Dental Implants

Dental implants are a relatively new method of treatment that have revolutionized the profession of dentistry. We have professional relationships with proven specialists to provide high quality implant services to our patients.

An implant is a small titanium device that is placed in the jawbone, and serves as an anchor for replacing missing teeth.  They have an outstanding record of clinical success and have changed the lives of so many patients around the world.  In fact, dental implants have one of the highest clinical success rates of any procedure performed in dentistry!

Single Tooth Implants

Dental implants are utilized in many ways.  One of the most common methods is to use an implant to replace a single missing tooth.  We have traditionally only been able to replace a single tooth with a dental bridge.  However with a dental implant, we can now replace the individual tooth without reshaping the neighboring teeth.  In other words, we replace what is missing while preserving what is still natural and healthy!

Image of single tooth replaced by dental implant
Single tooth replaced with a dental implant

 

Implant-Retained Dentures

After the natural teeth are removed, the jawbone shrinks over time. The more the jawbone shrinks, the harder it is to keep a set of dentures in place. Implants can be used to retain and stabilize dentures for better function.

The pictures below demonstrate the attachments that are placed in the tissue side of the denture.  These attachments snap onto dental implant attachments in the mouth to help retain your denture in place.

image of lower denture
Image of implant-supported denture attachments

Hybrid Prosthetics

This service combines the concepts of complete dentures with the advantages of dental implants. Rathke Family Dentistry has partnered with periodontal surgeon, Dr. Kip Saunders, to offer hybrid prosthetic services to our patients.

This service allows us to remove a patient's failing teeth, strategically place 4-6 dental implants, and attach a new set of prosthetic teeth to those implants, often in a single appointment!  Once the implants have fully healed, we will make a new, more refined set of teeth designed to last long-term.

These dental implant services are changing the lives of countless patients around the world.  We are excited and humbled to be able to bring these services our patients!