Oral and maxillofacial surgeons specialize in implant dentistry and restorative treatment planning. At Carolinas Center for Oral & Facial Surgery, we provide reliable solutions for missing teeth in Charlotte, NC, offering personalized care across our three Charlotte locations and additional offices throughout the Carolinas.
Dental implants are a popular tooth replacement option because they look, feel, and function like natural teeth. A single implant can restore a missing tooth, while multiple implants can support a bridge or even a full-arch restoration for patients missing many teeth. With high success rates, long-term stability, and the ability to preserve the jawbone, implants offer a healthy, permanent way to rebuild your smile.
Why Replacing Missing Teeth Matters
When a tooth is lost, the jawbone beneath it no longer receives the stimulation it needs to stay strong. Over time, this can lead to bone loss, shifting teeth, bite problems, and changes in facial structure. Restoring missing teeth promptly helps protect your oral health, maintain proper alignment, and preserve your natural appearance.
While traditional bridges or removable partial dentures can restore the appearance of your smile, they do not prevent jawbone weakening. Dental implants remain the only tooth replacement option that supports long-term bone health, stability, and natural function.
Tooth Replacement Options in Charlotte
There are several ways to restore one or more missing teeth, and our oral surgeons will help you determine the option that best fits your health, goals, and long-term needs. Whether you are missing a single tooth or several, dental implants provide a stable, natural-looking foundation for a complete and healthy smile.
Single Tooth Replacement
- Single Dental Implant. A dental implant is the preferred option for replacing one missing tooth. The implant post replaces the natural tooth root, helping keep the jawbone strong. A connecting abutment and custom crown complete the restoration, providing a permanent solution that looks and functions like a natural tooth.
Solutions for Replacing Multiple Missing Teeth
If you’re missing more than one tooth, there are several implant-based and traditional solutions to consider:
- Implant-Supported Bridge. Traditional bridges rely on grinding down healthy teeth for support. With an implant-supported bridge, dental implants are placed in the empty tooth sockets to support the prosthesis, protecting your natural teeth while restoring full chewing ability.
- Multiple Dental Implants. Dental implants can be placed throughout the mouth, replacing molars, canines, or front teeth as needed. Each implant functions independently, offering stability and long-term support for your bite.
- Full-Arch Restoration. For patients missing many or all of their teeth, a full-arch restoration uses several strategically placed implants to secure a fixed denture. This life-changing procedure provides a brand-new, fully functioning smile and offers superior stability compared to removable dentures.Solutions for Replacing Multiple Missing Teeth
- Fixed or Removable Bridge. Traditional bridges or removable partial dentures can restore your ability to eat and speak, but because they lack roots or implant posts, they do not stimulate the jawbone. Over time, this can lead to bone atrophy and changes in facial structure.
A tooth that is badly damaged, infected, or decayed may need to be extracted to protect your oral health. When appropriate, our oral surgeons in Charlotte can replace a single or multiple missing teeth with immediate dental implants. During this treatment, your oral surgeon removes the tooth and places the implant post into the empty socket during the same appointment, provided there is enough bone to support it.
Same-Day Dental Implants
This reduces the total number of visits needed to restore your smile and help maintain the natural shape of the gums and bone after extraction. If your jawbone is not strong enough to support the implant, we can place a bone graft during the same visit at our Charlotte locations. This strengthens the area and prepares the site for an implant once you are ready.
Restoring your smile is always an investment worth making, and our team of professional oral surgeons wants to help.
Can I Get a Dental Implant Years After an Extraction?
Dental implants do not have an age limit or time restriction. Whether you are replacing one tooth or several, you can receive a dental implant in Charlotte as long as there is enough jawbone to support it. If you lost a tooth years ago and the bone has changed, a bone graft can rebuild the area, preparing it for an implant.
If you plan to wait before restoring a missing tooth, a socket preservation procedure can help maintain the size and shape of the bone, making future implant placement more predictable.
Cost of Dental Implants in Charlotte
The cost of dental implants in Charlotte depends on the number of teeth being restored and whether additional procedures, such as bone grafting or extractions, are needed. Because every patient’s needs are different, we provide personalized treatment plans that outline the total investment for your care.
Trusted Experts in Dental Implants in Charlotte, NC
Learn your tooth replacement options and schedule an appointment at Carolinas Center for Oral & Facial Surgery. With multiple locations throughout the Charlotte area, our oral surgeons ensure high-quality implant care is accessible and convenient. We look forward to helping you restore your smile with a solution that feels natural, healthy, and confident.