Dental Implant Surgery

Dental implants may be a good option for many people who have lost their teeth. The procedure involves surgically placing titanium anchors into the jawbone where the root is missing, these anchors bond with your jawbone after 3-6 months of healing time serving as an artificial root to ensure a stable foundation for implant crowns or other dental prosthesis such as all-on-4, all-on-X, implant bridges, implant overdentures, hybrid dentures, ect.

Dental implants are a great way to help restore your confidence in your smile! The placement of the titanium implant (screw) usually involves two surgical procedures.  First, Dr. Shi places the implant into your jawbone where you’ve lost your tooth; it takes anywhere between 3-6 months for them to bond with the bone and gum tissues before fabricating an abutment and a crown to replace the missing tooth.  Dr Shi will scan your teeth to design a virtual tooth/teeth, and superimpose it with CBCT data to design a surgical guide so that your implants are placed strategically to provide optimal support to future crowns.  This “Crown-down” technique will avoid short, mushroom-like implant crowns.  

Dr. Shi provides you with an initial consultation to determine the best course of action. The total treatment time will depend on your bone and gum conditions as well as your personal factors. In general, you should prepare at least 6 months from the day of implant placement surgery to the completion of an implant crown. For patients with weak bone, smokers, diabetes, osteoporosis, old age and heavy grinders, a longer healing time is recommended.  For patient who has great bone, and travel from far away, Dr Shi could potentially install the crown on the day of surgery.  Please ask Dr Shi if you are a candidate for this option.

At Centre Dental, we use 3D printed surgical guides to place implants, and have abandoned outdated freehand placement. With sophisticated AI enabled software, Dr Shi superimposes CBCT and intro-oral scan data to design your implants, and uses a 3D printed surgical guide to place implants. Like a GPS to a driver, a surgical guide will enable Dr Shi to place the most accurate implant with enhanced safety. An added benefit also includes more natural looking and healthier crown in the future. If you have adequate bone, you may walk in with failing teeth and walk out with comfortable fixed implant bridge.

For single of a few implants in an arch, we first design your virtual tooth/teeth, and design a surgical guide that ensures optimal placement of implants.
Missing Tooth

Surgical Guide design using the virtual tooth for positioning

PRF Therapy in Conjunction with Bone graft and Implant Surgery

Dr. Shi at Centre Dental has been offering PRF therapy since 2016, and the results have been phenomenal. Please take advantage of this revolutionary treatment modality to help you power up the healing.

Failing/infected tooth causes damage to jawbone and gum making implant treatment challenging. L-PRF (Leukocyte-Platelet Rich Fibrin) from within your own blood changed all the rules as it promotes healing and regeneration of hard and soft tissues from within. With a simple blood draw and advanced protocol, PRF is individually made for you and from you. The end results are improved healing response, significantly less recovery time and more bone and gum regeneration.

PRF therapy is 100% natural and additive-free. Natural growth factors in your blood is concentrated and re-introduced at the surgical site. PRF is also a natural Band-Aid for the wound so healing is protected from bacterial infections.