Dental Implants and Surgery Guides

Thursday, February 23, 2017

by Chapel Hill Dental Care - Joseph G. Marcius DDS

News article...There are many different reasons that dental implants may be an option for patients. These could include a bad gag reflex, difficulty wearing dentures and removable partial dentures, inability to chew efficiently, embarassment, difficulty with speech, lack of bone to support dentures and many other reasons.

Dental implant prices depend on the extent of treatment needed. There is single tooth replacement which only involves one implant up to replacing all the teeth in the mouth with mutiple implants.

There are different types of dental implants also. Different manufacturers may have different coatings on the implants, different " thread forms ", different lengths and diameters as well as other specialized features. The choice of the type of implant depends on the patient's indivudal anatomy and the desired type of tooth replacement the patient desires.

Dental implant procedures can be complex due to lack of bone or other problems particular to an individual patient. Sometimes soft tissue and/or bone grafting procedures are needed for implant placement.

Dental implant problems can occur for various reasons. The implant is not a tooth and does not have the natural seal of tissue as does a natural tooth. So, oral hygiene and regular hygiene visits (evey 3 months) are important for success. Also, smoking is a problem for many patients with dental implants and can lead to early failure.

The photograph in this article is of one of our patients who required complex care for the implant placements. The picture shows a surgical guide made from an I-CAT 3-D image. This allowed precise placement of the implants.

I have been placing and restoring dental implants for 25 years. We can give you a dental implant quote by scheduling a consultsation appointment with our office.