Dental implants are one of the most advantageous long-term investments you can make for your smile and your health! Seeking the expertise of a team of trained dentists is the best way you can ensure these advantages last for many years. Choosing to receive dental implants with us means choosing a team skilled in all aspects of your implant care, backed by advanced technologies and in constant pursuit of the latest techniques and materials. Dr. Ward is passionate about helping his patients achieve beautiful, healthy smiles and takes a special interest in implant dentistry specifically for this reason. If you are missing one or more teeth, the implant treatment process can seem daunting at first. We believe in educating our patients about their treatment options, processes, and benefits. We invite you to ask questions, discover the long-term benefits dental implants can provide, and learn about our unique dental implants process here!
Our initial implant consultations are one of the most critical parts of our treatment process. At this visit, we perform a complete intra-oral examination, including taking cone beam CT scans. We discuss your motivations for contacting us, and use this information along with our clinical findings to create two custom treatment options. We encourage your questions and concerns and are transparent about the pros and cons of each treatment option we present, including the cost of each. We offer several payment options and suggestions, including incentives for paying for your entire treatment upfront. We do not pressure our patients, however, and encourage you to determine the best treatment and payment plan for your financial situation and specific smiles goals.
Your second appointment consists of confirming treatment, collecting payment, reviewing your health histories, and prescribing all needed medications for the procedure. Once all these boxes are checked, we can move forward with the diagnostics and plan for your day of surgery.
Your diagnostic appointment involves a lot of technical preparation for your day of surgery, including taking records of your specific case needs. At this appointment, we will also order dental implants, dentures, and custom surgical guides, if needed. When complete, we set a treatment timeline and schedule your surgical date.
Virtually all our implant surgeries are completed in our state-of-the-art surgical suite in our Lawrence, KS office. This suite is twice the size of our normal treatment rooms and is equipped with many dental technologies, including our X-Nav guided surgery technology. We have sectioned this suite off from the rest of the practice for your privacy and comfort. In most cases, all procedures related to placing dental implants can be completed in a single surgery in this room, commonly allowing you to leave with new teeth the same day! We provide IV sedation if necessary, but most of our patients feel comfortable completing surgery with local anesthetic. Implant surgery is an out-patient procedure, meaning you can return home the day of your surgery.
As your implants heal, we may have you return to our office for follow-up appointments to monitor the healing process and acknowledge any concerns or pain you may be having. Some pain, swelling, and bleeding is natural after implant surgery, and we can assist you in receiving medication to control these symptoms. However, with our minimally invasive approach and platelet-rich plasma therapy, most patients find the recovery period to be uneventful, comfortable, and fast.
