Dental Implants and Surgery

Your teeth play a very important role in your overall health. Maintaining your teeth and proper oral will hygiene lead to you living a healthier life. Losing a tooth can have significant consequences, as it can affect your speech, your bite, and your ability to properly chew food. Additionally, tooth loss leads to jaw bone loss in the area of the tooth. Thus, the best decision you can make for both your oral and overall health is to replace the tooth lost. 

There are many tooth replacement options, but it is widely regarded that dental implants are the best decision you can make for superior oral health. Unlike other options, implants allow for a comfortable, permanent structure to be placed into your jaw to prevent bone loss and to provide a solid foundation for a tooth. Furthermore, implants can last a lifetime with little to no management required, all while providing an aesthetically pleasing and attractive smile for you to show off.

The procedure for dental implants will take about 45 - 60 minutes for a single implant, and can be under different types of anesthesia, all of which will be discussed with you by Dr. Duncan during your consultation. You will be given prescriptions to begin for the procedure, and a follow up appointment will be scheduled after the surgery.

Implants are usually placed after a tooth has been extracted. This can be at the time of the extraction or about two months after the extraction has taken place. The decision will be made by Dr. Duncan depending on various factors, such as bone health, bone density, additional procedures required, and more. If you have an infection or other problems, it is likely that you will have to wait a few months after your extraction for the placement of the implant. 

If your tooth has been lost for a while, there will be bone resorption and remodeling of the area. It may be necessary to reconstruct the site with bone graft prior to your implant placement. 

There will be a healing period to allow for osteointegration (integration of your implant into bone). After proper integration of the implant, the soft tissue will need to be prepared for placement of the final restoration. This is accomplished with the placement of a healing abutment, around 5 months following your implant placement. You will be ready for your final restoration around one month after your abutment procedure. 

The final restoration and crown will be completed by your dentist or prosthodontist, with whom we will be in continued communication during your treatment. There will be several appointments during the implant process to monitor your healing and post-operative progress. 

 Utilizing PRF is a method that uses your own blood to aid and promote healing in surgical sites created during oral and maxillofacial surgery.  It is 100% natural, and there are no chemicals or foreign substances.  Therefore, it helps lower risks for complications and helps promote healing and an easier recovery.       

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons are finding this process helps to improve the tissue healing process in the jaw bones and oro-facial soft tissue, therefore results in a shorter recovery time.

Dr. Duncan uses PRF to stimulate the healing response for facial esthetics and skin rejuvination, hair loss treatment, acne and scar revision treatment, surgical extractions, dental implant placements, sinus and ridge augmentations, etc.   

See the patient brochure download below for more detailed information.