Dental Implants – Pinehurst, NC

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

First, you’ll need to come see us for a consultation. During this initial appointment, we’ll discuss your tooth replacement goals and evaluate your mouth to confirm that dental implants are the best choice for you. Sometimes, preliminary treatments like bone grafts or gum disease therapy need to be performed first to ensure your dental implants have the greatest chances of success.

Dental Implant Surgery

The second step is implant surgery. Placing dental implants requires a minor surgery that must be completed with complete precision. We will refer you to a local specialist for this step to ensure that you receive the best care possible. This team-based approach will ensure you will have someone you can trust to complete the procedure by your side.

Once the oral surgeon has numbed your mouth, they’ll make a small incision into your gums to access the jawbone. The dental implant will be inserted into the bone tissue and the gums will be closed around it. From there, you’ll be sent home to recover.

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment Placement

It should only take you a few days to a week to recover from dental implant surgery. However, your jawbone will continue to heal for a very long process called osseointegration. This is where your dental implant integrates directly into the bone tissue to essentially become part of your jaw. Osseointegration can take between three to six months. Then, you’ll have small connector pieces called abutments attached to the top of your implants. Impressions will be taken and you’ll be send home to heal for a week or two while your final restoration is being fabricated.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restorations

The final step, which we can handle in-house, is the delivery and placement of dental implant restorations. Once we receive your custom-made crown, bridge, partial, or denture, you’ll return to our office. We’ll anchor the restoration onto the dental implant using the abutment piece so that it is securely in place. Next, we’ll go over some basic care instructions and answer any questions you may have about your new smile. Once we’ve checked that your bite is comfortable and that you’re happy with the results, you’ll be ready to go out and show off your brand-new smile.

Day-to-Day Benefits

• Security & Stability: Dental implants are the only treatment that replaces both the root of a missing tooth along with its crown, which makes them much more stable and secure compared to traditional dentures and bridges.
• Unmatched Aesthetics: Usually, dental implants are topped with 100% porcelain restorations that are designed to mimic the appearance of real teeth in every way. Additionally, they emerge from the gums like natural teeth instead of just sitting on top of them. Once in place, your dental implants will be practically indistinguishable from natural teeth!
• Smile, Talk, and Eat with Confidence: Dentures and dental bridges will lose their fit over time and become loose. Dental implants bypass this issue completely thanks to their foundation in your jawbone. They’ll never slip, pop, or click at embarrassing times!
• Eat & Drink What You Want: Dental implants can restore 80% or more of your natural biting force and can withstand hot foods and drinks. You can continue to enjoy all your favorite foods and beverages without concern!

Health Benefits

• Preserve Your Natural Teeth: Dental implants preserve the health of your remaining teeth because they don’t require the removal of dental structure to be placed like traditional bridges. Additionally, they promote a strong jawbone to help keep them in place for many years to come!
• Maintain Your Jawbone & Appearance: Tooth loss naturally leads to jawbone deterioration, which often causes a sunken, aged look in the facial features. Since dental implants provide stimulation in the jawbone, they preserve its strength and your youthful appearance.
• Low Maintenance: There’s no need for special products, tools, or routines to keep your dental implants clean. With regular brushing, flossing, and rinsing, you can keep your restorations clean and healthy for decades to come.

Long-Term Benefits

• Unmatched Success Rates: Thanks to modern dental technology and techniques, dental implants boast an astonishing success rate of over 95%, even 10 years after placement.
• Permanent Solution for Tooth Loss: The unique placement of dental implants means you can easily count on them to last 30 years or longer. In fact, most patients enjoy their dental implants for a lifetime with the proper care!
• A Truly Cost-Effective Solution in the Long-Run: While other tooth replacement options may have a lower initial price tag than dentures, they will need to be repaired and replaced every several years. Not only is this inconvenient for you, but it can cost quite a bit over time. With the one-time cost of dental implants, you can save money on your oral healthcare costs and enjoy more benefits without needing to pay for replacements. In the long-run, dental implants can potentially save you thousands of dollars.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

There are a number of criteria you’ll need to meet to be considered a candidate for dental implants:

• You need to be in good health overall. This is to help ensure that the chances of complications occurring during the surgery are as low as possible.
• You need to have a healthy mouth. Issues such as gum disease can cause problems for dental implants and therefore are best taken care of before the procedure.
• You need a strong jawbone. The success of your dental implants relies on the jaw being capable of giving them the support they need.

At your initial consultation, we’ll check to make sure that you meet these criteria. Note that even if you don’t currently qualify, you may eventually be able to have dental implants placed after undergoing preparatory procedures like bone grafting or gum disease treatment.

Missing One Tooth

Have you lost a single tooth in an accident or needed to have it extracted due to an advanced oral health issue? It may be possible to replace it with an implant post and a crown. The implant post will be allowed to form a lasting bond with the bone before the final crown is designed and placed. Once the process is complete, most people won’t be able to tell which tooth was replaced since the crown will have such a lifelike appearance.

Missing Multiple Teeth

Instead of being attached to your natural teeth, a dental bridge can be anchored to a pair of implant posts. This is a great option for replacing three or more teeth in a row. Choosing an implant bridge over a traditional one means that it isn’t necessary to make any changes to your natural teeth, thus allowing you to retain more of your enamel.

Missing All Teeth

When you have lost an entire row of teeth, you can have four to six implant posts inserted into your jaw. (The exact number depends on the amount of space available and the strength of your jawbone.) The posts will eventually provide support for a full denture, thus allowing you to replace all of your teeth at once. Not only do implant dentures eliminate the possibility of your new teeth slipping when you don’t want them to, but they also expand your diet options, providing enough chewing power to allow you to eat virtually anything you want.

Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery

Before seeing our implant dentist in Pinehurst for surgery, it’s vital that any necessary preliminary treatments are performed. While gum disease treatment, tooth extractions, and bone grafting does add to your cost, they help make dental implants successful. Next, your implant surgery will incur its own cost. We partner with the area’s best implant experts for truly amazing results. They will discuss with you exactly what you can expect for the price of your surgery.

The Parts of Your Dental Implant

The number of dental implants that you need will directly influence the cost, however the material they are made of will also contribute to the price of your treatment. Your restoration will influence your cost – usually the smaller restorations like crowns cost less than dentures. Implants are made of titanium, zirconia, or other materials. Just like cars or clothes, different brands are better and longer lasting than others. We will always be transparent about the types of implants and restorations that we recommend.

How Dental Implants Can Save You Money

While dental implants in Pinehurst tend to cost more than other replacement solutions, they come with benefits that make them well worth the investment. With the ability to last for over 30 years, and even the rest of your life, dental implants end up paying for themselves by helping you avoid additional replacements and the costs associated with them. Dental implants also stimulate the jawbone, which prevents a sunken facial appearance and helps your remaining teeth stay in place. Plus, they allow you to eat and drink anything you’d like for better quality of life and a healthier diet. This can actually help you save money by lowering your risk of oral and overall health issues. 

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

Usually, dental insurance does not cover implants, however there are some exceptions. Our friendly team will always do what we can to maximize your insurance benefits and lower your out-of-pocket spending. Parts of your treatment may be covered, including necessary preliminary procedures and a portion of your final restorations. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Making Dental Implants Affordable

If you don’t have insurance coverage, or you’re just looking for more ways to make implants cost-effective, we offer alternative financing through CareCredit. With this option, you can simply choose the monthly payment plan that fits your budget. The best part is that these plans often come with little to no interest. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and learn more about how we make quality dental implants affordable.

Make Oral Hygiene a Priority

One of the major perks of dental implants is that they only require the same oral hygiene routine as real teeth to stay healthy and strong. While the artificial teeth will be completely immune to cavities, the gums and jawbones supporting them are still vulnerable to infection if they do not receive proper care. To keep your implants in great shape, brush, floss, and rinse with antibacterial mouthwash daily.

Eat a Healthy Diet

Dental implants can make it much easier to enjoy the diverse and nutritious diet the body needs to stay healthy, but smart eating habits can help your new teeth stay healthy. Avoid overindulging in items that are hard, sticky, or sugary, and make sure to get plenty of calcium, vitamin C, and protein to keep your gums and jawbones healthy.

Break Bad Habits

Certain habits are especially devastating to the health of your dental implants. Evidence consistently shows that tobacco use in any form is absolutely horrible for your oral health, and it can compromise your gums’ ability to heal and stay healthy enough to support your implants. Using your teeth to open packages or chew on non-food items like ice, paperclips, or writing utensils can damage your implant-supported restoration and make replacing it necessary.

Protect Your Dental Implants

While dental implants are incredibly strong, they are not invincible, so be sure to wear an athletic mouthguard to protect your smile when playing sports or riding a bike. If you grind your teeth in your sleep, wear a nightguard to bed to prevent additional wear and tear.

Schedule Regular Dental Checkups

Even if you have lost and replaced all your teeth, it’s still crucial to come by our office at least twice a year for routine exams and cleanings. These appointments allow Dr. Hudson to monitor the health of your implants, address any problems in their early stages, and recommend better oral hygiene techniques to help you keep your new teeth in great shape.