Dental Implants | Charlotte, NC

Experienced Dental Implants Specialist

Dr. Matthew Ficca has placed thousands of dental implants over his 20 years in practice. He is a board-certified specialist in both implant surgery and periodontics and offers Charlotte patients extensive experience, comfortable treatment, and a caring approach.

Using dental implants, Dr. Ficca can restore your missing or damaged teeth with replacements that are as close as possible to your original teeth. Implants are a functional, secure, and aesthetic solution. They are an ideal approach if you want to fix your bite, repair your smile, or upgrade from your current tooth restoration.

When you choose our practice for dental implants, you can expect exceptional care at every stage. From your consultation to your procedure to your post-surgical treatment, our team will help you know (what) to expect and treat you as a partner in the process. Our goal is to make your experience as positive and comfortable as we can.

What Are the Benefits of Dental Implants?

Dental implants are a well-established and effective option for replacing missing or damaged teeth. As part of the treatment, Dr. Ficca will use a dental implant to replace your natural tooth root. Once the site heals, your restorative dentist will attach a crown to the implant. This approach offers you a variety of benefits:

Natural Appearance and Function

Dental implants are fixed in place — they aren’t removable appliances like dentures. Because treatment replaces the entire tooth structure, implant restorations look and act like your original teeth.

Simple to Maintain

You can brush and clean around crowns supported by dental implants in the same way that you brush your natural teeth.

Bone Preservation

Bone in the area of a missing tooth will erode over time. Dental implants mimic the natural tooth root, which keeps bone from disappearing.

Immediate Improvement

Whether or not you receive a same-day implant, Dr. Ficca can provide you with a temporary restoration so that you never have to leave the practice with missing teeth.

Same-Day Placement

Based on his advanced training and experience, Dr. Ficca can often extract teeth and place dental implants in the same surgery. This same-day approach significantly reduces overall treatment time and allows for enhanced esthetics for Charlotte patients.

Treatment That is Tailored to You

The best results from dental implants come from careful coordination between the implant surgeon and the restorative dentist. Before specializing in dental implants, Dr. Ficca spent years as a general dentist. His knowledge of both sides of the treatment process help patients get more aesthetic and durable outcomes.

Am I a Good Candidate for Dental Implants

If you are missing teeth or need to have damaged teeth removed, you should consider dental implants. You may also want to explore implants if you are unhappy with your dentures or other tooth replacement.

Even Charlotte patients who have significant bone loss can be candidates for dental implants. Dr. Ficca uses advanced grafting techniques to restore strength and stability to the jaw bone. This allows him to place dental implants in sites that weren’t possible before. We encourage you to come in for a consultation to explore your options.

During your visit, Dr. Ficca will talk with you about your goals for treatment and examine your teeth and surrounding tissues. He’ll review your X-rays and may take 3D X-rays, also known as a cone beam CT scan, to get insight into the supporting structure of your teeth.

Typically, Dr. Ficca performs bone grafting in the same procedure as placing dental implants. In some cases, patients receive a bone graft and then wait several months so that the site can become strong enough for an implant. As part of your consultation, Dr. Ficca will help you understand your treatment plan and answer any questions you have.

What Is It Like Recovering from Dental Implants?

You’ll have your procedure in-office with local anesthesia or local with IV sedation. The latter option allows you to sleep through the entire experience. In either case, you should be completely comfortable and not feel any part of your treatment.

Surgery to place a single implant usually takes under an hour. As a periodontist, Dr. Ficca will also use techniques to condition the gums and surrounding soft tissue. This will promote a more natural appearance once you receive your crown.

In the two days following the procedure, our Charlotte patients usually take ibuprofen and Tylenol®. Most people describe the symptoms as “minimal discomfort.” You can expect to return to normal activities on day three, and minor swelling and discomfort should fade over the next few days.

You’ll have a follow-up visit with Dr. Ficca two weeks after receiving your dental implants and then 8-10 weeks later. Once your implants are secure, you’ll visit your restorative dentist, who will place your permanent crowns. Dr. Ficca and our staff will be in close contact with the restorative dentist throughout your treatment to make sure your final outcome is as secure and natural-looking as possible.