Dental Implants | Hickory, NC
A stronger, steadier smile can start with a conversation.
Missing teeth can change more than your smile. They can change what you order at dinner, how freely you laugh, how clearly you speak, and how comfortable you feel in everyday life.
Dental implants are the closest available replacement to natural teeth. They’re designed to replace missing teeth from the foundation up, giving your new teeth the stability to help you eat, speak, and smile with greater confidence.
Patient Before and Afters
A dental implant is placed in the jaw where it can act as a foundation for a future restoration. Once the implant has healed, it can support a crown, bridge, denture attachment, or full-arch restoration.
In everyday language: the implant helps replace the support your tooth root used to provide. The final restoration is the part you see and use when you smile, chew, and speak.
1. Exam & Planning
We take detailed 3D images and create a personalized plan just for you.
2. Implant Placement
The titanium implant is gently placed into the jawbone–it acts like a new tooth root.
3. Healing & Osseointegration
Over the next few months, the implant fuses with the bone, creating a strong foundation.
4. Abutment Placement
A connector piece is attached to the implant to hold your new tooth.
5. Custom Crown
Your custom-made crown is placed on top–completing your natural-looking smile.
Dental implants aren’t one-size-fits-all. One implant can replace a single missing tooth. A few carefully placed implants can support several replacement teeth or help stabilize a loose denture. For people missing most or all of their teeth, full-arch implants can provide a fixed, more natural-feeling smile.
During your consultation, we’ll look at your teeth, gums, bite, bone support, health history, and goals. Then we’ll explain whether you’re a good candidate and which dental implant approach may fit your needs best.
Single Tooth Implants
A single tooth implant can replace one missing tooth with a stable, natural-looking restoration. Unlike a traditional bridge, a single implant doesn’t rely on the neighboring teeth for support.
This may be worth asking about if you have one missing tooth, recently lost a tooth, or have been told a tooth may not be saveable.
Implant Bridges
When several teeth are missing in a row, an implant bridge can replace them with stable, fixed teeth that don’t come in and out.
Instead of attaching the bridge to neighboring natural teeth, dental implants create the support underneath it. This can restore a larger section of the smile without putting the job of holding the bridge on the remaining teeth.
Snap-In Dentures
Traditional dentures rest on the gums. Snap-in dentures are different because they attach to dental implants, giving them much more stability when you eat, speak, and smile.
They’re still removable, but the implants help reduce the shifting and slipping that can make conventional dentures frustrating to live with.
Snap-in dentures won’t feel quite as much like natural teeth as a fixed full-arch implant restoration. But for many patients, implant support can make a meaningful difference in how secure their denture feels.
All-On-X / Full-Arch Dental Implants
All-On-X is designed for people who are missing most or all of their teeth, or whose remaining teeth are no longer strong enough to support a healthy, comfortable smile.
This treatment uses carefully positioned dental implants to support a complete arch of replacement teeth.
For patients who are good candidates, All-On-X can provide a full set of fixed, implant-supported teeth. They stay in place rather than being removed each day and are designed to look, feel, and function much more like natural teeth than a traditional denture.
- You avoid certain foods because chewing feels uncomfortable or unpredictable.
You smile differently because you’re trying to hide a missing tooth.
- Your denture looks okay, but it shifts when you eat, talk, or laugh.
- You have several teeth that feel weak, worn, loose, or failing.
- Another dentist mentioned an implant, but you still don’t fully understand what that means.
- You’ve waited longer than you meant to, and now calling feels a little embarrassing.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dental Implant Restoration
Q: How Do Dental Implants Operate?
A: With this form of repair, your implant expert places a sturdy titanium post within the bone tissue of your jaw. This metal interacts with the human immune system in a special way, allowing your bone to grow snugly to the implant post. After your short period of recovery, this titanium post serves as the foundation for your prosthodontic repair.
Q: How Do I Maintain My Dental Implant?
A: One of the most exciting aspects of implant restoration is that you can care for them in much the same way as your natural teeth. Talk to your dentist about your schedule and follow their directions while you are recovering. Be sure to brush and floss consistently after you have healed, as you are still susceptible to gum disease and other oral health concerns. If you damage your prosthetic, your provider can replace it without replacing your implant post, helping you to avoid the need for further surgery.
Q: Can An Implant Restoration Help If I have Lost Multiple Teeth?
A: Dental implants are also a versatile procedure, helping you to find a path forward. If you are missing multiple teeth, implant dentistry can help you to have a more permanent solution for your unique instance of tooth loss. With implant-retained bridges and dentures, you too can find a lasting repair.
If you are anticipating the need for more extensive renewal due to age or illness, a dental implant can be a graceful way to transition away from your natural smile. Talk to Dr. McKinney about implant-retained dentures, which utilize implant technology to hold a full-arch prosthetic. With all the advantages of a dental implant restoration, it is easy to see why this has quickly become one of the most popular forms of smile renewal!
Q: When Can I Schedule My Consultation?
A: If you are ready to make a change, talk to our team about renewing your smile with a new dental implant restoration. Speak with our office at McKinney-Graham Dental Arts in Hickory, NC and set up a time to talk about your possibilities in prosthodontics. Give us a call at (828) 328-5581 or request an appointment today to start your journey toward a stronger smile!