will do a partially guided surgery and

only a few do fully guided surgeries. A fully-

guided dental implant surgery ensures the

optimal placement of the dental implant for the

best success, but only 3% of dentists do fully

guided surgeries.

A dentist will say that they do guided dental

implant surgery even if they only use one of the

three guides. This is why it is important to ask if

they do fully guided surgeries.

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