Dr. Scott R. Bankhead
20 Mendon Street
Bellingham, MA 02019
(508) 966-1216

Implant Services

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Our implant services include:

  • Sinus lift augmentation — Often the sinuses will enlarge following loss of the upper back teeth. This can preclude placement of dental implants in the upper back areas of the mouth, since the sinus is an air-filled space and dental implants need to be anchored in solid bone. A sinus lift augmentation/graft is a surgical procedure that restores the sinus cavity into its original position and replaces the bone lost as a result of the enlarged sinus. This new bone graft typically takes nine to 12 months to heal before the dental implants can be placed into the grafted bone.

  • Autogenous bone grafting — Occasionally, areas where dental implants are ideally to be placed do not have sufficient bone quantity to securely place dental implants. In these cases, it is often necessary to “borrow” bone from another area of your mouth to graft into the deficient area. The area of choice is typically the chin or the back of the jaw where your wisdom teeth used to be.

  • implants hardwareImplant site development — When a tooth needs to be removed due to infection, it is not uncommon to have lost bone from around the infected tooth. In these cases, various types of bone grafting can be done at the same time the tooth is removed to facilitate the placement of a dental implant at a later date.

  • Computer-enhanced treatment planning — We have special software on our computer that allows us to evaluate your dental CT scan in three dimensions for bone quality, bone quantity, and bone location. This allows the best possible placement of your dental implants. It also enables us to work closely and smoothly with your restorative dentist to ensure an ideal result where your dental implants are concerned.

  • Implant maintenance — Once your dental implant restoration is completed, it is important to keep the area clean and infection-free. Dental implants can accumulate plaque and tartar just as teeth can. Whether you have just one tooth replaced by an implant or several, a professional cleaning schedule will be necessary to keep your implants healthy. The time interval for these professional cleanings will be determined by your individual needs.

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