Services

Dental Implants

Missing teeth can negatively impact your oral health, we want to make treatment as affordable, efficient, and accessible as possible.
Services

Dental Implants

Missing teeth can negatively impact your oral health, we want to make treatment as affordable, efficient, and accessible as possible.

Missing teeth can have a negative impact on your oral health and your confidence. Here at Smiles of West Point, we want to make treatment as affordable, efficient, and accessible as possible for all of our patients. 

If you have missing teeth, you may feel the need to hide your smile. Unfortunately, tooth loss is not only a cosmetic concern; it can also cause issues when biting or chewing. Large spaces in your mouth due to missing teeth will cause other teeth to shift, which creates misalignment issues. The loss of teeth can also cause jaw deterioration over time. This is why dental implants are so important. They can help not only restore your confidence, but also improve your oral and overall health.

Before and after picture of a mouth showing missing teeth and then implants for a full smile.
The patient had 14 months of traditional bracket orthodontic care. In addition, she had single implants placed and an implant bridge placed.

Dr. Barrett Explains Dental Implants

Hello, I’m Dr. Marc Barrett. I work for The Smile Group. I work in West Point, Virginia. Our main location is in Williamsburg, Virginia, but we’ve got places all over the place and it’s awesome. So today I want to talk to you a little bit about some of the things we can do with dental implants. Let’s say you’re missing a front tooth, right here you can put an implant right there and then put a crown on a then that would preclude you from having to cut teeth down and possibly do like a bridge. If you were to do a bridge, you have space right here and then you have two teeth and you reduce those and make something that goes over that. Let’s say you had a wide space and you put two implants in here, I can show you what that would look like, as well. So the final product, if you were to put two implants on the bottom, you would have something similar to this, so this is a bridge. You have three teeth connected together, and you have these two what we call abutments, and then you put that on permanently and that will replace your missing teeth. And then if you had a bridge on top supported by natural teeth, you would reduce the adjacent teeth and then you would have three crowns connected like this. And it just goes in like that as well. Now let’s say you’re missing teeth and you need to do a denture. A top denture fits pretty good if you’re missing all your teeth on top, it acts like a suction cup. But the bottom is kind of tough because you’ve got to contend with the tongue and then your chewing muscles. So if you have a denture that looks like this, it kind of looks like a horseshoe, and it comes on and off, it could kind of slide around without the use of any type of implants. But you don’t see on this, imagine you have an implant in the bone. You can kind of see through the blue what the implant would look like inside your bone. So imagine if you had no teeth on the bottom. If you put at least two implants, typically you want four, but if you had two, that’s what the top would look like and you’d put a component in there. Then within the denture, you’d put something in the denture and it would just kind of snap in and keep your bottom dentures from moving around. So that’s my little spiel on what we can do for you at The Smile Group with dental implants.

Graphic of a tooth.

Single-Tooth Replacement

A dental implant is an excellent solution for replacing a single missing tooth. Its permanence and durability give it an edge over any other option and it will look and feel very natural. 

Graphic of two teeth.

Multiple Teeth Replacement

In a case where multiple teeth need to be replaced, Dr. Barrett may place an individual implant or an implant-supported dental bridge. 

Graphic of smiling mouth.

Full Mouth Replacement

Strength, performance, and support while chewing are all factors that should be taken into consideration when replacing your teeth. 

Graphic of an implant.

Mini-implant supported dentures

Mini-implants are smaller than traditional implants. They also require less bone tissue to remain stable.

Could Dental Implants Help You?

Compared to other treatment options, dental implants are fairly intensive. If your natural teeth are still intact, Dr. Barrett will assess the benefits and risks of extracting and replacing teeth versus saving them. There are cases where a root canal and crown are the better alternative to an extraction and dental implant. 

If you are missing teeth due to injury or decay, surgical implants may be the solution. Listed below are common reasons why dental implants may be recommended at Smiles of West Point:

• Patient is missing enough teeth to require dentures

• Decay is too severe to fill the tooth

• Patient has had a few teeth knocked out

• Patient has been considering getting dental bridges or crowns

• Patient needs a full smile restoration

‍A good candidate for dental implants should be in general good health overall and have minimal oral health issues, which includes having healthy gums. Implants and other artificial teeth will not be subject to decay. However, the bacteria that causes periodontal disease can still be present, which means you should maintain strong dental hygiene habits.

Complimentary Implant Consultation

Dentist meeting with a patient showing them dentures/teeth.

During your complimentary consultation at Smiles of West Point, Dr. Barrett will review your dental and medical histories and conduct a physical exam of your teeth and mouth. An X-Ray will be required to evaluate your teeth and underlying jawbone to make sure there is enough bone structure to support the implant. 

Our team is here to answer any of your questions and discuss your implant treatment plan. Our goal is to make sure you feel comfortable moving forward with the process of implant placement and to give you the beautiful smile you deserve. 

Our implant consultation is valued at $168, but we will conduct this consultation for FREE! Here is what to expect from your appointment: 

A personal implant consultation with Dr. Barrett where we will find out if you are a candidate for dental implants. We will take digital X-Rays, screen you for advanced oral cancer, and evaluate TMJ and your overall bite. We will then go over a written treatment plan and review your treatment options. We will discuss pricing, how long the procedure will take, and the steps you will need to take to get the best results possible. We are here to answer any questions you might have and guide you every step of the way.

Types of Dental Implant Procedures

Dr. Barrett, our experienced and highly-trained dentist, will answer all of your questions in advance and go over your implant treatment plan with you.

Single-Tooth Replacement

The permanence and durability of a dental implant makes it an ideal solution for replacing a single missing tooth. No other replacement method comes close to restoring a long-lasting, natural smile, especially if the surrounding teeth are healthy.

Multiple Teeth Replacement

Dentist with paitent on an x-ray machine.

If multiple teeth must be replaced, but not the full mouth, Dr. Barrett will place an individual implant or an implant-supported dental bridge. Both solutions will improve chewing strength and look and feel natural.

Full Mouth Replacement

If you are looking to replace all of your teeth, Dr. Barrett recommends individual dental implants, fixed implant-supported bridges, or implant-supported dentures to give you a full, beautiful, and functional smile.

Mini-implant supported dentures

Although rare, there are occasions where there is no bone on the lower jaw to work with. There are of course other circumstances that make implants less achievable, such as financial issues. In these cases, mini-implant supported dentures might be recommended. According to Dr. Barrett, some patients might see greater benefits from this type of procedure because it’s less-invasive while still providing stability and chewing strength. 

Images with a traditional implant and a mini implant.

Mini implants are smaller than traditional implants, which means they require less bone tissue to remain stable than a traditional implant.

High-tech Implant Dentistry

3D X-rays with Our State-of-the-Art Cone Beam Scanner

A Cone Beam Scanner on a white wall.

At Smiles of West Point we use state-of-the-art 3D Cone Beam technology to capture 3D images of your jaw, teeth, and skill. This technology is done using a cone-shaped X-Ray beam that allows Dr. Barrett to view the images from every angle and plan your implant surgery in advance. 

Cone Beam CT scanners use far less radiation than traditional X-Rays or medical CT scanners. 

Guided Surgery

A surgical guide on a dark surface.

One of the steps that Dr. Barrett takes to plan the implant surgery includes creating a surgical guide to ensure the implant is placed precisely and efficiently. 

Creating this surgery guide will reduce the time needed for the actual procedure and make the implant placement as minimally invasive as possible, as there is no need for actual cutting or suturing.

Bone Grafting and Other Preparatory Procedures

Graphic tooth and pins in a jaw.

In cases where bone has been lost through periodontal disease or a missing tooth, there may be a need to increase the amount of bone in a patient’s jaw. This will ensure that there is sufficient bone available to support the dental implant. 

This is done through a process called bone grafting, a safe and effective procedure that builds up bone on the jaw by adding a small amount of bone from the patient, a donor, or synthetic bone. Dr. Barrett usually places the bone graft at the same time that he places the implants and will use the material best suited for each patient. 

Graphic of the sinus and bone.

A sinus lift, also known as a sinus augmentation, is a surgery that adds bone below the sinus, between your jaw and the maxillary sinuses, located on both sides of your nose. The sinus membrane must be moved upward or “lifted” in order to make more room for the bone.

High-quality restorations

A tooth with "CEREC®" written below.

Strong, long-lasting crowns and dental bridges can be made using CEREC (CEramic REConstruction) technology, a modern and efficient dental restoration system. This system allows Dr. Barrett to take digital impressions that are then sent to 3D software to help with the creation of your appliance. This allows us to make small adjustments for a better-fitting crown or dental bridge. 

Graphic of crown going onto the gum.

Dental implants are a great option for many patients and can provide a superior solution for those with missing teeth. Give us a call today to learn more about implant dentistry or any of our other options for tooth replacement. We look forward to hearing from you!

Dental Implants in West Point

Dental implants give you the option to have a smile that is both functional and attractive. This is a permanent solution for patients who are missing teeth and want to restore their natural look and improve their ability to talk and eat. At Smiles of West Point, Dr. Barrett uses his extensive experience and education of implant treatment to create this effect. 

Each of our patients are unique and important to us! That’s why we want to offer a free consultation visit to help our patients make an informed decision. 

Every patient is different. Not everyone has the same reason for choosing implants. Contact us for a consultation so that you can make an informed decision.

‍We would like to get to know you and discuss your dental goals, history, and health. Then, we will go over available treatment options to address your concerns. We want you to leave our office feeling welcomed by our team and confident in your smile.

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