Lake Nona Dental Implants
What are dental implants?
Losing a single tooth, several teeth, or all teeth due to injury, dental decay, or gum disease can happen. Fortunately, dental implants have revolutionized the replacement of missing teeth and improved quality of life for millions of patients. Dental implants restore more than just a smile. They restore the patient’s confidence and improve the ability to taste and chew foods they previously could not enjoy.
Dental implants are precision engineered posts made of a biocompatible metal or ceramic, which are then placed into the jawbone. Once the bone has healed and fused to the implant, your restorative dentist or prosthodontist can then custom fabricate an implant crown, implant bridge, or implant denture which can then be attached to the implant(s). The implant restoration can then function in the same manner as the tooth/teeth being replaced. Our Lake Nona oral and maxillofacial surgery experts are here to help restore your confidence and oral health.
Dental implants have a distinct advantage that they do not decay or require root canal treatment.
The success and long-term stability of a dental implant primarily relies on its precise placement in the jawbone. Since teeth are naturally designed to withstand the enormous forces of chewing and all manner of oral function, dental implants must be placed with precision to perform in the same way.Dental implant treatment requires the combined efforts between a surgeon and a restorative dentist (general dentist or prosthodontist). We work closely with your referring restorative dentist to plan your implant surgery. Our surgeons perform any necessary extractions, bone grafting, soft-tissue grafting, and placement of the dental implants.
In certain situations, your implant restorative needs may be quite complex and exceed the capabilities of your family/general dentist or their dental laboratory. In those instances, you may be referred to our own specialist prosthodontist for interdisciplinary treatment together with one of our specialist oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Together, our prosthodontist and surgeon can help achieve a predictable, functional, and aesthetic result you are seeking. Throughout this process, our team will keep your referring general/family dentist informed of your treatment and progress.
Our surgeons and prosthodontists are experts in dental implant surgery and restoration of dental implants. They have years of experience with time-tested and proven surgical and restorative techniques, as well as extensive training in the latest implant advancements and technologies. Furthermore, they are actually the ones teaching these new and advanced techniques to other dentists and specialists across the USA and abroad.
In the past, dental implants required long healing periods of several months. Researchers have developed new implant surfaces that attract bone and shorten healing times to as short as six to eight weeks. Advancements in implant designs often allow us to secure temporary teeth to the implants the same day. These new implant designs also better maintain bone and allow the use of shorter and narrower implants in your existing jawbone, often decreasing the need for bone grafting.
Our Lake Nona oral surgeons and prosthodontists can evaluate your jaw and determine if you are a candidate for immediate teeth.
Our practice is equipped with the most advanced three-dimensional imaging to diagnose your jaws for implant options. Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT Scanning) is used to visualize your jaw anatomy three-dimensionally. We can then use powerful computer software to virtually plan your surgery. By performing your virtual surgery, we are able to develop a precision treatment plan with optimum sites for your replacement teeth.
In more complex cases, our surgeons may use computed tomography and optical scanning technology to not only visualize your jaw anatomy but to fully understand the dynamics of your jaw motion and bite. The virtual surgical planning is then translated to guided surgery by the creation of computer-generated templates. These templates allow our surgeons to place implants with incredible precision to the exact desired position/depth/angulation required for the restorative dentist to create an aesthetic, functional, and hygienic tooth replacement or prosthesis.
We also use navigational surgical techniques to perform precision implant placement similar to the technology used by neurosurgeons and robotic surgeons in hospital operating rooms. This technology is particularly useful in situations where surgical templates cannot fit into tight spaces in the mouth and in situations where patients have limited mouth opening. However, all of this new technology does not replace the judgment and years of experience our specialist doctors provide.
Dental Implant Showcase
On the day of your procedure, our surgeons will perform your personalized treatment plan to precisely and accurately place the implants in their optimal positions within your jawbone.
Patients are often pleasantly surprised at how easy the implant surgery process can be. In our office, your comfort is always a top priority. On the day of your procedure, our surgeons will execute your personalized treatment plan to precisely and accurately place the implants in their optimal positions within your jawbone.
If you are having a tooth extracted and the conditions are appropriate, the implant may be placed into the socket during the same procedure. If the tooth is already missing, a small incision is made in the gum tissue to expose the underlying jawbone. The dental implant will then be surgically inserted into the bone. Most of the time, the gum is sutured around a healing abutment attached to the implant that extends through the gum tissue. This is referred to as the “one stage healing” of the implant.
At times, patients may have softer bone or insufficient volume of bone. In these cases, the implant may need to heal beneath the surface of the gum for additional protection. This is referred to as “submerged healing” and requires a second minor surgery 8-12 weeks later to expose the implant after adequate initial healing has occurred.
Some patients may also be candidates for immediate implant teeth. This option allows for the placement of temporary teeth that are immediately secured onto the implant(s) to avoid the need for removable replacements during healing. Patients who receive immediate implant teeth have very strict diet and hygiene regimens for the first 12 weeks that must be carefully followed in order to ensure a successful outcome. Placement of immediate teeth requires pre-operative planning and coordination with our prosthodontist first.
After implant surgery, most patients experience minimal disruption in their daily life. In almost all cases, patients can wear temporary replacement teeth. Most patients can easily return to work within 1-3 days. Postoperative discomfort is usually considered minimal. Although you will have temporary teeth, the bone and gum tissues must first heal completely to the dental implants before the final teeth are fabricated. Implant healing can range from 8 weeks to four months or more depending on conditions such as bone quality, age, underlying medical conditions, and overall ability to heal. We also specialize in Lake Nona wisdom teeth removal surgery
The Trusted Oral Surgeons in Lake Nona, FL
Our Lake Nona oral surgeons are experts in the diagnosis and management of various conditions of the face, mouth, jaws, and teeth. This expertise spans the full spectrum of their respective specialties in oral and maxillofacial surgery.
Our specialists have trained at some of the most prestigious universities and institutions across the country and bring years of research, teaching, and cutting-edge clinical experience to our practice. In addition to the Lake Nona area, we also perform oral surgery on patients throughout Laureate Park, Moss Park, Hunter’s Creek, Lake Hart, Orlando, Meadow Woods, Lee Vista, St. Cloud, and Kissimmee.