Tooth Implant Process

Dr. Sayward E. Duggan is a board-certified periodontist. This advanced dental specialty—that entails up to three years of education beyond dental school—required Dr. Duggan to receive very specialized training for dental implants. If you’re considering dental implants, she would love to discuss your options and develop a custom treatment plan for you. 

Reasons to consider dental implants: 

• To replace one or more missing teeth without affecting adjacent teeth. 
• Dental implants can sometimes resolve joint pain or bite problems caused by teeth shifting into missing tooth space. 
• To restore a patient’s confident smile. 
• To restore normal chewing, speech, and digestion. 
• To restore or enhance facial tissues. 
• To support a bridge or denture, making them more secure and comfortable. 
• If you need to replace missing teeth or a single tooth, implants are a stable, long-term solution. 

Our Implant Dentistry 

Choosing a periodontist to develop a treatment plan for your dental implants is a smart move! Because of her dental specialization as a periodontist, Dr. Duggan has received extensive training and education regarding dental implants. 

Traditional Dental Implants 

Before any dental implant case is created, Dr. Duggan must first determine if you’re a good candidate for dental implants. To do this, we perform CBCT scans as needed, if we suspect a patient might not have adequate bone material to accept the implant, otherwise we will take digital X-rays. 

If you’re a good candidate for dental implants, she will surgically place the implant in your jaw bone and allow 3-4 months for healing. When the healing is complete and the implant has integrated with the jaw bone through a process called osseointegration, she will send you to your general dentist to attach the crown to the implant. 

All-on-4™ 

Massive or total tooth loss can be life-altering. In the past, the go-to solution was either full or partial dentures. Dentures are better than nothing, but patients often report complications with dentures including sores in the mouth from a poor fit, increased salivation, and messy cleanup. 

All-on-4™ is a procedure that changed all of that and removed nearly all of the complications patients report with dentures. The procedure allows patients to have an entire custom-made arch of replacement teeth secured in the mouth by four to six implants. Additionally, teeth can be secured to the implants immediately following the computer guided dental implant surgery, so the patient can walk out of our dental practice with a set of functioning teeth. 

Reasons to consider All-on-4™:

• All-on-4 implants require fewer dental implants when replacing multiple teeth in an arch. 
• All-on-4 provides a fixed solution over traditional removable dentures. 
• All-on-4 dental implants are a long-term solution. 
• All-on-4 provides a strong foundation for dentures with minimal or no movement. 
• All-on-4 will assist in maintaining healthy jaw structure. 

Questions? Need an Appointment?

If you have questions about our dental implant process or procedures, please contact us today or request an appointment.