DENTAL IMPLANTS

Our doctors are extensively trained in implant dentistry to replace your missing teeth.

Dental implants are changing the way people live! Our patients are rediscovering the comfort and confidence to eat, speak, sing, laugh and enjoy life. With dental implants, our doctors are highly trained to meticulously re-create a beautiful, functional and healthy smile.

What are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are small titanium posts designed to provide a foundation for replacement teeth that look, feel and function like natural teeth. The person who has lost teeth regains the ability to eat virtually anything and smile with confidence, knowing that teeth appear natural and that facial contours and appearance will be preserved.

Dr. Matthew Burke and Dr. Pamela Porteous-Burke are extensively trained in the placement and restoration of dental implants. Using 3-D guided surgery Dr. Burke and Dr. Porteous-Burke precisely place dental implants into the jawbone where teeth are missing. The bone integrates with the titanium implant, creating a strong foundation for implant supported teeth. Dental implants mimic the root of a natural tooth. Bone surrounding the dental implant is strong and healthy preventing bone deterioration which occurs when teeth are missing. Our dentists use the highest quality implants and bone grafting materials available to help ensure fast healing and longterm predictability for our patients.

Why Dental Implants:

When you lose a tooth, especially a back tooth, you may feel you don’t need to replace it, since no one can see that it’s missing and you have plenty of other teeth. However, there is more bone loss going on under the surface once a tooth is lost. Surrounding each tooth is an alveolar bone that supports the tooth and when the tooth is lost, that bone deteriorates. This is why people who have lost most of their teeth and are not wearing dentures appear to have a caved-in appearance to their mouths.

Besides causing damage to the immediate area, tooth loss affects and compromises remaining teeth. Teeth create a structure for the face and their loss can shift the surrounding teeth, creating aesthetic issues and bite problems. A lost tooth can also affect facial structures such as the jaw, muscles, jaw joints, and even the skin.

Preventing Facial Recession

Missing teeth can lead to facial sagging and premature aging. Without the support of the tooth root, the jaw bone begins to break down. As the jawbone weakens, the facial structure can become compromised. Patients with missing teeth often see a gradual shifting of their jawline.

Dental implants stimulate natural bone regeneration and prevent the deterioration and regression of the jawline. Implants are surgically implanted into the jaw and help to support the structure of the face and bite. Replacing missing teeth with dental implants can prevent facial sagging and help to make patients look and feel younger.

Evaluation for Dental Implants

If you, like many others, feel implant dentistry is the choice for you, we will ask that you undergo a dental/radiographic examination and health history. During these consultation visits, your specific needs and considerations will be addressed by Dr. Matthew Burke or Dr. Pamela Porteous-Burke. Your questions and concerns are important to us and our team will work with you very closely to make your procedure a success.

Not all patients are ideal candidates for dental implants due to medical health concerns or poor bone quality or quantity. If you are not a candidate, Bridges or Removable Prosthodontics may be a good option for you.

CASE STUDY

We met this lovely girl at 13 years old. She was congenitally missing her lateral incisors and her adult canines had erupted into their space. Her baby canines were still in place behind the adult canines, but their roots were short and would soon be lost.

This was a wonderful case in many ways. Our patient was incredibly sweet, kind and generally fun to be around. It was also one of the few cases where Dr. Pam Porteous-Burke and Dr. Lee Porteous were able to co-treat a case utilizing their different specialties.

Dr. Lee Porteous treated her with orthodontics (braces) to put her adult canines in the correct position. Dr. Pam completed her implant surgery and made her custom zirconia (highly specialized porcelain) abutments and all porcelain crowns to give her naturally beautiful lateral incisors.

Smile before work by Porteous and Burke Dentistry

Smile during work by Porteous and Burke Dentistry

Smile after work by Porteous and Burke Dentistry

We completed her case at age 18. This case required multiple phases of dentistry (ortho, oral surgery, implants, restorative implant crowns), but her outcome was phenomenal.

The Final Smile!

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