Dental Implants in the Smile

Aesthetics
Replacement of missing teeth in the smile is very challenging. Our goal is to mimic nature as closely as possible. While we are committed to delivering lifelike restorations that mirror an individual’s unique enamel and dentin appearance, of equal importance in the smile is the appearance of the surrounding gum tissue.

Thorough evaluation and understanding of a patient’s specific tissue type and topography as well as the esthetic requirements of each case are critical to achieving successful outcomes.

Procedure Options
Implants are invaluable as tools to replace missing teeth, but gingiva and bone react differently to implants and implant prosthetics than they do to natural teeth. This must be taken into consideration when treatment planning an implant restoration in the smile. In some cases an FPD might give a more predictable esthetic result and treatment options must be carefully weighed.

Many times, however, in cases where a tooth must be removed from a smile, an implant may be the ideal choice. If the site is favorable, sometimes an implant may be placed immediately at the time of the extraction. This can be a delicate procedure, with the goal being to preserve the hard and soft tissue architecture as much as possible to produce a final, natural, and imperceptible tooth replacement. In these cases, a bone graft is placed to support the space between the implant and the tooth socket wall. Dr. Hall also hand fabricates a component called a custom healing abutment. This helps preserve the shape of the tissue as it was pre-extraction. This shape can be easily duplicated later in the final abutment to maintain gingival esthetics in the final prosthesis.

Our ultimate goal, whether replacing a missing tooth or teeth in the smile with implants or a bridge, is to build a restoration that blends seamlessly into a beautiful smile.

Please take time to discuss any questions you might have about your prosthesis with Dr. Hall. If you are in the Athens, Watkinsville or North Georgia area call Dr. Hall’s office for more information at(706) 543-3629.