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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