OMS Procedures

Dental Implants

There is a way to improve your dental health and dental implants can be your first step to renewed confidence and peace of mind. They are designed to provide a foundation for replacement teeth that look, feel, and function like natural teeth. Dental implants are an option for the patients who have permanent tooth loss due to disease or accident, have failure of the permanent tooth to develop properly, or currently have a tooth that needs to be removed and they are looking for an option for replacement. Implants can help preserve facial structure and prevent bone deterioration that occurs when teeth are missing.
 
 
What Are Dental Implants?

The implants are titanium screws/posts that are surgically placed into the jawbone where the teeth are missing and act as tooth root substitutes. As the bone heals around the implant it provides a strong foundation for the artificial replacement teeth. In some cases, additional bone grafting may be necessary to help stabilize the fixture in your jawbone. The entire process may take from 6 to 18 months but most patients experience minimal disruption of their daily life.

Are You A Candidate For Implants?

To begin the implant process, the patient is first seen in our office for a 40-60 minute consultation, usually on referral from their general dentist or, in some cases, an orthodontist. Dr. Angell will be happy to use current x-rays from your referring doctor for this visit or we can take x-rays in our office. With our Kodak 9000 x-ray machine, we are able to take digital images and Dr. Angell is able to view your oral cavity in three dimensions. This also allows him to determine the best implant choice and placement for your individual requirements.

 

Dr. Angell will review the patient's health history, evaluate x-rays of the area, perform an oral examination and discuss the implant process in great detail.  Before leaving the office you will be given an estimate of the cost for your procedures and, if you would like, you will be able to schedule the surgical appointment with our technical staff.

The Surgical Procedure

There has been much discussion about who is qualified to place dental implants. While some general dentists feel thay qualify to place dental implants based on years of clinical experience or having taken a few weekend implant surgical course, does this very limited training best serve the public?
 
Dr. Angell has 29 years of experience in dental implant placement  and is better qualified not only to place the dental implants but to deal with any possible postoperative complications should they occur. Surgery is all we do and your surgical outcome and safety is his primary concern.
 

For most patients, the placement of dental implants will require two surgical procedures. These surgical appointments are done in our office and last from 40-60 minutes. The majority of dental implant placements are done with local anesthetic in our hospital-style operating suite, thus optimizing the level of sterility. If an extraction or bone grafting is necessary prior to implant placement an additional surgical visit may be included to provide optimal outcome of your implant surgery.

 
Dr. Angell will perform the actual placement of the implant but it is your general dentist who will fabricate and place the permanent prosthesis (crown portion of your tooth).  If needed, your dentist will also provide a temporary prosthesis needed during the implant process.

 

Dental Implant Presentation

To provide you with a better understanding of dental implants, we have provided the following multimedia presentation. Many common questions pertaining to dental implants are discussed.

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Surgical Advances

Using the most recent advances in dental implant technology, Dr. Angell is able to place single stage implants. These implants do not require a second procedure to uncover them, but do require a minimum of six weeks of healing time before artificial teeth are placed. There are even situations where the implants can be placed at the same time as a tooth extraction – further minimizing the number of surgical procedures.

 

  
What Types Of Prosthesis Are Available?

The numbers of implants placed can vary depending on the individual requirement. It can range from a single tooth to a partial prosthesis to replace two or more teeth. There are even implant prosthetic choices for those individuals with dentures.

 
 

Dental Implant Overview

For a brief narrated overview of the dental implant process, please click the image below. It will launch our flash educational MiniModule in a separate window that may answer some of your questions about dental implants.

Having trouble? Please make sure you have version 7 of the Flash browser plugin in order to correctly view this presentation. This software is available as a free download.

Why Dental Implants?

Once you learn about dental implants, you finally realize there is a way to improve your life. When you lose several teeth – whether it's a new situation or something you have lived with for years – chances are you have never become fully accustomed to losing such a vital part of yourself.

Dental implants can be your doorway to renewed self-confidence and peace of mind.

A Swedish scientist and orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Per-Ingvar Branemark, developed this concept for oral rehabilitation more than 35 years ago. With his pioneering research, Dr. Branemark opened the door to a lifetime of renewed comfort and self-confidence for millions of individuals facing the frustration and embarrassment of tooth loss.

  
Do Implants Need Special Care?

Once the implants are in place, they will serve you well for many years if you take care of them and keep your mouth healthy. This means taking the time for good oral hygiene (brushing and flossing) and keeping regular appointments with your dental specialists.