Specialists in dental implants and other complex surgeries look forward to precisely rebuilding your smile

Formerly, patients with gaps where teeth used to be were limited in options to complete their smiles. Fortunately, today’s patients can benefit from replacement teeth that are designed like natural teeth – from the “root upward.” Dental implants, as this sought-after option is known, actually represent just one part of the tooth. After all, implant-supported teeth are designed like natural teeth, and natural teeth are not merely made up of the crown or the portion of the tooth that is visible when you smile.

You have come to the right place for information on implants that you can trust. As specialists in oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS), our surgeons Drs Bryan McLelland and Brenen Olsen, are also equipped to place dental implants expertly, strategically, and precisely. Our Liberty Oral and Facial Surgery team in Spokane Valley, Washington, and Post Falls, Idaho, combines advanced training in complex surgeries, such as dental implants placement and related implant procedures, with sophisticated technologies. These technologies aid in visualizing each patient’s oral (mouth) and maxillofacial (jaws and face) tissues and structures. Accurate, detailed imaging informs treatment planning, exactly where and how each implant is placed.

Surgical skill matters

Such expertise and tools are critical to the success of the dental implant. “Early implant failures,” as they’re called, are rare (dental implants have a high success rate exceeding 93%). However, such failures may be attributed to the lack of supporting bone in the jaw and the inability for the implant to properly “heal” or integrate into the bone that surrounds it. To better understand this process, consider how the dental implant is a cylindrical-shaped post. It is shaped and designed to function as a tooth root. The implant is made from a biocompatible material, which is another way of saying that the material is formulated to naturally and safely “osseointegrate” or fuse to the surrounding bone. All implants must be positioned precisely to support predictable integration and healing following placement.

Patients who lack sufficient bone in the jaw can also benefit from our oral and maxillofacial surgeons’ skills and experience with procedures designed to augment or build up bony tissue. In this manner, the built-up treatment site is in the best position to support the implant. When the implant is adequately supported in the jaw and becomes a part of the surrounding bone, it optimally supports the replacement tooth. And a single implant may be placed to retain one new tooth or crown, or a few strategically-placed implants can be used to stabilize several new teeth or dentures.

Warm, personalized care for our valued patients

Our OMS team, Drs McLelland and Olsen, also partner with patients to avoid “late-implant failures.” These failures may arise due to conditions such as peri-implantitis, which is similar to gum disease. While dental crowns and other restorations do not decay like natural teeth, the implant can be vulnerable to harmful bacteria and plaque build-up. When this happens, the health of the implant and the tooth it retains is threatened. We can advise on (and demonstrate) techniques and oral care products to aid in proper cleaning. We will also monitor healing closely with follow-up appointments. It is incredibly rewarding for us to roll out the welcome mat and make patients feel like “family.”

Are you a dentist in the Inland Northwest? We welcome your questions and are privileged to have earned your referral! Are you a prospective patient seeking a second opinion or holding on to painful teeth? Do not delay reaching out to us.

We look forward to meeting you. Call Liberty Oral & Facial Surgery’s Post Falls practice at (208) 264-4665 or our Spokane Valley practice at (509) 822-2774.